Lakers Reach Out To Fans Regarding Cancellation of Preseason

One team who certainly does not want the NBA season to start any later is the Lakers. Not only is LA eager to atone for its early playoff bounce last season, but Jerry Buss has one of the most profitable teams in the league. The last thing he wants to do is miss games.

But as I would hope you have realized by now, this lockout is now about the teams such as the Lakers, Knicks, Mavericks or Heat. This labor dispute centers mostly around small-market teams--more specifically, small-market teams with relatively new owners. 

Regardless of who is spearheading this work stoppages, let's just hope a deal can be reached in the very near future. Too much money and too many jobs are on the line for some type of agreement not to be reached.

In the interim, teams are doing whatever they can to stay in the good graces of their season ticket holders. One way the Lakers are trying to do it is by updating their fan base on the latest developments of the lockout.  Below, you will find the latest correspondence between the Lakers and their fans, courtesy of an e-mail from team senior VP Tim Harris:

We appreciate your patience as the NBA and the NBA Players Association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Since an agreement has not been reached at this time, the league has canceled all preseason games.

The league will continue to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement so that we can get back to enjoying the excitement of NBA basketball.

Lakers fans are the passion that drives the team and we appreciate your support and your continued loyalty to the Lakers.

Sincerely,

Tim Harris

Senior Vice President, Operations/CMO

Wilkes Snubbed By Hall of Fame.. Again!

Dennis Rodman is a Hall of Famer, but Jamaal Wilkes is not? 

The Worm is in, but Silk is not?  Seriously? 

It may be hard to believe, but it’s true.

Rodman let it slip Friday night during his Pistons jersey retirement ceremony that he had been asked to fly to Houston for Monday’s announcement of the latest class to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Wilkes, unfortunately, found out recently that he is, once again, not invited to attend.

This is not a knock on Rodman, who was a tremendous player during his NBA career, but his overall basketball resume falls well short of Wilkes’.

Some might argue that Rodman earned his place in the Hall by being one of the best rebounders of all-time and one of the best defenders of his generation. I have no argument with that rationale. 

However, Wilkes was also one of the best of his generation at every level of competition.

As a prep All-American at Santa Barbara High School, Wilkes led the Dons to a championship.

At UCLA, Wilkes became a two-time All-American en route to winning two national titles under legendary coach John Wooden, averaging 15.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg while shooting 51.4 percent from the field.  He was named to the 1972 NCAA Tournament All-Tournament team, and helped the Bruins win a NCAA record 88 games in a row.

During his 12-year NBA career, Wilkes won Rookie of the Year honors in 1975 (from a draft class that included Bill Walton, Bobby Jones, Maurice Lucas, and George Gervin), earned three trips to the All-Star game, and played on four championship teams.

Wilkes wasn’t just a winner at every level; he was a star at every level. 

Plus, the last time I checked, it’s the “Basketball” Hall of Fame, not the Defense, Rebounding, or NBA Hall of Fame.

Just because Rodman earns praise for being one of the best specialists the game has ever seen, it doesn’t mean Wilkes should be overlooked because he was a better well-rounded basketball player.

And if you want to talk about defense, you might want to go back and review the film, stats and quotes regarding Wilkes ability to shut down opposing players.  Marques Johnson likes to tell the story that after his first day of practice at UCLA, after being the top-rated recruit in the country, he called home crying to his father because Wilkes wouldn’t let him get a shot off during practice.

Johnson’s father responded by saying, “Boy, stop crying. Wilkes is the best defensive player in the country!”

After Johnson dried his tears and rose to the challenge of facing Wilkes in practice every day, he went on to become the first-ever recipient of the John Wooden Award signifying the best player in college basketball.

And speaking of Wooden, who won 10 national titles and coached tens of All-Americans at UCLA, he was once asked to describe his ideal player. This was his response: “I would have the player be a good student, polite, courteous, a good team player, a good defensive player and rebounder, a good inside player and outside shooter. Why not just take Jamaal Wilkes and let it go at that?"

Could there be higher praise for a player?  Don’t forget, John Wooden is in the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. I believe the man knew a little something about talent.  Or as the kids like to say, game recognizes game. Especially Hall of Fame game!

Lakers are turning it on, but is it the right time?

By Billy Witz FOXSportsWest.com

LOS ANGELES — It's hard to erase the embarrassment in Cleveland, whitewash the Christmas Day debacle, or forget the days when the Lakers would rarely beat anybody that harbored any real ambitions.

