Rudy Tomjanovich to resign after tonight's game

[UZI Suicide 0]

Just saw on ESPN's bottom line, Rudy T is quitting the Lakers after tonight.

 

I hope it's not a resurgance of his cancer problems. If not, this is great news. I respect the guy but he was just terrible coaching this team.

[alfdogg 0]

Honestly, I don't see what else it could be. I mean, it's not like the Lakers are a terrible team or have a bunch of baggage like Portland does (at least not that we know of). This is unfortunate news.

[MrRant 0]

So who does Kobe pick to coach the Lakers next?

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Honestly, I don't see what else it could be.  I mean, it's not like the Lakers have a bunch of baggage like Portland does.

So who does Kobe pick to coach the Lakers next?

[strummer 0]

ESPN.com news services

 

Rudy Tomjanovich will step down as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after tonight's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

 

His health, although not a relapse of bladder cancer, and dissatisfaction with the way the Lakers are playing contributed to the decision, sources told Bucher.

 

Tomjanovich missed Sunday's game because of a stomach virus, and did not attend practice on Monday.

 

Assistant coach Frank Hamblen will become the interim coach.

 

The Lakers hired Tomjanovich on July 10, replacing Phil Jackson. They are 23-19, in seventh place in the Western Conference.

 

Tomjanovich, who guided the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, was in the first year of a five-year contract worth a reported $30 million. He left the Rockets after 12 season in May 2003 after being diagnosed with bladder cancer.

 

"It's just excitement, nothing but excitement," Tomjanovich said this fall about his return. "It's a positive. I've been like a young school boy since this has happened. At times I haven't gotten to sleep, but it's not anxiety. It's excitement."

 

After losing to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, the Lakers ended their successful partnership with Jackson and traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat.

 

Hamblen has been a coach on five championship teams, three with the Lakers and two under Jackson with the Chicago Bulls.

 

Information from The Associated Press and SportsTicker was used in this report.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

So who does Kobe pick to coach the Lakers next?

Lenny Wilkins?

 

haha

[NoCalMike 0]

Kobe will pick himself fo course.

[MikeJordan23 0]

Kobe explain why he let him go?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Holy fuck it only took 3 comments into the thread for the anti-Kobe comments to begin. I expected more out of you guys, but I guess I shouldn't have when it comes to the Lakers.

 

This is pretty shitty news, but it's not like they were going to do anything this year with the Suns, Sonics, and Spurs in the West and Kobe still out for at least another week or two.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

you expected us not to reference the one talking point this team has left?

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Kobe could find a cure for cancer and everyone would still hate him. Typical shit, really. All because he MAY have raped a girl? Or is it the Shaq thing? Does anyone not see Shag as being just as arrogant, self absorbed, and abrasive as anyone else in the league?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Banky speaks the truth here. I've been a Laker fan my whole life and I hated Shaq since the day he was signed from the Magic, my contempt for him cooled off during the threepeat/MVP seasons, but he's done a fantastic job of making Kobe look like the asshole between the two when Kobe is no less egotistical than say, Jordan but you didn't see him get the same hate Kobe does. Anyways it's a moot point.

 

The discussion here is about Rudy T., not about Kobe no matter how much discussion is generated from the other topic.

 

you expected us not to reference the one talking point this team has left?

Sure, why the hell not? And there's plenty more to talk about that hasn't been beaten to death like the Kobe issue. There's Chucky Atkins stepping up and making plays where he wasn't before, Chris Mihm developing nicely, Vlade Divac and his non-contribution (worst FA signing in recent memory of any of my favorite teams).

[The Czech Republic 0]

Kobe could find a cure for cancer and everyone would still hate him.  Typical shit, really.  All because he MAY have raped a girl? Or is it the Shaq thing? Does anyone not see Shag as being just as arrogant, self absorbed, and abrasive as anyone else in the league?

They are the same in terms of shitty attitudes but Shaq makes me giggle.

 

 

By the way I'm surprised he's gone so soon, Rudy T. I figured he'd last until April.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Shaq's lazy attitude his last few seasons in Los Angeles, should of annoyed any Laker fan. He came to camp of out shape at least a couple seasons, he delayed surgery until September when he could of had it after the finals.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Not to mention he missed all those games because his big toe hurt. For a fucking enormous guy like that, he sure is kind of a pussy.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Kobe could find a cure for cancer and everyone would still hate him.  Typical shit, really.  All because he MAY have raped a girl? Or is it the Shaq thing? Does anyone not see Shag as being just as arrogant, self absorbed, and abrasive as anyone else in the league?

