Steve Blake: 'I’m extremely excited to be coming here to the Lakers.'

July 14, 2010

The Lakers' newest acquisition, guard Steve Blake, spoke as if he had joined the two-time defending champions, which, in fact, he officially did.
Blake was effusive in his praise for the Lakers while he met with reporters Wednesday."I’m extremely excited to be coming here to the Lakers," he said. "As a player who wants to win and has won championships at every level except the NBA, I think this is the best place to be."
Blake, who signed a four-year, $16-million contract with the Lakers earlier this month, won a national championship at the University of Maryland in 2002. The 30-year-old said he was ready to play for the Lakers regardless of time or situation.
"I look forward to coming in here, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, and being productive," he said.
Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Blake would probably be a reserve, though it would be up to Coach Phil Jackson.
"We expect Derek [Fisher] in all likelihood to start and play big minutes, but Derek is soon to be 36, so we know we need a player in the backcourt to spell Derek in relief and also going forward," he said.
Blake has averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 assists a game while shooting 39.3% from three-point range in a seven-year career with Washington, Portland, Denver, Milwaukee and the Clippers.
Blake will wear jersey No. 5 with the Lakers; and he also won a USA Today national high-school championship while playing for Oak Hill (Va.) Academy in 1999.

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Sources: Bryant, Bell to meet

The seemingly hard-to-picture prospect of Kobe Bryant and old nemesis Raja Bell playing for the same team remains alive.
The longtime rivals will sit down for a face-to-face chat Wednesday in Los Angeles to further discuss the feasibility of the Lakers signing Bell in free agency, sources close to the situation said.

Bell is traveling to Los Angeles this week to watch the ESPYs and has arranged to meet with Bryant to hear the Lakers' face of the franchise make yet another recruiting pitch to the 33-year-old swingman.
Bell acknowledged last week in a phone interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin that he has already fielded several phone calls from Bryant, who was unforgettably clotheslined to the floor by Bell in Game 5 of a testy Suns-Lakers series in 2006 that L.A. ultimately lost in seven games.
NBA front-office sources say that Bell continues to draw interest from a variety of playoff teams, such as Miami, Dallas and San Antonio. One source said signing with the Heat has essentially been ruled out because of Miami's financial constraints after signing LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller to flank the re-signed Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem. But the Suns are also weighing the prospect of trying to bring Bell back.
Bryant, though, has not abandoned his pursuit and continues to press Bell to join the Lakers, who have only $1.8 million of their mid-level exception left to offer Bell next season after signing Steve Blake.
One source close to the situation said memories of Bell's takedown, which earned him a suspension for Game 6 of the series -- the Suns, down 3-2, won the game at Staples Center without him -- are actually one reason why Bryant sees Bell as such an ideal teammate. The premise? Anyone with the gumption to hit Bryant that hard is someone he wants on his team.
The sentiments between them weren't so pleasant during the 2006 playoffs. After the hit, which earned Bell the nickname "Kobe Chopper," Bell publicly blasted Bryant as a "pompous, arrogant individual" who gets preferential treatment from the refs.
"It's a personal thing when someone continually hits you in the face," Bell said after Game 5.
Bryant then answered with a memorable rant during which he repeatedly referred to Bell, who is two years older, as some "kid."
"Does he know me?" Bryant said. "Do I know this guy? I don't know this guy. I might have said one word to this guy. I don't know this kid. I think he overreacts to stuff. ... I don't know this kid. I don't need to know this kid. I don't want to. We go out there, we play the game and leave it at that. Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid. I look at him a little bit, he gets a little insecure or something. I don't know."
Four years later, Bryant and Bell know each other much better and have buried the animosity.
And the two-time defending champions still have an opening in their backcourt after signing Blake and Monday's re-signing of Derek Fisher, although sources say Shannon Brown has not abandoned his interest in returning to the Lakers for next season's chase of a three-peat.
Bell played only six games last season because of a wrist injury. He began the season with the Charlotte Bobcats, then was dealt to the Golden State Warriors in November as part of the Stephen Jackson trade. The Warriors released him in March, but Bell has been pursued by several playoff teams since free agency began July 1 now that he's recovered from December surgery.

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Fisher returns to Lakers

Derek Fisher has decided to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Credit Kobe Bryant with the assist.
"I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles," Fisher said in a statement. "While this may not be the most lucrative contract I've been offered this offseason, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin."
The Lakers have won two straight titles and five in Fisher's tenure with the team. He gets a three-year deal to return, with a player option on the final year. Monetary terms were not immediately available.
Fisher, 35, had been courted by the Miami Heat. He met with Miami president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami on Saturday morning where the Heat told him it wanted him to be its starting point guard and to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
"I took time to consider all my options, many not reported in the media," Fisher said. "I listened to every coach, every general manager, even potential teammates in order to make the right decision and I thank every one of them. At the end of the day, there's one person I could not turn away from.