But maybe it's time to slap a new label on everybody's favorite slackers.

How about Overachievers?

Don't look now, but the Lakers – at 53-20 after winning 15 times in 16 games since the All-Star break – are likely to surpass last year's win total of 57, and have a shot at finishing with the second-best record in basketball.

foxsportswest.com: Lakers Are Turning It On, But Is It Right Time?

FOX Sports West and Prime Ticket will have the best local coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend!

LAKERS TO CONDUCT YOUTH BASKETBALL DAY CAMP FOR BOYS AND GIRLS IN LOS ANGELES

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers will hold “Camp Lakers 2011,” presented by dazadi.com, a youth basketball day camp for boys and girls ages 9-18, this summer in two sessions, it was announced by the team.  Camp will take place at the Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles and will run from 9am to 4pm each day. Session one will be held June 28-July 1; session two will be held July 5-8. 

 

“Camp Lakers provides young basketball players with an excellent and unique opportunity to improve their skills and participate with players from all over the world,” said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak.  “Our experienced staff encourages the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship and determination, values that are necessary both on and off the court, and we are happy to once again conduct camp at the Roybal Learning Center.”

 

The Roybal Learning Center, located in downtown Los Angeles, features eleven full indoor and outdoor courts on a campus that is less than three years old.

 

The cost will be $350, per session; lunch will also be provided daily to each camper.  Net proceeds from the camps are used by the Lakers for charitable purposes.

 

Approximately 7,500 campers have attended Camp Lakers over the past eleven years, and the camps have sold out every year.  It is anticipated that this year’s camp will sell out by late May.  For more information, please call the camp hotline at (310) 426-6055, email camps2011@la-lakers.com or visit the Lakers website at www.lakers.com. 

The Things You Consider When Traveling

Traveling for work can be either a perk or a hassle—depending on your job and where you have to go.  For me, traveling with professional sports teams is definitely a perk.  Flying charter is one of life’s cool little luxuries, especially when someone else is paying for it.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to staying on the go. For one, my wife misses me while I’m gone--at least that’s what she tells me.  And even if she’s only saying that to stroke my ego, who am I to stop her?

Another issue with constant travel is losing track of the days of the week and dates of the month.  I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I have a hard time keeping up with Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  I’m much more in touch with yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

And don’t even think about trying to ask me for the date.  If it’s not my birthday or a major holiday (my wife’s birthday falls into this category, by the way), I would have a better shot of telling you the numeric value for pi than the day’s date.  Thankfully, for me however, my iPhone has a handy dandy calendar feature.  So I may not know the answer, but I can quickly look it up.

I raise this last issue with work travel because I recently realized I haven’t posted a blog lately.  When you can’t keep up with the days of the week, it’s a lot harder to realize how much time has gone by from one moment to the next.

So to make up for lost time, I thought it might be best to share some of my random thoughts, questions and musings from the past several days. 

*    Did you know that no Phil Jackson-coached championship team has ever lost 4 games in a row?

*    Following the Clippers win over San Antonio Wednesday, LA held a 3-9 record over teams currently sporting a record over .500.  While Miami carried only a 1-7 mark over winning teams.

*    With players such as Blake Griffin, Shannon Brown, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Derrick Rose roaming the court today, I believe we are witnessing the most athletic era the NBA has ever seen.

*    Speaking of Blake Griffin, can you ever remember someone getting so many standing ovations on missed dunks and shots?
 

*    You have to give Dodgers owner Frank McCourt credit for staying true to his word.  He has said throughout his divorce proceedings, that his personal matters would not affect the team’s willingness and desire to bolster the roster.  And the recent off-season acquisitions definitely support his earlier statement.

  

*    I realize the BCS is a crock and bowl games are only concerned about selling the most tickets, but if Stanford doesn’t get to play in the Rose Bowl, it would be nothing short of a travesty.

*    Karl Dorrell’s record after his third season at UCLA was 22-15 overall and 14-10 in the PAC-10. Rick Neuheisel currently stands at 15-21 overall and 8-18 in conference.  So does that mean next season will be Neuheisel’s last if he doesn’t rally for double-digits wins?