They are the same in terms of shitty attitudes but Shaq makes me giggle.

 

 

By the way I'm surprised he's gone so soon, Rudy T. I figured he'd last until April.

Shaq's brand of humor would fit nicely in a Queen Latifah movie...

 

Shaq's behavior has been detrimental to nearly any team he has been on. He simply got a free pass in Lakerville because people hate Kobe more. After watching a few heat games, I don't think that team would be half as good as it is without Dewayne Wade. Shaq honestly just seems like a bit player in things. He always looked his best WITH Kobe. And Kobe has remained strong WITHOUT Shaq.

[Vern Gagne 0]

One of the bigget problems with Shaq, is the number of no shows games he has. Games where he gets like 6-7 rebounds. The man is a monster. No excuse to only get 6 rebounds in a game. He should lead the league in boards, instead he averages like 10.5.

[Guest Flyboy]

Kobe could find a cure for cancer and everyone would still hate him. Typical shit, really.

Or maybe because... he.. *gasp* is a egocentric asshole?!

[Guest Vitamin X]

One of the bigget problems with Shaq, is the number of no shows games he has. Games where he gets like 6-7 rebounds. The man is a monster. No excuse to only get 6 rebounds in a game. He should lead the league in boards, instead he averages like 10.5.

Which is, funny enough, the same number Lamar Odom averages.

 

He simply got a free pass in Lakerville because people hate Kobe more.

I'd say the championships had more to do with it than hating Kobe. The Kobe hate didn't really begin until the rape accusations, then as with anything, the media blew it up into making everyone believe he DID do it without any proof. He even admitted he cheated on his wife, in public for christ's sake, that takes a lot of balls, for the sake of saying the sex was consensual. And there's still plenty of Laker fans who love Kobe, as is evidenced by the "MVP" and "Kobe" chants you hear when Kobe makes plays.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Kobe could find a cure for cancer and everyone would still hate him.  Typical shit, really.

Or maybe because... he.. *gasp* is a egocentric asshole?!

Dude, this is the NBA, you just decribed 95% of the players in the league.

[razazteca 0]

Is Michael Cooper a coach in the NBA yet?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Cooper was like 4-12 has interim coach of the Nuggets.

[Matt Young 0]

As someone who has followed the Lakers since the tail end of the Magic Johnson era and has seen a ton of their games on local LA TV this year, I can safely say that Rudy Tomjanovich was the least of their problems.

 

He's a great coach, but great coaching can only do so much.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Shaq's behavior has been detrimental to nearly any team he has been on. He simply got a free pass in Lakerville because people hate Kobe more. After watching a few heat games, I don't think that team would be half as good as it is without Dewayne Wade. Shaq honestly just seems like a bit player in things. He always looked his best WITH Kobe. And Kobe has remained strong WITHOUT Shaq.

 

Detrimental? Why do Shaq's teams keep reaching the playoffs, improving when he arrives, and becoming worse after he leaves. I don't think the Heats conference leading record is a coincidence.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Shaq has something to prove this season for the Heat. He did lead LA to 3 titles, but got lazy the last 2 seasons.

[Gert T 0]

Not to mention he missed all those games because his big toe hurt. For a fucking enormous guy like that, he sure is kind of a pussy.

While I think Shaq was selfish for not getting the surgery until September, if you're overweight and have a bad big toe, you're gonna be out of commission.

 

Admitting to the world you cheated on your wife doesn't take balls. Kobe was trying to salvage some of his image.

 

Confirmed Adulterer > Alleged Rapist

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Obviously the Clippers will become the No. 1 team in LA now.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Shaq's behavior has been detrimental to nearly any team he has been on. He simply got a free pass in Lakerville because people hate Kobe more. After watching a few heat games, I don't think that team would be half as good as it is without Dewayne Wade. Shaq honestly just seems like a bit player in things. He always looked his best WITH Kobe. And Kobe has remained strong WITHOUT Shaq.

