Two days after the Celtics defeated the Lakers by the largest margin of victory in a clinching game in Finals history, Kobe said that the initial pain had begun to drift away, but that the sting from coming up just short of his fourth title was likely to linger for much longer. Luckily for Bryant, he has the start of USA Basketball in just over a week to keep his mind off of the loss.
For the regular season MVP, playing in the Olympics requires a completely different mindset as there is no particular brand at stake, but instead, the weight of an entire country. Kobe described the opportunity to win a Gold Medal as “beyond special,” noting that his strict training regimen has him in top shape entering the Olympics despite playing in over 100 NBA games this season.
Looking back on the season that was, Kobe said that he probably considers it his best overall season, not simply because of his individual accolades, but because the Lakers played well as a team. With such a young roster outside of himself and Derek Fisher, the All-Star said that he thinks the experience the team racked up during their unprecedented Finals run should help them as they gear up to repeat their effort next year. While the Lakers came up just short of winning their 15th NBA title, the guard said he was still proud of the strides his team made this season.
Kobe also discussed the expected return of Andrew Bynum to the lineup, noting that his defense and shot-blocking abilities were sorely missed in the Finals against the physically tougher Celtics. With regards to his own longstanding injury to his pinky finger, Bryant said that he plans to have surgery in September as soon as the Olympics are over.
Chris Mihm–who announced that he will exercise his payer option for next season–enters the summer with good reason for optimism as he’s finally healthy after more than a year of battling through troublesome foot injuries that threatened to prematurely end his career.
According to the center, he’s finally regained the explosion that he had two years ago for the Lakers when he averaged 10 points and seven rebounds as the starter at the five spot. “The last two years have been a big learning experience in a lot of ways,” said the center.
With a clean bill of health, Mihm said he is finally able to resume his normal training regimen–something that will doubt help him in 2008-09. Specifically, Chris said he will look to focus on his hook shot and timing.
After a forgettable first season with the Lakers two years ago in which he was immobilized due to a snowboarding injury, Vladimir Radmanovic said in his exit interview that he thinks this season brought an increased comfort level with his offensive game and so to, his new city. Ramdanovic said he had a “good season, but as a basketball player, you’re never really satisfied with what you do.”
Going into this season, Vladi said he felt the need to prove himself somewhat after drawing criticism for his ill-advised snowboarding mishap in 2006-07–a goal he feels he accomplished.
Entering next season, the sharpshooter said that paying attention to the details will be critical in the Lakers’ attempt to duplicate their NBA Finals appearance. According to Radmanovic, simple mistakes such as turnovers often mean the difference between winning an NBA title and coming up two wins short. For his part, Vladi said that he plans on working on his consistency in 2008-09–a feat he said will be made easier by the triangle offense.
With free agency looming, Ronny Turiaf said that he hopes to remain a Laker next season, but understands that it is a business decision for both parties involved.
With the team’s Finals loss to Boston still lingering, the energetic big man said that his recovery process had been aided by the presence of his mother. According to Ronny, this season brought about a great deal of adversity for the Lakers, with injuries, trades and changing lineups all taking their toll on the team that finished with the Western Conference’s best record. Through the many challenges, Turiaf said that this Lakers squad maintained a special family-like bond of its own–a relationship that he hopes to continue building in the future.
Looking ahead to the upcoming offseason, Ronny said he plans on working on his rebounding ability, overall game and his conditioning, noting that he wants to return next season in even better shape than he was before entering the NBA Draft.
While Kobe and Derek Fisher were both on the last Lakers team to make the NBA Finals before this season, many people forget that Luke Walton was also on that team that lost in five games to the Pistons. At the time the forward was only a rookie and was merely along for the ride–a point he reiterated during his exit interview today.
According to Walton, this year’s Lakers team had all the ingredients necessary to win a title, making major strides from the team that lost in the First Round to the Phoenix Suns the season prior. As a staple of this seasons much improved bench, Walton said that “it would have been great to deliver a title to L.A.,” referring to this year’s squad as a special team.
However, Luke is looking even more forward to next season when he hopes to return with a clean bill of health after battling injuries throughout the 2007-08 season. “Obviously, numbers wise, it wasn’t nice as I would have liked them to be,” said Walton. Luke said that reduced minutes and the additions of playmakers like Gasol and Fisher also shifted his role.
During his exit interview today, Trevor Ariza reflected on the mid-season trade that sent him from the Magic to the Lakers and so to, back to his hometown. According to the athletic forward, he’s planning on being in L.A. next fall, noting that the Lakers are a good place for him. “It’s a dream almost, playing here. I don’t want to wake up from it,” said Ariza.
Physically, Trevor said he feels rejuvenated after missing more than four months with a broken foot. “It was a breath of fresh air for sure,” said Ariza, after getting to play a few minutes in his first NBA Finals. Even in small doses, his taste of extended NBA post-season action has left him wanting more.
“I know its not easy getting there…It’s going to take a lot of hard work,” said Trevor, noting that the team must take what they learned during this playoff run and apply it to next season.
Overall, Trevor said he feels fine physically and is experiencing no pain in his foot. In the next few months, the forward said he plans on focusing primarily on his ball-handing skills and shooting while hopefully adding 10 pounds to his lanky frame.
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