*    I heard that some USC fans are a bit upset because the NCAA didn’t punish Auburn and Cam Newton after discovering that Newton’s father soliciting money from schools trying to sign this year’s Heisman Trophy front-runner.  But remember this, Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo knowingly accepted cash and other benefits directly.  There’s no evidence that Newton has done the same or even knew about his father’s attempts to secure money.  It may not be apples and oranges, but it’s definitely apples and pears.
 

*    And finally, I heard that Dancing With The Stars is considering adding Todd Palin to the show’s next lineup of contestants.  No offense to Sarah Palin’s husband or her daughter, Bristol, for that matter, but if they are going to continue to feature such “stars” (and that goes for “The Situation” too), then they should change the name of the show to Dancing With People Who Aren’t Really Stars But Can Still Bring In Big Ratings.

LAKERS CENTER THEO RATLIFF HAS SUCCESSFUL KNEE SURGERY

  

El SEGUNDO – Los Angeles Lakers center Theo Ratliff underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to perform a partial meniscectomy on his left knee, it was announced today.

 

The surgery, which took approximately 30 minutes, was performed by Lakers team orthopedist Dr. Steve Lombardo of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Group.  Ratliff is expected to be out a minimum of 4-6 weeks.

 

Ratliff signed with the Lakers as a free agent this past summer on July 22.  In eight games this season, he is averaging 0.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.63 blocks in 8.4 minutes. 

 

One of seven players in NBA history to capture the blocked shots title three or more times, Ratliff ranks 18th in NBA history in career blocked shots (1,968) and owns career averages of 7.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.43 blocks and 25.4 minutes in 808 games.               

 

 

 

Upstart Could Be Lakers Biggest Challenge

One of the most discussed topic of this NBA preseason is who will present the biggest challenge to the Lakers quest for another three-peat. 

Will it be LeBron, Wade and Bosh in Miami? 

What about Boston and the Big 3 plus Shaq? 

Or will the most dangerous challenge come from within the conference?  If you ask the Lakers, the answer just may be the latter.

No diehard Lakers or Celtics fan will ever forget last year’s epic seven-game series, which ended with the Lakers cutting down the nets for the 16th time in franchise history thanks to an 83-79 win in the deciding game.  Considering how physically and emotionally draining that series seemed to be, one might argue that the Boston series was the Lakers’ most difficult postseason series in 2010. 

Well, one might be wrong.


foxsportswest.com: Upstart Could Be Lakers Biggest Challenge

Magic Johnson Sells Ownership Stake In The Lakers

By Mike Bresnahan
Los Angeles Times

Magic Johnson will forever be connected with the Lakers, but he can't be called part-owner of the team any longer.

Johnson sold his 4.5% ownership stake in the franchise to billionaire season-ticket holder Patrick Soon-Shiong, the team said Monday.

Johnson, 51, has become wealthy from his business ventures since retiring from basketball, including commercial real estate, health clubs and restaurants.

But Johnson, who wore No. 32 on the way to becoming a Hall of Fame guard for the Lakers, is a relative pauper compared with Soon-Shiong, a surgeon and biotech investor ranked No. 46 among the nation's wealthiest people by Forbes magazine this year. His estimated worth is $5.6 billion.

Soon-Shiong, 58, said in a statement that it was "an honor to be part of the Lakers family and the nation's foremost basketball franchise."

Read more..  



UPDATE:  Even though Johnson reportedly received "an offer he couldn't refuse" for his stake in the Lakers, which was approximately worth $27 million, many of you might still find it hard to believe Johnson would simply sell his ownership share for a big profit.  Well, it seems as though such inclinations could be spot on.

SportsbyBrooks.com has some interesting information regarding Johnson making a run at owning another NBA franchise, and his stake would be a lot bigger than 4.5%.

Kobe On Beating LeBron 1-on-1: "I'd Do That In My Sleep!"

Just before LeBron James was about to win his first NBA MVP award, I did an interview with Kobe Bryant for Lakers Live, in which I asked him who was the best basketball player in the world.  He gave me a very modest and politically correct answer talking about how great of a player LeBron had become through the years and that he likely deserved the MVP that season.

Being the seasoned reporter that I am, I quickly pointed out to Kobe that he didn't exactly answer my question about who was the best player in the world.  So I then posed a different question to the reigning MVP at the time.

Me:  "Who would win a game of 1-on-1 between you and LeBron?"

Kobe (without hesitation):  "Come on, man.  Me. All day long!"