"Kobe Bryant asked me to stay but supported whatever decision I made. He and I have played together for 11 seasons, came into the league together as kids, and has been loyal to me even when others had doubts. We have won five championships together."

The Lakers had been in constant contact with Fisher and his representative Rob Pelinka since the free-agent negotiating period opened on July 1, although negotiations had proceeded slowly but amicably.
Fisher averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 assists per game last season, but he stepped up with some big shots in the playoffs, especially against the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

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Lakers' free-agent guards have decisions to make

Jordan Farmar has agreed to a three-year, $12-million deal with the New Jersey Nets. Derek Fisher has offers from the Lakers and the Miami Heat. Shannon Brown is in the negotiation process.

The Lakers have one guard who might be staying or going, another guard who is leaving and yet another guard who remains in flux.Almost two weeks into the free-agency period has put Lakers unrestricted free-agent guard Derek Fisher in a position in which he may have to decide between two similar offers -- one from the Lakers and the other from the Miami Heat.Jordan Farmar, to whom the Lakers didn't make a qualifying offer, which made him an unrestricted free agent, said he agreed Sunday night to a three-year, $12-million deal with the New Jersey Nets.
Restricted free-agent guard Shannon Brown remains in the negotiation process with teams, including the Lakers.The Lakers' latest offer to Fisher is for about $2.75 million annually, though it was unclear whether it was a one- or two-year deal. He made $5 million last season.The Heat have made Fisher an offer, two NBA sources said Sunday night, but the amount for the 14-year veteran would be contingent upon what free agents Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem are willing to agree to with Miami.The Heat's offer to Fisher could be up to $2 million per season for two years, with the second season being an option.Though it's less than the Lakers' offer, Fisher probably would make about the same with the Heat because of Florida's state income tax break.Fisher, who will be 36 on Aug. 9, has been promised a starting job in Miami.The Heat, which has just signed Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, would like to have an answer from Fisher, Miller and Haslem by Tuesday.Farmar, who said he has an opt-out clause in his contract after the second season, said the idea of playing for new Nets Coach Avery Johnson, who played point guard in the NBA, and owner Mikhail Prokhorov is exciting for him.Farmar, a four-year veteran, has won two NBA championships with the Lakers.Farmar, 23, has always wanted to become a starter. But he will be the backup behind Devin Harris."It's just an opportunity to go there and play basketball the way I know how to play," said Farmar, who felt restricted in the triangle offense. "This is an opportunity to grow in my career."Brown said his representative continues to talk with the Lakers.There have been reports that the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz have interest in Brown.Brown, who made $1.999 million last season, opted out of next season's contract that would have paid him $2.149 million."I'm just going through the process," Brown said. "A couple of teams have offers out there."

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Derek Fisher meeting with Pat Riley in Miami

A source says the veteran point guard, who's won five NBA titles with the Lakers, has flown to Miami to meet with Heat President Riley about possibly joining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Florida.

Derek Fisher and the Lakers have reached an impasse in contract negotiations, and the free-agent guard has flown to Miami to meet with Heat President Pat Riley on Saturday to see whether a deal can be reached to Fisher's liking.Fisher departed Los Angeles on Friday for Miami, said a source close to Fisher who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, because he wants to play for a team that has a shot at winning the NBA championship.The source said Fisher would like to remain with the Lakers and that negotiations are amicable, but that Fisher wants to explore his options, especially now that Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh have joined forces on a Heat team some consider one of the favorites to win the NBA title.

But with each of the three stars agreeing to a multiyear deals just under the maximum of $16.6 million a year, and with the Heat nearing a five-year deal for almost $30 million with free-agent sharpshooter Mike Miller and close to an agreement with free agent Udonis Haslem, Miami can probably offer Fisher only the veteran's minimum of $1.352 million."He's there to hear [Riley] out," the source said. "I think he's going to take everything under consideration before he makes a decision."Fisher, who will be 36 next month, earned $5 million last season in the final year of a three-year deal.When the free-agency period began June 30 at 9:01 p.m. West Coast time, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak reached out to Fisher first. But no deal has been reached."We're having ongoing discussions," Kupchak said Friday. "Both parties want to be back, and hopefully that will happen. We are continuing a dialogue. Hopefully at some point and time we get something done. It's not moving as quick as we all would hope."The Lakers signed guard Steve Blake to a four-year, $16-million deal, but he's the only ballhandling guard they have under contract.The Lakers are leaning toward not bringing back guard Shannon Brown. Among the free-agent guards still available are Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson, Shaun Livingston and Javaris Crittenton.Meanwhile, Friday night in Miami, James, Wade and Bosh arrived in front of 13,000 fans. The new teammates were lifted into the air on a forklift, with James dressed in a white Heat uniform for the first time."It feels right," James said. "To be in this position, to wear the Heat uniform, everything is nice. We're going to make the world know that the Heat is back."Etc.Kupchak said the Lakers are negotiating one-year deals for assistant coaches Frank Hamblen, Brian Shaw and Jim Cleamons that the GM hopes will get done in about a week. Kupchak said the Lakers first want to get Coach Phil Jackson's deal signed."That should be done soon," Kupchak said. "We've had discussions [with our assistants]. I don't see any problems."

