If Kobe did what LBJ did last night THE MEDIA WOULD HAVE MURDERED HIM

[Allanon]

Bump. Allanon, where did you get this stat that Lakers were in first place when they made the Gasol trade?

Or did you just make that up?

Lakers were tearing it up, best in the West and only second to the Celtics overall prior to Bynum getting injured. Most of the posters here at ST know the Lakers had the #1 seed in the West prior to Bynum's injury.

The Gasol trade salvaged the Lakers 2008/09 season but the Lakers would have been contenders this year regardless of the Pau trade.

The national media started jumping on the bandwagon as well.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22481972/
January 3rd (pre-Bynum injury and pre-Gasol trade)

Quotes from article:
But the only thing really hot now is the Lakers, who have surprisingly emerged as a legitimate championship contender with a big front line and, of course, the irrepressible Bryant.

And now the Lakers, despite being the third-youngest team in the NBA, were competing with everyone in the conference.

They beat the Suns twice, split with the Spurs and Jazz, blew out the Nuggets. And they had the weapon no one really did in Bryant. There's nothing like the great finisher, especially in the playoffs, when the game slows some and the scores are lower. None of the contenders has a better one than Bryant.

[KSeal]

Yeah, the Lakers were kicking some butt before Bynum went down and I still wonder how last year would have ended if Bynum never got hurt and we never traded for Pau. Drew was playing awesome same with Lamar and Kobe.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Allanon is right that before Bynum's injury during the 2007-2008 season the Lakers were contenders. However, at the time of the Gasol trade, they looked like they were headed up 's creek without a paddle.

[KSeal]

Allanon is right that before Bynum's injury during the 2007-2008 season the Lakers were contenders. However, at the time of the Gasol trade, they looked like they were headed up 's creek without a paddle.

Well of course, when Bynum went down we were starting Kwame ing Brown. We all remember that horrible Suns game...

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

I remember on Christmas of 2007 I had to watch Bynum curbstomp, face , and toss Amare's salad for 48 minutes. At that time anyone with half a brain knew LA was a better team than Phoenix.

[Allanon]

However, at the time of the Gasol trade, they looked like they were headed up 's creek without a paddle.

Absolutely, the Lakers were/are just Playoff 1st/2nd round fodder without Bynum or Pau or Marc.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Now that I think about it that's two straight incredibly ty Christmas games for Phoenix.

[Cry Havoc]

Lakers were tearing it up, best in the West and only second to the Celtics overall prior to Bynum getting injured. Most of the posters here at ST know the Lakers had the #1 seed in the West prior to Bynum's injury.

The Gasol trade salvaged the Lakers 2008/09 season but the Lakers would have been contenders this year regardless of the Pau trade.

The national media started jumping on the bandwagon as well.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22481972/
January 3rd (pre-Bynum injury and pre-Gasol trade)

Quotes from article:
But the only thing really hot now is the Lakers, who have surprisingly emerged as a legitimate championship contender with a big front line and, of course, the irrepressible Bryant.

And now the Lakers, despite being the third-youngest team in the NBA, were competing with everyone in the conference.

They beat the Suns twice, split with the Spurs and Jazz, blew out the Nuggets. And they had the weapon no one really did in Bryant. There's nothing like the great finisher, especially in the playoffs, when the game slows some and the scores are lower. None of the contenders has a better one than Bryant.

You do realize that without Gasol the Rockets send you fishing in 5 or 6 this year, right? You do remember that series a few weeks ago that almost ended your season, right?