L.A. Clipper Blake Griffin Slam Dunks Cover Of “Men’s Health” [PHOTOS]

The Lakers currently have a better record (4-4) over the Clippers (3-2). But the Clippers have a better buzz thanks to their players (Blake Griffin and Chris Paul) and the heavy slam dunks from the offense.

Kobe Bryant Breaks Record In Loss

Basketball is a bigger deal than ever in Los Angeles, but which team is the hottest? Tell us what you think in the poll below!

Bryant came into the Sunday game needing just four points to reach 28,000,  but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

The Lakers fell to the Nuggets 99 to 90 bringing their record on the season to 3 wins and 3 losses.

READ MORE AT ESPN.COM

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Lamar has been silent since all of the trade rumors about him have begun circulating heavily. Take a look at Kobe’s comments about his friend and teammate Lamar leaving the Lakers in the video below.

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72 Hours in Los Angeles

Sources close to the Lakers are telling ESPN that the front office is making moves to acquire All-Stars Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. ESPN’s Chris Broussard feels that with high caliber players like Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom on their current roster The Lakers do have the means to pull off the blockbuster trade.

What do you think? Are these super teams good for basketball?

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72 Hours in Los Angeles

While nothing can be as funny as Shaq rapping, “Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes,” Shaq has thrown many  shots Kobe’s way over the years. Vibe.com compiled 10 of the most offensive for your weekend barbershop debates.

Shaq vs. Kobe 4

The Year: 2000

The Jab: During a private team meeting, Shaq reportedly got up and said, “I have something to say. I think Kobe is playing too selfishly for us to win.” He also talked to management frequently during the 1999-2000 season, telling them that he didn’t think the Lakers could win an NBA title with Kobe on the team.

Our Reaction: At this point, it’s amazing that Lakers management didn’t trade either Shaq or Kobe. If all of the media reports about their hatred of one another is true, how did these guys manage to win their first title together in 2000?

READ THE FULL LIST OF 10 AT VIBE.COM

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Kobe Bryant’s knee looks like it’s in game-time shape. The Los Angeles Lakers All-Star rained in 43 points during  South Los Angeles’ famed Drew League. Bryant underwent an offseason platelet-rich plasma therapy procedure on his troublesome right knee. If there is an NBA season he’ll be on a revenge mission after getting bounced out of the playoffs by the reigning champs, The Dallas Mavericks.

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The NBA Finals finally (no pun intended) get under way tonight (May 31st) in Miami. In a rematch of the 2006 championship Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks look to avenge a disheartening loss to Dwyane Wade and the Heat five years ago where they blew a 2-0 series lead and a 13-point 4th quarter lead in Game 3.

Besides Nowitzki and super sixth man Jason Terry for Dallas and Wade and Udonis Haslem for Miami, all the players are different, many new to the NBA Finals stage. 38 year-old Jason Kidd has been to the Finals twice as a member of the New Jersey Nets and LeBron James put his former team on his back en route to the 2007 Finals before getting swept by San Antonio.

I will admit I was the main person saying the Heat would not win a title this year. Since that statement in late October, the Boston Celtics traded away one of the key pieces of their defense in Kendrick Perkins (a major factor in how easily Miami handled the Celtics) the Atlanta Hawks beat Orlando and the only real center in the Eastern Conference in Dwight Howard, the Memphis Grizzlies upset the San Antonio Spurs in the first round and the Lakers got swept out of the postseason by the Dallas Mavericks without a fight  in the Western Conference Semifinals.

I can easily say that the road to the Finals was laid out without any major obstacles for Miami, but that would be a major disservice to how dominant they have been. None of Miami’s playoff series have gone more than five games, something I expected in the first round, but not after that. The way the Heat are playing is something I expected in year two. They have been surprisingly cohesive in dismantling the best defense in the NBA in the Eastern Conference Finals. It seems all the criticism and inability to close games during the regular season has been their training ground. They have gone through the playoff level adversity of Jordan versus the Pistons, and Isiah versus the Celtics in the course of one regular season and are ready to reach their goal way ahead of schedule.

That being said, I am through picking against the Heat. Chris Bosh has found his superstar swagger and Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller have finally arrived after injuries robbed them of precious game time.

