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Ron Artest suggested that Josh Powell led the team in trash talking, a contention up for debate amongst their teammates.
What’s set in stone, however, is J-Peezy’s lead on the tattoo front, which he cushioned by acquiring additional art in the offseason:
Photo By Noah Graham, NBA Photos
As Shannon Brown explained in the above @Lakers Twitvid, he was joined by Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Ron Artest, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell and Adam Morrison in addition to some D-Leaguers (to round out a 5-on-5 run).
Prior to the full-court action, some of the players went through lifting and general strenghtening activities with Lakers Director of Athletic Performance Chip Schaefer (Walton and Brown specifically), others got some shots up (Vujacic and Farmar) while others worked with assistant coach Brian Shaw and advance scout/assistant coach Rasheed Hazzard on running L.A.’s offense (Artest and Brown).
“It’s just good to get back in here,” said Walton. “I think we’re all excited about the coming season and eager to get ready to go.”
It won’t be long, since the first preseason game is only three weeks away on October 7 against Golden State.
Nearly two months have passed since L.A.’s 4-1 NBA Finals victory over the Orlando Magic, but the celebrating is far from over.
Just ask Lakers forward Josh Powell, assistant coach Brian Shaw or assistant general manager Ronnie Lester, who were treated to a victory party at the Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort and Spa down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Casa Dorada’s general manager Victor Gomez happens to be a bigtime Lakers fan, and he hosted the party in the resort’s B Lounge, which was attended by more than 400 people. Entertainment was provided by Cirque-style jugglers on stilts along with a DJ (not Mbenga), while game highlights played on two big screens flanking the pool.
“Being a die-hard Laker fan, it was an honor to host my favorite team at Casa Dorada,” said Gomez. “We are looking forward to helping other Lakers recharge their batteries before next season’s title defense begins.”
Surely Powell, Shaw and Lester had no problem with regenerating in that manner.
While in Cabo, the player and coach dove into the ocean for a round of early-morning deep sea fishing, along with Shaw’s son B.J. (pictured). Clearly, their Pacific trek was productive, as the fish was used by the hotel’s executive chef, Fabian Rios, for that evening’s meal at 12 Tribes Restaurant.
“The food was fantastic!,” said Shaw, who was also joined in Cabo by his wife Nikki and two daughters Brianna and Bianca. “We had such a great time at Casa Dorada, and look forward to coming back soon.”
Kobe Bryant knew he was going to star in the NBA from a young age, and fulfilled his destiny as a teenager after Jerry West and the Lakers traded for his rights.
Pau Gasol grew up thinking he’d be a doctor, but quickly grew to be so good at basketball that he realized he could play for as long as he wanted.
Lakers forward Josh Powell’s basketball story, however, was quite different.
He grew up outside of Atlanta, Georgia, as more of a football and baseball player, with just a touch of the orange ball on the side. A linebacker by trade, standing about 6-2, Powell had no visions of professional basketball. As in, zero. Not even on the radar.
Then, around the age of 15, Powell shot up four or five inches in height. With his spurt came a growth in his love for the hardcourt, and helped him make the Riverdale High School varsity team as a freshman. Long, year-round days at the gym ultimately pushed Powell to N.C. State, and though a modest freshman year didn’t necessarily put his name on an NBA scout’s watch list, Powell exploded towards the end of his sophomore year to earn a spot on the ACC All-Tournament First Team. Finally, the NBA didn’t seem so far away, and after hearing that he could be taken at the end of the first round, Powell decided to leave school after his sophomore year and make himself eligible for the 2003 NBA Draft…
… But he wasn’t drafted.
Thus continued a distant hoops road that found Powell all by his lonesome in foreign lands like Russia and Italy, and in domestic leagues about which you’ve never heard. To take us through his journey in more detailed fashion, Powell called into the Lakers.com Popcorn Machine from his home in North Carolina.
You can listen to the interview by CLICKING HERE.
Power forward Josh Powell and center D.J. Mbenga will remain on the Lakers’ roster for the 2009-10 season after L.A. opted not to terminate their respective non-guaranteed contracts by the July 1 deadline, according to Lakers spokesman John Black.
Powell and Mbenga each had a year left on their contracts, and since neither was acted upon, the 6-10 and 7-0 post players are guaranteed through the coming season.
Powell averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 11.7 regular season minutes and 2.1 points with 1.2 boards in 5.2 postseason minutes during L.A.’s championship run. He showed his value when afforded ample playing time, highlighted by a 17-point, 9-rebound performance on March 11 at Houston when the Lakers were without Andrew Bynum (injury) and Lamar Odom (suspension).
Mbenga won the rights to L.A.’s third center position as the Lakers sent Chris Mihm to Memphis for a draft pick, and made the most of his 7.9 minutes per game in the regular season by blocking 1.04 shots in that time. He even inspired his own cheering section of the upper deck with fans often sporting “Banging with Mbenga” t-shirts.
