ESPN's Chris Sheridan (Insider) has a good synopsis of the Kobe Bryant situation: "After word came out late last week that Bryant had met in Barcelona with Lakers owner Jerry Buss to reiterate his trade request, Broderick Turner of the Riverside Press-Enterprise pushed the story forward by reporting that Chicago and New York were two of the three teams on Bryant's short list of franchises he would accept a trade to. ESPN colleague Ric Bucher moved the story further forward by reporting Saturday that the third team was the Phoenix Suns, and I'm hearing rumblings that Dallas could make the list, too. I'm also getting strong signals that the 'list' will be a fluid thing from Kobe's end." Sheridan also hears that the Lakers may try to placate Bryant with Shawn Marion.
Others suggest wasting everyone's time by offering Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Viktor Khryapa, P.J. Brown, the ninth pick in this draft and a future first-rounder. Honestly, Mitch Kupchak could go to jail for even returning that call. (This proves Blazer Dave's point that fans, and I guess even local writers, tend to overvalue their own players.)
As the Kobe Bryant drama unfolds, notice that the date on his "a new road ahead" goodbye LA post keeps changing on his website so that it remains the newest story. (And remember his apparent flip flop after talking to Coach Jackson? I'm not sure that was ever really a retraction.) It went up ages ago -- despite a lot of stories saying it was new yesterday -- and somebody appears to be going to great lengths to make sure it does not get ignored.
SLAM's Lang Whitaker has a champagne cork from the Spurs' celebration. (I had the opportunity to grab a bunch of spent, sweaty athletic tape, but then remembered that's awful.) If it were from a different Finals, it might be worth something one day. But this one? The only person I can think of who wants 2007 Finals memorabilia is Tony Parker.
The deadline to decide if you're in or out of the draft is 5 pm ET today. (Not midnight, as has been reported elsewhere.) One of the biggest names reportedly yet to decide is Georgetown's Jeff Green. (UPDATE: Says here that Green is staying in.) His college teammate Roy Hibbert has already decided to go back to school to try to win a title. If Green pulls out, Thaddeus Young, according to ESPN Insider Chad Ford, moves up the draft board. (New Ford mock draft is due tomorrow, by the way.)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to graduating UCLA seniors, as reported by the Associated Press: "With my witty charm, great body, and pivotal role in the film 'Airplane!' I could have become governor."
Serbian mysteries: Darko Milicic is talking trash (mostly about "soft" Pau Gasol whom Milicic will likely face this summer), and Vladimir Radmanovic is living up to this "space cadet" nickname.
Always love a good Gregg Popovich article. Johnny Ludden of the San Antonio Express-News writes one that includes this: "Popovich will occasionally quiz the players with current-events questions to lighten the mood after practices. After the team's final regular-season game, he teased rookie James White for throwing his headband into the stands by joking that a fan heaved it back onto the court because he didn't know who White was."
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