Prediction: The Heat will roll out the Derrick Rose defensive strategy on Dirk. They will live with Nowitzki making those unguardable one-legged fadeaway jumpers and run Terry, Kidd and Peja Stojakovich off the three point line. While they have not faced a center like Tyson Chandler so far, Chris Bosh and Joel Anthony should be able to neutralize him. The Mavs will miss Caron Butler, though Butler is not ruling himself out for the series attempting to come back from a snapped patella tendon in his knee that sidelined him since January 1st. Shawn Marion has turned back the clock to his “Matrix” heyday which will help. However, like the Bulls series it will be 3 superstars on 1 which equals too much for Dallas. Heat win one for LeBron in six games, 4-2.

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L.A. was getting all they could handle through two games with New Orleans and the Celtics needed two last second baskets at home to take a 2-0 series lead against the New York Knicks who, were virtually without Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudamire in Game 2. After the first round both Boston and L.A. have moved on after flipping the proverbial switch (or twisting the ankle in Kobe’s case).

The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder both looked impressive in their series and Atlanta shocked the world by dispatching of Orlando as easily as they did. Up 3-0 on Indiana, the Bulls struggled againsnst the #8 seed. Derrick Rose has been all world in the series, but Chicago will need more production out of everyone else going forward. The Bulls have won the NBA title in every season in which the team won 60 games or more. The 2010-11 Bulls won 62 games. No pressure. As round 2 begins today here are my updated predictions.

Eastern Conference

#1 Chicago Bulls vs #5 Atlanta Hawks

I had Orlando winning this round, but unfortunately Orlando center Dwight Howard was the only player that got off the bus in the series against the Hawks. I was encouraged to see Atlanta adjust their gameplan against Superman, refusing to double team and staying home on the 3-point shooters of the Magic. Jamal Crawford, the leading bench scorer in the playoffs, worked his magic (no pun intended) throwing in dagger 3′s with regularity. Joe Johnson showed the urgency and intensity necessary in the closeout game 5 and Al Horford was a man amongst boys down low. All of that being said, the Bulls are overjoyed that Atlanta took care of Orlando because they have owned the Hawks in the regular season (a blown double-digit lead in ATL notwithstanding). I expect this to continue as Joakim Noah will cancel out Al Horford’s energy. The Hawks will be hurt by the loss of Kirk Hinrich, who pulled his hamstring in Game 5 of the previous series, as he would have been key in containing Derrick Rose defensively. Rose can do his usual damage on offense and get by Atlanta but Carlos Boozer has to come out of the witness protection program and give him some help or Atlanta will make it a tough series.

Prediction: Bulls run wild and win 4-2

#2 Miami Heat vs #3 Boston Celtics

This is the series everyone has been waiting to see. LeBron has already been asked about his alleged quitting against Boston last season and he is saying he takes this series personal (whatever that means). This series is why Pat Riley flashed the rings at LeBron last July. This series is what the Miami Heat team as we know it had been training at military bases for. The Celtics limped into the playoffs as they did last year and looked old in the first two games against the Knicks that had everyone in New York talking upset. Boston showed up to Madison Square Garden and turned back the clock to 2009 becoming the first team to make it to the second round this year in the process. Jermaine O’Neal (not the O’Neal I expected to contribute) must have thought he was back in Indiana the way he held down the middle for Boston on both sides of the ball. They will need him to show up again in this series if Shaquille O’Neal can’t go. These aren’t the Knicks, however. The Heat play defense, and Mario Chalmers will not be on skates and jumping out of the way of Rajon Rondo in the paint (hello, Toney Douglas?). History is on Boston’s side as 8 of the last 9 teams to sweep an opening  round series have gone on to win the conference semifinals. Ray Allen has torched the Heat to a tune of 57% shooting. Wade will need to step up offensively and score more than 12 points a game for the Heat to win. This is the Heat’s Detroit Pistons of 1991, the Piston’s Boston Celtics of 1989 (the Jordan-led Bulls had to overcome Isiah Thomas’ Bad Boys and Thomas had to get by Bird’s Celtics to get to the proverbial “next level”).

