I remember like it was yesterday. What a great day
I was at this game. One of my favorite lakers games ever. You just knew after one game that this was going to be special. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8327 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 5:26 pm Post subject:
People forget how desperate Kobe and the Lakers were before the Pau trade. Kobe had demanded a trade the previous summer, and it looked like the beginning of the end for the Lakers, as they were a mediocre team with no real trade assets.
Even after Andrew Bynum emerged in 2007-08, then got injured, we were not championship contenders. We need one more piece.
The Pau trade drastically changed the fortunes of Kobe and the Lakers. It was literally a miracle.
Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 28431 Location: LA --> Bay Area
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 5:31 pm Post subject:
slavavov wrote:
People forget how desperate Kobe and the Lakers were before the Pau trade. Kobe had demanded a trade the previous summer, and it looked like the beginning of the end for the Lakers, as they were a mediocre team with no real trade assets.
Even after Andrew Bynum emerged in 2007-08, then got injured, we were not championship contenders. We need one more piece.
The Pau trade drastically changed the fortunes of Kobe and the Lakers. It was literally a miracle.
True, in the fall of 2007 we were in the 2nd round contender discussion again at like 19-11 and we played that Boston superteam that we'd eventually meet in the Finals decently well. I remember that whole segment with Billymac and Norm Nixon dubbed "Bynumite". The other underrated pickup that year was Fisher
When Bynum went down we didn't look horrible IRRC and Kwame had some good defensive games, but yeah getting Pau made us automatic finals contenders
People forget how desperate Kobe and the Lakers were before the Pau trade. Kobe had demanded a trade the previous summer, and it looked like the beginning of the end for the Lakers, as they were a mediocre team with no real trade assets.
Even after Andrew Bynum emerged in 2007-08, then got injured, we were not championship contenders. We need one more piece.
The Pau trade drastically changed the fortunes of Kobe and the Lakers. It was literally a miracle.
True, in the fall of 2007 we were in the 2nd round contender discussion again at like 19-11 and we played that Boston superteam that we'd eventually meet in the Finals decently well. I remember that whole segment with Billymac and Norm Nixon dubbed "Bynumite". The other underrated pickup that year was Fisher
When Bynum went down we didn't look horrible IRRC and Kwame had some good defensive games, but yeah getting Pau made us automatic finals contenders
I remember how piss the Jazz were later on when the Lakers were contending. They thought Fisher would go to LA and just lose.
People forget how desperate Kobe and the Lakers were before the Pau trade. Kobe had demanded a trade the previous summer, and it looked like the beginning of the end for the Lakers, as they were a mediocre team with no real trade assets.
Even after Andrew Bynum emerged in 2007-08, then got injured, we were not championship contenders. We need one more piece.
They definitely needed one more piece. But in fairness, they started the next year something like 26-11 iirc, and were in first place in the west at one point after going on a 17-3 stretch.
The Bynum injury threw them into disarray though, and his body would have never held up. They absolutely needed Pau. But they were a better team than people gave them credit for. Bynum still had his athleticism. And they had quality role players, and good shooting (Sasha 43.7% with Fisher and Radmanovic over 40%). And Kobe of course, which counts for a lot.
They really needed a reliable second option though and Pau gave them that.
You knew that trade was a championship winning move based on how mad the rest of the league was, especially for what the Lakers gave up in return. The fit was so obvious unlike some other trade I won't mention.
The only trade I can think of that would top it was the trade for Chris Paul, only because Stern nullified it because it was so lop-sided.
Anyone remember how LA sports radio hosts couldn't stop talking about how soft Gasol's hands were for like a week after his debut
I remember Bynum was emerging and thinking we could be legit, then he got hurt. I was in class and one of my friends came back from the bathroom saying we just got Gasol. Those Kobe-Gasol years were some of the best Lakers basketball I can remember. Never seen a player just fit so seamlessly when they joined a team.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35812 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:14 pm Post subject:
LakesGnrLake wrote:
Anyone remember how LA sports radio hosts couldn't stop talking about how soft Gasol's hands were for like a week after his debut
I remember Bynum was emerging and thinking we could be legit, then he got hurt. I was in class and one of my friends came back from the bathroom saying we just got Gasol. Those Kobe-Gasol years were some of the best Lakers basketball I can remember. Never seen a player just fit so seamlessly when they joined a team.
I was in 8th grade at the time. I was on some streaming website before the game against the Raptors that night and saw someone comment: “We just got Pau Gasol!” I thought he had been traded to the Raptors at first. Then I went on LG, saw he was actually traded to us, and was confused how we had gotten him for so little.
Lakers had started the season 26-11 and the #1 seed before Bynum got injured stepping on Odom’s foot (ironically, playing against Pau and the Grizzlies). Initially, I thought Pau would just produce 90% of the value Bynum had been producing and would tide us over until he returned. I didn’t expect him to be as good as he was. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
People forget how desperate Kobe and the Lakers were before the Pau trade. Kobe had demanded a trade the previous summer, and it looked like the beginning of the end for the Lakers, as they were a mediocre team with no real trade assets.
Even after Andrew Bynum emerged in 2007-08, then got injured, we were not championship contenders. We need one more piece.
The Pau trade drastically changed the fortunes of Kobe and the Lakers. It was literally a miracle.
I thought we were in the first place in the West before Bynum got hurt. That team was my favorite ever....if only they could have beaten Boston in the Finals. 2008 Lakers were special.
I remember like it was yesterday. What a great day
I was at this game. One of my favorite lakers games ever. You just knew after one game that this was going to be special.
It was so unique because it wasn’t just Pau having a great game, it was the fact from literally day 1, despite no training camp, no off-season, probably no practice either, he played like he was with the team for YEARS. I’ve never seen that debut from a new Laker ever.
The fit was just so…instant. There wasn’t any “give’em some time to jell with the team” moments. No, he was a fit freaking INSTANTLY. Again, something that was still to this day, so bizarre to me.
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