 

Detrimental? Why do Shaq's teams keep reaching the playoffs, improving when he arrives, and becoming worse after he leaves. I don't think the Heats conference leading record is a coincidence.

Of course it is, if it's the Eastern conference. The Heat are 23-4 playing the East and only at .500 playing the West. Lakers are 16-14 against the West and 8-5 against the East, and this is without having a healthy strong presence inside or a true point guard. The Heat benefit greatly from having a shoo-in all-star in Dwayne Wade, and a solid contributor in Eddie Jones. Don't get me wrong, as much as I dislike the guy, I'll admit he's still a hell of a good player and still one of the best centers in the league, however he benefits from having great players all around him in his declining years. Shaq hasn't been a real lone dominating player since the Lakers' last championship in `01-`02. I think it'd be difficult to dispute he was the big difference in the Magic's run to the Finals, but the Shaq-Kobe Lakers didn't move past the first round until Kobe got used to the NBA game and Jackson came to town. He just happened to peak out at the perfect time, and is still a solid contributor for at least another year or two before he breaks down or gets as lazy in Miami as he did in LA.

 

The best part of all this is that even Shaq himself has acknowledged Kobe as the best player in the league (not MVP because of the guys above him obviously and a lack of support from the aforementioned two problems and of course the guys who've led their teams to records like Nash, Duncan, Lebron) and had the potential to be the best to ever play, which I guess is disputable now if Lebron's sophomore season is any indication.

 

Admitting to the world you cheated on your wife doesn't take balls. Kobe was trying to salvage some of his image.

REALLY? That's funny. I wonder how many people would agree with you that admitting to the world (and consequently your wife) you cheated on her is a simple task and would somehow improve your image? Kobe was just fessin' up to the truth, which is a difficult thing to do in a fucked up tough situation like that, and it takes courage.

 

Confirmed Adulterer > Alleged Rapist

 

........ Well then. So cheating on your wife is worse than raping a 19 year old girl? That's news to me. (don't forget that while tons of athletes and celebrities have been accused/suspected/admitted to cheating on their wives, a rape accusation, whether true or not, is not only image homicide but something I'd imagine far more difficult to deal with than an affair)

[MikeJordan23 0]

If Tomjanovich does resign after just seven months on the job, team sources said Lakers owner Jerry Buss is prepared to make an offer to Phil Jackson to return as coach. Buss let Jackson go after last season. The Lakers were not blindsided by Tomjanovich's decision, team sources said Tuesday. Tomjanovich and Buss talked after Friday night's loss to the New Jersey Nets, sources said, and Tomjanovich was "not happy" that he was "not getting support" from the organization. Riverside Press-Enterprise

"Jackson is vacationing in Australia with Luc Longley, who played center for him with the Chicago Bulls. When asked in an e-mail about any possible scenario in which he would return to the Lakers, Jackson said: "[i am] mulling that over in my mind. Luc and I are going for a swim this p.m. [in the] Indian Ocean." Bryant sat on the Laker bench after the meeting and appeared to be in a playful mood, smiling and talking with teammates. Bryant has been sidelined since Jan. 13 and has sat out nine games because of a severely sprained ankle." Los Angeles Times

 

"Some of Jackson's friends said he is intrigued by the possibility of coaching the Lakers again, with Bryant and Odom still here. The New York Knicks are also interested in hiring Jackson. "We haven't heard anything," Brian Musburger, one of Jackson's agents, said in a phone interview Tuesday." Riverside Press-Enterprise

 

"But Laker sources said Bryant was asked in the meeting what he would think if Jackson were approached about returning, and Bryant said he would agree to it." Los Angeles Times

 

 

"The sources said Buss told Bryant that Jackson's hiring would reduce the pressure on the Laker star since the departure of Jackson and center Shaquille O'Neal, who was traded in July to the Miami Heat." Los Angeles Times

[Precious Roy 0]

Kobe is no less egotistical than say, Jordan

 

Tell that to Phil Jackson

 

And the "Lakers are better off without Shaq, Shaq was a detriment" argument is RETARDED. If I remember correctly, when Kobe was out and Shaq played the Lakers had a very good win %, and when Shaq was out and Kobe played the team struggled to be .500. End of argument.

 

I feel real bad for Rudy T, I just hope he gets his health in order and everything works out for the guy.