Prediction: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have never beat the Boston Celtics in a playoff series. That ends this year. I am sticking with my upset pick. Heat burn Celtics in 7, 4-3.

Western Conference

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs #3 Dallas Mavericks

The Lakers struggledwith the upstart Hornets without David West. They cannot afford to take a game off in this series. Jason Kidd is not as fast as Chris Paul, but you can’t call him”Ason” anymore. Kidd has hit some clutch 3′s all year and he can still get his teammates the ball in the right places. Although Kobe brought out the ’97 dunk contest hops in game 5 against Emeka Okafor, it is highly unlikely he will repeat that against the likes of Tyson Chandler and Brendan Heywood. The Mavericks are 15-0 this season when Dirk Nowitzki attempts 10 or more freethrows in a game, but with the Lakers bigs inside Dirk may forget to drive to the basket and settle for jumpshots, not necessarily a bad thing if the shots are falling. Andrew Bynum showed last round why the Lakers refused to entertain including him in Carmelo Anthony trade talks as he was the most consistent player for L.A. against New Orleans.

Prediction: the Lakers will get by the Mavericks 4-2.

#4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #8 Memphis Grizzlies

I’ll admit the Grizzlies know more than I did going into the playoffs. They asked for San Antonio and made sure they got ‘em. In the process they made Tim Duncan look like a shell of himself and kept Richard Jefferson out of the series entirely (did he even play?). They dominated the series so thoroughly that it took two miracle shots by Manu Ginobli and Gary Neal in Game 5 just to force overtime or the series would have ended earlier. Zach Randolph has come a long way from his “jailblazer” (with Portland) and “black hole” (with New York) ways of the past. He has remained a big-game scorer and rebounder, but has passed effectively averaging over 5 assists in the SanAntonio series. While the Grizzlies handled the Thunder in the regular season winning 3 out of 4 games, Kevin Durant is on a mission. I thought he would be derailed by a veteran SanAntonio squad, but Memphis has opened the door for him to have a deep post-season run. The key matchup is Tony Allen against the unstoppable Durant. Allen has become the heart and soul of the team since Rudy Gay went out with his shoulder injury and that playoff experience and toughness gained from his time with Boston will take the Grizzlies far in this series.

Prediction: I will give the Grizzlies a little more credit as they showed me something against SanAntonio. OKC has the bigs to withstand Marc Gasol and Randolph and the five inch height advantage Durant has on Allen will be the difference. Oklahoma wins the series 4-3 in 7 hard fought games to set up a rematch with the Lakers for a chance to go to the Finals.

Check back after Round 2 for my updated predictions of who will make the NBA Finals.

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“What I said last night should not be taken literally,” he said. “My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone.”

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72

points given up by the New York Knicks to the Dallas Mavericks by HALFTIME of a 127-109 loss on Thursday night (Mar 10th).
The Knicks are an enigma on defense. They can shut down the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz, but give up at least 115 points twice to Cleveland and this matador effort to the Mavs. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has to prove his style of play can win a title.

52

consecutive double-doubles recorded by Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love on Wednesday (Mar 9th) breaking the overall consecutive record set by Moses Malone over two seasons.
Congratulations to Kevin Love. When you consider post ABA/NBA merger Hall Of Fame big men like Karl Malone, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar have not come close to that number, Love’s feat is more impressive.

24

points Chris Bosh scored against the Lakers one day after stating publicly that he needed the ball in certain areas of the court (read: low post) to be effective.
Bosh bounced back nicely after the stinker in Portland (3-11 FG, 7 points). Glad he backed up his talk because he might not have gotten the ball again from LeBron if he didn’t produce.

15

baskets made by Carmelo Anthony (including the above game winner against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 9th) in the final 30 seconds to either tie the game or give his team the lead in the past 8 seasons.
The Knicks have their own closer. Only Kobe Bryant, also with 15, has as many since 2003.

8

game winning streak after the NBA All-Star break for the Los Angeles Lakers before falling to Miami 94-88 on Thursday (Mar 10th). That is good for a tie for third on the all-time list of Lakers winning streaks post All-Star Break (the other three Lakers teams went on to the NBA Finals).
The Lakers have flipped the proverbial switch and are locked in for the run to the playoffs. Kobe wanted that win against Miami on Thursday night which is probably why…

2

hours Kobe spent shooting jumpers in America Airlines Arena after the game against the Heat was over.
I am not aware of something like this happening while a player was on the road. Kobe is focused, man.