There are some who still like to argue the point that LeBron is the best player in the world right now, despite him being able to reach the Finals in any of the last three seasons.  Of course, getting to the Finals is more about a team rather than a particular player.  Thus, we are back to the question I posed to Kobe two years ago about going head-to-head against LeBron.

And if even considered entertaining the thought that Kobe may have softened his stance on his ability to crush LeBron in a game of 1-on-1, check out this interview with Kobe during the Lakers current European road trip.

LAKERS INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKETS TO GO ON SALE OCTOBER 2

EL SEGUNDO - Individual game tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2010-11 season will go on sale this Saturday, October 2, it was announced today.

The tickets will go on sale at 10:00am at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com and by telephone at 1-800-4NBATIX. There will be a limit of four tickets per person per game.

There are approximately 1,000 tickets available for each Lakers home game.  Tickets will not be available for purchase at the STAPLES Center Box Office on this date.

For more information regarding tickets for individual games, as well as a list of premium games, please visit the Lakers website at www.lakers.com

Regardless Of Celtics Signing, Shaq Is A Laker For Life

Sports fans have long been known for short memories.  Although Janet Jackson was speaking on behalf of neglected women back in 1986 with her song, "What Have You Done For Me Lately," she might as well have been speaking for fans of sports teams.

It's amazing how a player can be so beloved one day and despised the next, and vice versa.  Remember how much Lakers fans hated Karl Malone during his Hall of Fame career in Utah, only to make a 180 degree turn when he signed with the Lakers in 2003?  And should I even mention LeBron James?  Yeah, probably not.

The latest example of a fan base turning irate towards one of their former players involves one of the game's and the Lakers' best players of all-time:  Shaquille O'Neal.

foxsportswest.com: Once A Laker, Always A Laker 

Derek Fisher's Impact Cannot Be Ignored

Going into this summer's free agent period, all eyes seemed to be fixated on the new Big Three: LeBron, Wade and Bosh.  However, I felt going into the off-season, that even if all three of them ended up on the same team, it may not be the most significant move of the summer.

Biggest? Yes!

Most significant?  No!
 
The most important move in the entire NBA would be the re-signing of Derek Fisher by the Lakers.  


foxsportswest.com: Derek Fisher's Impact Cannot Be Ignored 

 

LOS ANGELES LAKERS HOST DOWNTOWN PARADE TO CELEBRATE 16TH NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers will host a celebratory parade for all local fans on Monday, June 21, starting at STAPLES Center and traveling south on Figueroa Street to Jefferson Boulevard, just north of the USC campus and Galen Center.

By defeating the Boston Celtics for the 2010 NBA championship, the Lakers not only earned the franchise’s 16th league title but also repeated as champions for the third time in the past decade. The Lakers have won back-to-back titles a total of seven times in franchise history, tying the NBA mark previously held by the Celtics. Tonight’s victory marks only the fourth of the Lakers’ 16 NBA titles that went to a deciding seventh game, and the first time besting the Celtics in a seventh game.

Based on attendance for the 2002 NBA championship parade and last season’s festivities, team and City officials anticipate a crowd of between 500,000 and 2 million fans lining the two-mile parade route along South Figueroa Street.

While the City of Los Angeles and hometown Lakers held an accompanying rally attended by more than 95,000 inside the Coliseum to mark the 2009 championship, this time around, players will interact with fans from a customized flat-bed float, equipped with audio capabilities. That will help to mitigate anticipated pedestrian and traffic congestion, while also relieving security, sanitation and other civic demands otherwise required of the privately funded 2010 ceremonies.

Beginning at approximately 11 a.m. (PDT), Lakers players and their families will board the customized float at STAPLES Center, and begin winding their way down South Figueroa Street toward the USC campus before turning east on Jefferson Boulevard at the Galen Center to complete the parade. A convoy of double-decker, open-air buses and other attending vehicles will carry Lakers coaches and staff, members of the Buss family ownership group, team officials, and the Laker Girls to the conclusion of the two-mile route.

City officials recommend that, whenever possible, fans take the Metro Rail system to the Pico/Chick Hearn station adjacent to the parade route rather than attempt to drive into the STAPLES Center and Figueroa area. Parking will be available in the downtown lots surrounding STAPLES Center and the Figueroa corridor, yet street closures beginning the night before are likely to make morning traffic far more difficult.