Mbenga will join the Belgian National Team this summer in preparation for EuroBasket 2009, while Powell, star of J-Peezy’s Playlist, is currently working out in his hometown of Atlanta.
Finding time on the basketball frontcourt floor when Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom are on your team, but Josh Powell made the most of his when receiving burn, putting up 17 points and nine boards in a late-season game against Houston that was missed by Odom and Bynum.
As such, he earned the respect and trust of his teammates and coach, and ended up playing an underrated role in terms of keeping the team loose behind the scenes.
Overall, he averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 11.7 regular season minutes and 2.1 points with 1.2 boards in 5.2 postseason minutes.
The highlights of his exit interview:
- “The meeting went very well,” he said. “They told me, aside from the business aspect, what they wanted me to work on with the offense and certain skills. Not that I know how I can get my shots and be productive. My jump shot, picking and popping, going up more quickly after getting offensive rebounds…”
- On his contract situation, as L.A. has a team option they can choose to pick up: “They didn’t give any promises or guarantees. They appreciated my effort this year and that I came in and worked hard every day. They have a lot of decisions to make.”
- Powell talked about how hard it was to be where he was in the rotation, but acknowledged that he couldn’t worry about it and had to focus only on working hard and contributing where he could.
- On his role of keeping the team loose, alongside Lamar Odom: “I kind of let my personality flow with every team the best I can. Everyone was close and open … We had more of a family bond and could show more of our personality.”
- Powell’s a big Phil Jackson fan: “I told Phil today: I just appreciate him for allowing guys to be players on the court and go learn. You want to perform for him. There were times when I made two or three mistakes and he left me in the game. I appreciate that because lots of coaches (don’t have that patience).”
- On making the first three of his career to close Game 1 of the Finals: “You see, I got a wet ball.”
- Powell’s had a very difficult path to the NBA which included stints in Europe and the NBA D-League, but said he won’t regret anything about it since that’s where his dedicationa nd hunger comes from: “A lot of these guys are drafted, lottery picks, I was undrafted and had to really, really work to get to this point.”
- Even being in the parade last night it still hadn’t settled in for Powell and his family, who’s been by his side throughout his journey: “Just to see the response from the fans and the city, I don’t know… Crazy.”
- Powell said he kept his hair out in the parade because he promised us he would, which we appreciate to an extreme degree: “I did because I promised you.”
As if this photo needed any explanation to deliver pure joy (be honest).
In a moment of Monday inspiration, Josh Powell freed his cornrows from their close-to-head captivity, and pushed through L.A.’s practice as if he were William Wallace fighting the English, mane in full glory.
Now for the bad news: Powell’s wife, Lauren, apparently isn’t the biggest fan of this look, and will likely ensure that J-Peezy gets his follicles fixed back into cornrows.
Crap.
But all hope isn’t lost … Should L.A. make the Finals, Peezy does promise to let the hair flow. Based on this picture, we should obviously and unequivocally hold him to it.
Before the season started, L.A. boasted the league’s best depth up front, courtesy of starters Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol with Lamar Odom eagerly waiting to contribute off the bench.
Wednesday night in Houston, however, the Lakers will have but one of that threesome, Gasol, since Bynum remains out after tearing his MCL in January and Odom’s serving a one-game suspension for leaving the bench in Portland on Monday.
Expected to start in Odom’s place is power forward Josh Powell - though Phil Jackson’s yet to officially say who’ll get the nod - while center D.J. Mbenga could see extended minutes as the primary big off the bench.
“Every time you’re on the court is an opportunity to showcase what you can do, and I’m looking forward to it,” said Powell. “But most important is to just come in and get a win. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Powell said he’s comfortable playing with the starters, and plans to compete the same way he always does. In fact, that’s exactly what Mbenga said.
“I’m just going to play my game,” he explained before meeting his close friend and countryman from Congo, Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo, for lunch. “I want to be physical with Yao Ming, block shots and provide energy.”
In his last three games, Mbenga has swatted nine shots, scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in roughly 17 minutes per game. Powell, who’s gotten more playing time throughout the season particularly since Bynum went down, has showcased an obvious toughness, soft jumper and rebounding skills on both ends of the floor. He scored 14 points with six rebounds in 19 minutes against the Timberwolves on Friday night, and grabbed a season-high eight boards the previous game against Memphis. While neither Mbenga nor Powell have Odom’s passing or ball-handling abilities, their more rugged collective style could be useful against a tough Rockets squad.
About three hours before he dropped a season-high 16 points with seven boards (five offensive) in L.A.’s Wednesday night win over Golden State, Josh Powell sat down with us to talk music.
In this the second edition of J-Peezy’s Playlist, we talked about Peezy’s earliest musical influences, his two-year-old daughter Patience’s musical ear and took a moment to clarify a text messaging problem we had.
Here’s the podcast:
FROM LAKERS.com