1

vote of confidence given to Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra by GM Pat Riley. In response to if he was getting rid of Spoelstra this year because of the losing streak Riley said “it ain’t gonna happen.”
Riley is no fool. He knows this team is not built to win this season. Once they get size down low, a point the team will most likely address in the offseason, Spoelstra (a.k.a. Julius Caesar) better watch his back for a slick-haired Brutus.

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“Right around the time Tiger Woods was involved in his whole affair mess, a girl Kobe was mixed up with earlier in the year gave birth to his ‘alleged’ child,” a source told blogger Terez Owens. “Kobe paid for her to live in Italy for the last year. She’s returned to the states and is now seeking legal rights.”

Check out the video below and let us know if you think those are paternity papers Kobe’s being handed at the 3 second mark.

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According to reports, when Game smashed the guitar as part of the video shoot, a shattered piece of the instrument cut his finger wide open, dripping blood.

For photos and more go to Allhiphop.com

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The Cavaliers set a franchise low for points in a 112 to 57 loss to the Lakers where Kobe Bryant only scored 13 points. It was the Cavs 11th consecutive loss and LeBron did not take the high road in his reaction.

“Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time,” he said via his Twitter page. “It’s not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!” James was in Los Angeles with the Heat for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers.

James’ comments were aimed at the owner of the Cavaliers franchise Dan Gilbert who called James a “coward” when he announced his departure.

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However, LeBron had encouraging words for his former coach Mike Brown, who appeared on NBA’s Fast Break program.

“Ok Coach Brown. Looking good on NBA Fast Break. You look much better on the sidelines though. Great coach, great man. He’ll be back!”

The Cavaliers will attempt to redeem themselves against the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

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The Los Angeles Lakers sported some Grinch Green Kobe Bryant Nikes in their holiday showdown verse the Miami Heat. But it was the defending champs who had their Christmas day spoiled.

In a dominating performance LeBron James recorded his 31st career triple double with 27 Pts, 11 Reb and 10 assists  in the 96 to 80 win. The Heat defenders held Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to 17 points each.

After the game Laker legend Magic Johnson said the loss was “embarrassing” for the team and for the city of Los Angeles.

However, history says that Kobe and the crew have little to be concerned about. The Lakers lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last Christmas, but still went on to win the NBA championship.

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“Derrick Rose may have your number,” President Obama lightheartedly jabbed at Kobe Bryant as the team posed for a photograph after presenting the president with an autographed replica 2009-10 championship banner.

Rose dropped 29 points and 9 assists in a win over The Lakers on December 10th. But Black Mamba’s come back was classic.

“I said, ‘If he calls that number, I’ll be sure to pick up after the fifth ring,’” Bryant quipped back — referring to the five championship rings he has.

Ouch!

Read more HERE.

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Ron Artest ran afoul of the law yesterday while driving an Eagle Roadster on the streets of Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Laker was pulled over in the street-legal vehicle because its registration had expired.

Law enforcement told TMZ that the registration didn’t belong to Artest, but to someone in Tennessee.

Artest was eventually sent on his way.

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From ESPN.com

Bryant scored 44 points, passing Jerry West as the Lakers’ career scorer, but it wasn’t enough as the Grizzlies got 22 points and 17 rebounds from Zach Randolph to defeat the Lakers 95-93 on Monday night.

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“It’s a great honor to say the least [because] of the great players that have played here and the tradition we have,” Bryant said of becoming the Lakers’ career leading scorer. “[West] taught me so much when I was 17 years old. He showed me a lot about the game, the jump shot and spin moves and all the others.

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Continued @ESPN.com

VIA ESPN:

There were a half-dozen playoff caliber teams willing to sign Leon Powe and wait for his surgically reconstructed left knee to heal, but the forward who had been such a big hit in Boston ultimately decided he wanted to team up with an old AAU buddy — LeBron James.