The City anticipates closing Figueroa Street between Olympic Boulevard to the north and Jefferson Boulevard on the south beginning at midnight Sunday. Other road closures include Chick Hearn Court between Figueroa Street and Cherry Street; Cherry Street between Olympic and Pico Boulevards; Flower Street between Washington and Jefferson Boulevards; Jefferson Boulevard between Figueroa and Hoover Streets; and all intersections along the two-mile route as designated by the Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation. LAPD and DOT anticipate reopening major intersections along Figueroa Street as the parade commences, pending pedestrians in those areas having dispersed and other safety conditions being met.

LAKERS SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF TICKETS TO GO ON SALE THURSDAY

EL SEGUNDO - Individual game tickets for Lakers 2010 Second Round playoff home games will go on sale this Thursday, April 29 beginning at 10:00 am.
 
Tickets will be sold at Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and by telephone at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX.  There will be a limit of four tickets per person, per game.  Tickets will not be sold at the STAPLES Center box office.




 

If Kobe's Not Panicking, Should You Be?

I realized long ago that it's human nature for fans to panic when their team or favorite star player isn't playing well.  It's not just something they seemingly can't help.  It's actually something they need.  Fans are so emotionally vested in their teams that they need this feeling of panic to validate their emotions.

We are all witnessing another perfect example of that dynamic following the first four games of the Lakers' first-round playoff series with the Thunder.  With each team having won games on its home court, LA fans -- and most of the media -- are for some reason thinking the Lakers have their backs against the proverbial wall.  Game 5 is a do-or-die situation.  It's a must-win game.
 
While you can make strong arguments about the value of a win in Game 5, it's a bit misleading to say the Lakers absolutely, positively have to win this game.  

foxsportswest.com:  If Kobe's Not Panicking, Should You Be?

CHICK HEARN STATUE UNVEILED AT STAPLES CENTER TO HONOR LEGENDARY LAKERS BROADCASTER

--Watch Ceremony Live on FS West--

Fans Are Invited To Join Marge Hearn, Legendary Lakers Players, Lakers and STAPLES Center Executives & Other VIP’s


WHAT:   The unveiling of a bronze statue of legendary Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn in Star Plaza at STAPLES Center.

As a tribute to renowned Lakers broadcaster of 42 years (1961-2002), the Los Angeles Lakers and STAPLES Center organizations commissioned the creation of a 5,000 lb., nearly 16’ bronze and steal sculpture of the NBA and American Sportscaster Hall Of Fame member, who broadcast a record 3,338 consecutive Lakers games from November 21, 1965 - December 16, 2001.

The statue, created by renowned sculptor/artist Omri Amrany, will join other iconic sculptures of celebrated sports superstars Wayne Gretzky, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Oscar De La Hoya.  Johnson’s statue (dedicated Feb. 11, 2004) was also created by Amrany.

The ceremony, which is open free to the public, will be highlighted by speeches from Marge Hearn and other individuals who have played prominent roles in Chick’s career and will conclude with a “spectacular” unveiling of the statue.

Beginning Wednesday, fans will have the opportunity to take photos with the sculpture by sitting in the empty chair at the announcer’s table next to Chick.



WHEN:                  Tuesday, April 20,  2010

                                4:30 – Ceremony Begins

                                5:05 PM (approximately) – unveiling



WHERE:                The ceremony will take place at the permanent location of the statue:

Star Plaza at STAPLES Center (just west of Figueroa Street & Chick Hearn Court intersection)

LAKERS TO HOLD YOUTH BASKETBALL CAMP FOR BOYS AND GIRLS IN LOS ANGELES

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers will conduct “Camp Lakers”, presented by dazadi.com, a youth basketball day camp for boys and girls ages 9-18, this July in two sessions, it was announced by the team.  The camps will be held at the Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles. Session one will be held June 28-July 1; session two will be held July 5-8.

As in the past, both current and former Lakers players and coaches will make guest appearances to help with on-court instruction.  Previous players/coaches who have made appearances include: Kobe Bryant, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Michael Cooper, Brian Shaw, Tex Winter, Frank Hamblen, Bill Bertka, Mitch Kupchak, Jim Cleamons and Phil Jackson.

The cost will be $325, per session.  Net proceeds from the camps are used by the Lakers for charitable purposes.