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Steve Blake reaches four-year deal to join Lakers

In case Derek Fisher doesn’t come back, the Lakers have some insurance.
The Lakers agreed to terms on a four-year, $16 million deal with veteran point guard Steve Blake on Friday, giving them a pass-first player with a decent three-point touch.
Blake made $4.25 million last season with the Clippers and Portland.
Blake, 30, averaged 6.8 points and 6.1 assists in 29 games with the Clippers while shooting a commendable 43.7% from three-point range.
In his seven-year career, Blake has averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 assists with Washington, Portland, Denver, Milwaukee and the Clippers.
Earlier Friday, a source close to Fisher said the 35-year-old veteran wanted at least a two-year deal worth at least $10 million. Fisher made $5 million last season and was an integral part of the Lakers’ championship run.
Blake cannot officially sign with the Lakers until the free-agent moratorium ends July 8.

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Lakers' Phil Jackson is rested and ready for one last season

The coach, who appeared to be leaning toward retirement, will return for an 11th season with the team. 'I listened to my doctors and watched the sunrise and the sunset a few times and voila, I'm back.'

Phil Jackson said it himself. He's ready for one last stand.Energized after a week at his Montana lakeside home, Jackson decided to return for an 11th season with the Lakers, the chance to go for another three-peat outweighing the desire to be merely a spectator next season."Count me in," he said Thursday in a statement released by the Lakers. "After a couple of weeks of deliberation, it is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-11 season. It'll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one."
He provided additional context in a brief e-mail to The Times."I got a message from on high … that said, 'Phil, you've got to come back, there is a need to fulfill the prophecy. You know 12 [titles] is a holy number and 11 just doesn't fill that.…'"So I listened to my doctors and watched the sunrise and the sunset a few times and voila, I'm back."Jackson, who will turn 65 in September, retreated to his summer home last Friday and cleared his mind by swimming in Flathead Lake and dropping a fishing line over his boat. The fatigue he felt after the season seemed to disappear into the Montana mist, and his decision was helped by favorable medical news that his two main health concerns — his knee and heart — checked out better than expected.Financial details have not been finalized, but Jackson will either take a minor pay cut from the $12 million he made last season or receive close to that sum with a small portion allocated in deferred payments.Most Lakers players were out of the country on vacation Thursday, but they unilaterally stumped for him in their exit interviews last week, Kobe Bryant even saying it was "killing my buzz" to merely ponder Jackson's departure.Fast-forward to Thursday, and Bryant was glad to hear about Jackson's return while in South Africa, where he had been watching World Cup soccer. "I'm happy for him," Bryant said in a text message to The Times. "I'm happy for us and for our fans."For Lakers officials still on the continent, the news of Jackson's return was met with similar satisfaction."I'm definitely happy he's back," Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw said. "When you win and your core pieces are in place, you want to keep going until somebody knocks you off that perch. With him coming back, it kind of completes that challenge to go out and defend it until somebody knocks you off."If he wasn't back, you still have that same core of guys, but without that coach there, it's different. I think everybody can take a big sigh of relief. Everybody's happy."Said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak: "He's not only the best coach for this team, but quite simply the best coach in the history of the NBA."Shaw interviewed this week for the head-coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers and now becomes a front-runner to succeed Jackson after next season. However, next summer's potential lockout might have an effect, and there are no guarantees for Shaw.A week ago, Jackson seemed to be in his final days with the Lakers when he told reporters he was "leaning toward retiring," citing health concerns and fatigue from the NBA's travel schedule.Now, though, he will have a chance to take the Lakers to a 17th championship, a number that would tie the Boston Celtics atop the all-time NBA list. The longest-tenured coach in Lakers history, Jackson has coached 11 of the last 20 NBA champions, including six titles with the Chicago Bulls.His due diligence began four days after the Lakers won their 16th title, when he skipped the team's championship parade to begin a battery of tests. He has had both hips replaced, has a chronically sore knee and had an angioplasty to repair an artery in his heart in 2003, but received doctors' clearances for next season.Jackson mentioned last week the importance of family while pondering retirement, acknowledging he was starting to wonder "how much time you have left to live," but he ultimately decided to coach one more year.

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