Powe traveled to Cleveland on Tuesday to have his knee examined by Cavaliers team medical personnel, with the expectation that he will sign a two-year, $1.77 million deal Wednesday.

A source told ESPN.com that Powe will sign for the league minimum for players with three years of service — $855,189. Cleveland will hold a team option for a second season at $915,852.

Powe, who re-tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Game 2 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff loss to the Chicago Bulls, is not expected to be ready to play until sometime around February.

But if he returns healthy, he will bolster a Cleveland big man rotation that already includes Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao along with youngsters Darnell Jackson, J.J. Hickson and Jawad Williams and recently signed Jamario Moon.

The Celtics forfeited their exclusive negotiating rights to Powe when they declined to tender him a contract offer in June. He had spent the past two years sharing time with Glen Davis as the backup power forward behind Kevin Garnett, averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, and had a huge performance in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals when he scored 21 points in just 15 minutes as the Celtics took a 2-0 lead over the Lakers.

Los Angeles, Portland, Dallas, Orlando and Miami also expressed interest in Powe, whose preference was to remain in the Eastern Conference and to sign with the team most capable of giving him his best shot to exact some revenge on the Celtics after they effectively gave up on him by declining to tender him a qualifying offer.

Powe had a huge game against Cleveland last March 6, going for 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting with 11 rebounds. But he injured his right knee five games later, sat out the next 12 games, then returned for the final two games of the 2008-09 regular season before tearing up his left knee (which had already undergone previous reconstructive surgery) in the playoffs against the Bulls.

VIA EUR:

New Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest has donated his $45,000 diamond watch to a Chinese teenager, apparently to sell so that he can fund his education, according to AFP.

Artest made the generous gift after playing basketball with 15-year-old Zheng Fengyu, who is from a poor family, in the central city of Wuhan on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

“He is great. Never let me shoot easily,” Artest was quoted as saying. “Hope this can help realize his basketball dream.” After receiving the gift from the NBA star, Zheng, who is the captain of his school team, said: “August 14th is my birthday, this is just the perfect gift for me.”

Artest, who signed with NBA champions Los Angeles last month, also enjoyed a game with young players at a local university.

Around a dozen NBA players have visited China in the past few weeks, including Kobe Bryant who has been teaching his skills to youths and launching his fund to raise money for education and health programs in China. Wherever they go they have been mobbed by adoring fans, AFP noted.

VIA SI:

The NBA is bringing Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal together again for Christmas — this time joined by LeBron James.

Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 25, one of the highlights of the 2009-10 NBA schedule released Tuesday.

It will be the fourth time in the five years since their partnership ended that Bryant and O’Neal will meet on Christmas. Traded to Cleveland in June, O’Neal will return to Los Angeles this year with James, who succeeded Bryant as MVP last season.

O’Neal and James will play their first game together in the NBA season opener, hosting the Boston Celtics on Oct. 27. The four-game slate that night concludes when the Lakers open their title defense against No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin and the Clippers.

Defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando opens Oct. 28 against Philadelphia, then goes on the road two nights later to visit New Jersey, giving Vince Carter a quick return to his former home.

The Magic will visit the Lakers for an NBA finals rematch Jan. 18 as part of the schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Los Angeles will play at Orlando on March 7 for the first time since winning the title in June.

Orlando also plays on Christmas, hosting Boston in a matchup of the last two East champions. Miami at New York, the Clippers at Phoenix and Denver at Portland round out that day’s action.

VIA ESPN:

The Utah Jazz will match the four-year, $32 million offer the Portland Trail Blazers tendered their restricted free agent Paul Millsap, the team posted on its Web site and a league source confirmed to ESPN.com Thursday evening.

Under the terms of the contract, the Jazz, which stated all summer that it would match any offer Millsap received, will have to pay the 24-year-old forward $10.3 million this weekend. Portland had front-loaded the contract to discourage Utah from matching.

A formal announcement was scheduled for Friday, the last day Utah can match the Portland offer.

Utah’s decision is likely to set in motion a string of moves by both teams. The Jazz, whose payroll will balloon to roughly $84 million, will continue trying to trade All-Star forward Carlos Boozer. If the Jazz don’t move Boozer before next season’s February trade deadline, they will have to pay a luxury tax of nearly $15 million.