Approximately 7,000 campers have attended Camp Lakers over the past ten years, and the camps have sold out every year.  It is anticipated that this year’s camps will sell out by late May.  For more information, please call the camp hotline at (310) 426-6055, email camps2010@la-lakers.com or visit the Lakers website at www.lakers.com. 

LAKERS 2010 PRESEASON SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTED BY GAMES IN LONDON AND BARCELONA

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers have announced the preseason schedule for the 2010-11 season, along with ticket purchase information. The preseason line-up includes games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, and is highlighted by games in London and Barcelona as part of NBA Europe Live 2010.

The Lakers will kick off the 2010 preseason on October 4 when they take on the Timberwolves in London.  The Lakers will then travel to Barcelona, where they will face off against Euroleague powerhouse Regal FC Barcelona on October 7.  The Lakers will then head to Las Vegas, where they will play the Kings on October 13 at the Thomas and Mack Center. 

The Lakers will host their annual shootout at STAPLES Center on October 16 and 17.  In addition to the Lakers, teams scheduled to participate in the event are the Nuggets, Jazz and Clippers. 

The Lakers will then play the Jazz in Anaheim at the Honda Center on October 19, before wrapping up the preseason with games against the Warriors on October 21 at the San Diego Sports Arena and October 22 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.

Below is the complete 2010 Los Angeles Lakers preseason schedule:



DATE              OPPONENT                           LOCATION                                                   TIME

Oct. 4              Minnesota Timberwolves       London (The O2)                                            TBD
Oct. 7              Regal FC Barcelona               Barcelona (Palau Sant Jordi)                         TBD   

Oct. 13                        Sacramento Kings                  Las Vegas, NV (Thomas and Mack Center) 7:00 pm

Oct. 16                        Nuggets, Jazz or Clippers      Los Angeles, CA (STAPLES Center)             7:30 pm

Oct. 17                        Nuggets, Jazz or Clippers      Los Angeles, CA (STAPLES Center)             7:30 pm

Oct. 19                        Utah Jazz                                Anaheim, CA (Honda Center)                                   7:00 pm

Oct. 21                        Golden State Warriors                       San Diego, CA (San Diego Sports Arena)     7:00 pm

Oct. 22                        Golden State Warriors                       Ontario, CA (Citizens Business Bank Arena)            7:00 pm



Individual game tickets for the Lakers preseason games in Las Vegas, Anaheim, San Diego and Ontario will go on sale at 10:00 am on Monday, April 19.  Tickets for games in Anaheim, San Diego and Ontario will be sold at Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com, and available by phone at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX.  Tickets for the game in Las Vegas can be purchased at unlvtickets.com or by phone at 702-739-FANS.  Group seats for the game in Anaheim are available for purchase by calling 714-704-2420 or visiting www.hondacenter.com. Group seats for the game in San Diego are available by calling 619-224-4171 ext. 311 or emailing groups@sandiegoarena.com.  Tickets for the preseason games in Europe and at STAPLES Center will go on sale at a later date.

LAKERS OWNER DR. JERRY BUSS TO HOST POKER TOURNAMENT BENEFITING THE SMILE TRAIN

EL SEGUNDO  -  On Saturday, April 10, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss will host a poker tournament at The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens benefiting the Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft charity. 

The charity event begins at 3p.m. with registration and a lunch buffet, with the no-limit hold’em poker tournament starting at 5 p.m.  The $275 entry fee covers a $250 donation to the Smile Train plus a $25 registration fee.

Participants will be eligible to receive over $25,000 in Lakers memorabilia and prizes, including floor seats to a Lakers game, dinner with Dr. Buss in his STAPLES Center suite, autographed jerseys and basketballs, framed photos and more.  No cash prizes will be given. 

Buss, who will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 13th, recently raised over $175,000 for the Lakers Youth Foundation at the team’s 20th Annual Celebrity Golf Invitational and Dinner at the Riviera Country Club on March 22.  For his philanthropic efforts, Buss has been honored by organizations such as the City of Hope, Urban League, NAACP and Boys and Girls Clubs of America, while funding scholarships at his alma maters, the University of Wyoming and USC.

For information on how to register for the poker tournament, please call The Bicycle Casino at (562) 806-4646 ext. 545, or visit their website at www.thebike.com.

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft charity, dedicated to helping the millions of children in the world who suffer from cleft lip and palate, by providing free surgery for patients and free training for doctors.  To learn more, visit www.smiletrain.org.