LA Lakers

The team is renowned for the fanbase of celebrities, such as musicians and movie stars who attend its games. Without question, many are present only during successful times for the team. During such times, near-court seats at an important Laker game are a desirable place for entertainment figures to "be seen". Each network broadcast, and many local broadcasts, of Laker home games invariably includes a few moments taken out to show on camera the various celebrities present at that particular game, and clearly many attendees are more interested in this aspect of their attendance than in the team or the game itself.

lakersmight5 new articles for Sunday, April 16, 2006Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs (AP via Yahoo! News)
Helped by the absence of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant put on his usual one-man offensive show and the Los Angeles Lakers easily clinched a playoff berth. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points in a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Bryant scores 43 as Lakers clinch postseason spot (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Kobe Bryant scored 27 of his 43 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Lakers clinched a playoff berth with a 109-89 victory over the short-handed Phoenix Suns.

Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs (Washington Post)
Kobe Bryant makes a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth with a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Kobe leads Lakers past Suns, into playoffs (Fox Sports)
No Steve Nash meant plenty of Kobe Bryant - under the basket, from long range and at the free throw line. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth with a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The Lakers are back in the postseason for the first time since losing the 2004 NBA Finals to Detroit.

Bryant leads Lakers to playoffs with win over Suns (The Sports Network)
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant poured in 43 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Lakers clinched a playoff spot by beating the Phoenix Suns, 109-89, at the Staples Center.

Kobe scores 43 as Lakers clinch playoff berth (MSNBC)
LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant scored 43 points and sat most of the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers routed the short-handed Phoenix Suns 109-89 on Sunday to clinch a playoff berth.

Lakers rout Suns (The Arizona Republic)
No Steve Nash meant plenty of Kobe Bryant - under the basket, from long range and at the free throw line. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth with a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns.{b} Box

Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs (The San Francisco Examiner)
LOS ANGELES - No Steve Nash meant plenty of Kobe Bryant - under the basket, from long range and at the free throw line. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth with a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Kobe leads Lakers to playoffs; bettors to payday (Covers.com)
LOS ANGELES -- No Steve Nash meant plenty of Kobe Bryant - under the basket, from long range and at the free throw line. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers ...

Lakers 109 Suns 89 (WOOD TV 8)
LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Lakers have wrapped up a Western Conference playoff berth by blowing out the Phoenix Suns 109-to-89. Kobe Bryant scored 43 points for the Lakers,...

lakersmight5 new articles for Tuesday, April 11, 2006Battle of Los Angeles: Hot Lakers favored (Covers.com)
Oddsmakers are giving the Los Angeles Clippers the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately treatment in Sunday’s tilt with the Lakers. The Clips posted two convincing victories over their city rivals through three meetings this season, downing...

Bryant leads Lakers (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, Lamar Odom had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers 100-83 on Sunday night.

Kobe, Lakers Beat Playoff-Bound Clippers (AP via Yahoo! News)
For the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a game of major importance. To the Los Angeles Clippers, it was anything but crucial. That's typical of late-season matchups between the crosstown rivals, but this was different than the norm since the Clippers are the ones with the playoff berth locked up and the Lakers are still battling to get there.

Kobe makes the Lakers a dangerous squad (The Sports Network)
(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Lakers are a very dangerous team to have to play in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. They are more than capable of sending one of the top seeds home early.

Lakers Quiet Playoff-Bound Clippers (NBA.com)
In the LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, Ross Siler writes that "the Clippers can celebrate clinching their first playoff berth since 1997 all they want in the coming week. The Lakers weren't going to let them do it in front of their fans at Staples Center on Sunday night. It was time for order to be restored and the Lakers did just that in a 100-83 victory, with Kobe Bryant playing 47:21 minutes and Lamar

Lakers pull away from Clippers (Fox Sports)
Kobe Bryant scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, Lamar Odom had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers 100-83 on Sunday night. Luke Walton added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers (41-37), who outscored the Clippers 20-6 to finish the game in snapping a two-game losing streak and winning for the seventh time in 10

Bryant, Odom Carry Lakers Over Clippers (NBA.com)
Kobe Bryant scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away for a 100-83 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lakers beat Clippers, forge tie for 7th (The Arizona Republic)
For the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a game of major importance. To the Los Angeles Clippers, it was anything but crucial.

Lakers down Clippers in battle for LA (The Sports Network)
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant poured in 38 points to lead the playoff-hopeful Lakers over the Clippers, 100-83, in the battle for Los Angeles at the Staples Center.

Bryant leads Lakers past Clippers (Honolulu Advertiser)
LOS ANGELES — For the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a game of major importance.

lakersmight5 new articles for Sunday, April 02, 2006Los Angeles Lakers (38-35) At Seattle SuperSonics (29-42), 10:30 P.m. (KIRO 7 Seattle-Tacoma)
(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Lakers try to bounce back from a loss and continue their push towards earning a berth in the postseason, as they visit the Seattle SuperSonics tonight at KeyArena.

Bryant scoring outburst lifts Lakers over Rockets (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Kobe Bryant has scored 43 points to tie a Lakers record for 40-point games in a season and lift Los Angeles to a 104-88 National Basketball Association victory over Houston.

Kobe tops 40 to tie Elgin's record in Lakers' win (Sports Illustrated)
Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 43 points in the third quarter to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 104-88 on Sunday afternoon.

Bryant too much for Rockets to handle in Lakers' 104-88 win (USA Today)
Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 43 points in the third quarter to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 104-88 on Sunday afternoon. The 40-point game was Bryant's 23rd of the season, tying a Lakers record set by Elgin Baylor in the 1962-63 season. Bryant has scored 40 or more four times in his past seven games.

Byrant ties Lakers record in win over Rockets (Fox Sports)
Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 43 points in the third quarter to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 104-88 on Sunday afternoon. The 40-point game was Bryant's 23rd of the season, tying a Lakers record set by Elgin Baylor in the 1962-63 season. Bryant has scored 40 or more four times in his past seven games. Smush Parker had 15 points and 10 assists for Los Angeles. Lamar Odom

Kobe goes over 40 again in Lakers' win over Rockets (The Sports Network)
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant posted 43 points and six assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 104-88 win over the Houston Rockets at the Staples Center.

Lakers drop Rockets, cover as favorites (Covers.com)
LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 43 points in the third quarter to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 104-88 on Sunday afternoon. The Lakers covered the 6-point spread and the total went over. The ...

Bryant scoring outburst lifts Lakers over Rockets (ABS-CBNNEWS.com)
LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant scored 43 points to tie a Lakers record for 40-point games in a season and lift Los Angeles to a 104-88 National Basketball Association victory over Houston here on Sunday.

Bryant scoring outburst lifts Lakers over Rockets (TODAYonline)
Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant has scored 43 points to tie a Lakers record for 40-point games in a season and lift Los Angeles to a 104-88 National Basketball Association victory over Houston.

NBA: LA Lakers 104, Houston 88 (UPI)
LOS ANGELES, April 2 (UPI) -- Kobe Bryant scored 43 points Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston, 104-88. In his latest scoring binge, Bryant scored 22 points in the third quarter.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for $15,000 and relocated it to Minneapolis. As the Gems had by far the worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 Profesisonal Basketball League of America dispersal draft, which they used to select George Mikan, later to become the greatest center of his time. With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players, the Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season.