The team recently told Boozer, who will make $12.7 million this season, that he is not in its long-term plans, and Boozer responded by telling the Jazz to trade him. Chicago, Miami and New York are among the most interested teams.

Before the Blazers made their offer to Millsap, the club was in preliminary talks with Utah and Chicago about a three-team trade that would send Boozer to the Bulls, Chicago point guard Kirk Hinrich to Portland and Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas to the Jazz. Now that Portland recoups the roughly $8 million in salary cap space it used to make the offer to Millsap, those trade talks could be revisited.

The Blazers could also decide to go after Los Angeles Lakers‘ forward Lamar Odom. Negotiations between Odom and the Lakers have stalled, as Los Angeles recently took its three-year, $27 million offer off the table.

Portland has showed little interest in Odom to this point, a fact that baffles several executives around the league, but after coming up short in its attempts to add Hedo Turkoglu and now Millsap, perhaps the Blazers will set their sights on Odom. Not only would such a move strengthen Portland but it also would weaken the defending champion Lakers.

Weak, strong, doesn’t matter… These ‘ballers’ still have some pretty hot wives. Check it out!

VIA ESPN:

The newly minted NBA champions made what amounts to a daring trade Thursday night, shaking up the league’s second day of free agency by essentially swapping out on-the-rise swingman Trevor Ariza for the versatile, physical and famously unpredictable Ron Artest.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Artest have struck an agreement in principal on a multiyear contract that, according to sources close to the process, will total roughly $18.7 million over three years or $33.5 million over five years, depending on which contract structure Artest ultimately prefers. But they had to let Ariza go to create the financial flexibility to do so.

It was Artest, not surprisingly, who was the first to announce his forthcoming partnership with Kobe Bryant and his long-awaited move to the glamour capital of the Western Conference, sharing the news with CBSSports.com and writing in a text message to ESPN.com: “I am happy to say I am goin’ to L.A.”

ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard reported late Thursday that the financial aspects of the deal have not been finalized, in part because Artest’s camp wants more time to weigh its options. Wednesday is the first day players can sign new contracts for the 2009-10 season, after the league announces the new salary-cap ceiling and luxury-tax threshold.

A five-year contract, which Broussard reported would include a player option on the fifth season, would bring Artest added security in case of injury. The shorter three-year deal, though, would enable Artest to return to free agency at 32, with full Larry Bird rights and the potential to sign a more lucrative deal with the Lakers or another team.

Either way, L.A. has made a surprising splash, when it was widely expected the Lakers would merely try this offseason to re-sign Ariza and Lamar Odom.

ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Ariza was growing frustrated by the Lakers’ reluctance to start his new contract higher than the projected mid-level exception for next season of $5.8 million and giving strong thought to signing elsewhere.

VIA ESPN:

Trevor Ariza‘s short but sweet stay in Los Angeles might be coming to an end.

The 24-year-old swingman, who played a key role in the Lakers’ run to their 15th NBA championship, is on the verge of leaving the club, sources close to the situation said on Wednesday.

With at least five teams pursuing Ariza, the Lakers are currently unwilling to pay him more than the $5.6 million mid-level exception.

“They’re letting him go,” one of the sources said.

Cleveland is making a hard push for Ariza, and the Cavaliers’ coaching staff was speaking with him on Wednesday. While Cleveland can only offer the mid-level as well, Ariza’s disappointment with the Lakers’ stance has moved other suitors ahead of his current team.

The Rockets, Clippers, Raptors and Blazers are also showing interest in Ariza. Portland and Toronto could each offer more than the mid-level exception.

If the Lakers refuse to increase their offer, it’s a clear indication that they are choosing their other big free agent forward, Lamar Odom, over the younger Ariza.

Ariza averaged 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in the regular season for the Lakers last season. He increased his scoring to 11.3 points and had 4.2 rebounds per game in the playoffs. He had 16 points and 15 points in the last two Lakers victories in the Finals.

Those numbers were a jump over his career averages of 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Ariza has played for three teams in his five-year career.

What do YOU think?! Share your thoughts in the comments section!

VIA ESPN:

It wasn’t long ago that Kobe Bryant reportedly wanted out of Los Angeles. He’s not going anywhere now.

Fresh off winning the championship, the Lakers guard decided not to exercise an early termination option on the last two years of his contract and will return for the 2009-10 season, a league source told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford.

Bryant is scheduled to make $23 million next season by not opting out. He also has a player option to opt out of his contract in the 2010-11 season. The Lakers will work with Bryant over the summer and fall to hammer out a new, long-term extension, according to the source.

The Los Angeles Times reported late Tuesday that Bryant will sign a three-year extension with the Lakers sometime this month. According to a source close to the situation, Bryant could make $47.8 million over the next two years and another $86 million to $91 million with the extension, with the difference depending on the salary cap.

After two straight first-round exits from the playoffs, Bryant requested a trade in the spring of 2007, saying that he didn’t like the direction the team’s rebuilding was going.

The Lakers then went out and traded for big man Pau Gasol. Los Angeles increased its win total from 42 games to 57 and went to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers bounced back with a 65-win season in 2008-09, made it back to the Finals and beat the Orlando Magic for the title. Bryant distinguished himself by winning his first championship without Shaquille O’Neal. The duo won three from 2000 to 2002.

The Lakers have also been trying to come to terms with unrestricted free-agent forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. The Times reported that general manager Mitch Kupchak reached out to the camps of both players Tuesday evening.

Next year, Lebron… next year!

The Los Angeles Lakers are the 2009 NBA Champions after defeating the Orlando Magic in 5 games, 99-86. This is the 15th title for the franchise and the 4th for the Finals MVP Kobe Bryant.

“This means everything, we really worked hard as a group,” Kobe said after the game, finally putting the “can he win without Shaq?” question to rest. Bryant had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks in the win.

With his tenth championship coach Phil Jackson has now passed the late Red Auerbach for the most titles of any NBA coach. “I’ll smoke a cigar in memory of Red,” Jackson said. “He was a great guy.”

Watch the clip below if you missed it:

Who will show up in the playoffs next year?

Kobe sure does hate a lot of stuff that he does on the court, but give him his props, he’s been honing those skills for awhile. Spike throws a camera in his face and suddenly you get a deeper look at the man who’s trying to win his first ring without Shaq.

Kobe Doin’ Work was a Tribeca gem and ESPN most recently aired it commercial free. DJ Vlad decided that that wasn’t enough and made it available online. The Urban Daily is only following suit! For your viewing pleasure, we present Kobe in his finest moments before the 2009 NBA Finals.

Did you enjoy the Lakers Game 7 win last night? Well, you’ll enjoy Kobe Doin’ Work – check it out below:

SEIU Local 32BJ, representing over 50,000 building service workers in New York, launched a Web site Monday to protest the former NBA basketball star’s use of non-union labor at a Brooklyn condominium building owned by his investment company.

The online site NoMagicHealthCare.org calls attention to workers at One Hanson Place, which was reopened this year following renovations and offers individual condo units for up to $1 million.

Prior to One Hanson Place’s conversion, the cleaning and maintenance workers in the building were 32BJ members earning area standard wages and benefits. The dozen workers currently receive individual health care coverage and are paid the union rate of $18.94 for porters and concierges and $20.19 for handymen. But they are being asked to pay $300 per family member for coverage, a benefit unionized luxury residential building workers in the city get as part of their contract.

The protesting union members plan to follow Johnson around with picket signs during his visit to New York this week as he makes various public appearances to promote a new book.

Meanwhile, Magic participated in a TSA (“Teen Service Announcement”) as an early and passionate supporter of @15, a new teen-led social change platform underwritten by Best Buy to give teens a voice and give them opportunities to direct the company’s philanthropy through the newly-created @15 Fund.

“There were all sorts of chances and times that I could have gotten into trouble, but instead of turning right, I turned left,” Johnson says in his online TSA. “You should dream high, because I’m a big believer that if you don’t dream it, you can’t become it. Life passes you by so fast. So, enjoy the moment. Enjoy the time.”

In addition to serving as the chairman and chief executive officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), Johnson is currently vice president and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. A version of the @15 TSA will begin airing during Lakers games within the next month.