February 20th: Kobe makes way for T-Mac at the All-Star game.

 
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Phil
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:07 pm    Post subject: February 20th: Kobe makes way for T-Mac at the All-Star game.

Kobe makes way for T-Mac
Lakers star gives Rockets' McGrady plenty of support in MVP quest

By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle


If Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is anything, it is well-mannered. Bryant clearly understands how a guest is to behave.

Starting in the 55th NBA All-Star Game at Toyota Center on Sunday night, Bryant did his best to defer to his host — Rockets forward Tracy McGrady. Could Mr. 81 have made a serious push at the All-Star Game-record of 42 points set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962? Sure, but Bryant said it was his intention to relinquish the spotlight — and potential MVP honors — to McGrady.

So when the game tipped off, Bryant looked for something other than his shot — McGrady. The NBA's leading scorer appeared comfortable in the role of facilitator.


Last edited by Phil on Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:12 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Phil
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:09 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant Gets Nice Consolation Prize

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
Kobe Bryant had a nice consolation prize waiting in the locker room after his West team lost to the East 122-120 in the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night.

Rayshawn Bright, a 7-year-old Hurricane Katrina victim whom Bryant has befriended, was sitting at his locker with a gift.

He gave him a stuffed raccoon with gold, purple and green Mardi Gras beads hanging from his neck.

"I love Kobe," Bright said. "He's tall and he gives me a call sometimes."

Bryant and Bright met in September when the Los Angeles Lakers star was in Houston for a Katrina relief charity game and have been friends since.

"He's my man here," said Bryant, who finished with eight points and eight assists on Sunday. "Every time I'm in Houston he comes out and checks out the game and I hook him up with stuff."

Bryant's face lit up when he saw the boy and the two exchanged a high five and he handed him some armbands and other goodies before the star faced the throng of reporters also waiting for him.
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Phil
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:16 pm    Post subject:

East 122, West 120

02/20/2006

By ANDREW BAGNATO / Associated Press

Even down by 21 points, the Detroit Pistons' Fab Four plus LeBron James were still in the game.

A push from the Pistons, an MVP performance by King James and a putback by Dwyane Wade helped the East rally for a 122-120 victory over the West in an NBA All-Star game that went down to the final seconds Sunday night.

"We didn't want to get blown out on national TV," James said. "All in all, this is a game and we just want to have fun, but you know we're all competitors and our competitive nature kicked in at one point."

The East pulled it out in a frantic final minute that felt more like a game that mattered than an exhibition.

"I thought, especially for our league, the fourth quarter was a great quarter," said East coach Flip Saunders of the Pistons. "They saw a little bit about what NBA basketball is about: great plays by great players."
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Phil
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:35 am    Post subject:

McGrady shortchanged
He scores a game-high 36 points but has to take a backseat to James, the game's MVP.

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

HOUSTON – Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant have been friendly a long time, and Bryant led a crusade Sunday night to get the Houston Rockets' McGrady the All-Star Game MVP in front of Houston's fans.

Three of Bryant's five first-half assists came on passes to McGrady, who finished with a game-high 36 points despite saying he is struggling through personal problems. It was the fifth-highest scoring output in an All-Star Game.

"This was just an opportunity for me to have peace of mind and just go out and have some fun," McGrady said. "I definitely took full advantage of that."

Bryant played the feeder role in the 2004 All-Star Game at Staples Center, when he helped Shaquille O'Neal become the MVP.

Said Bryant: "We wanted to make sure we served up some nice home cooking for the crowd. He (McGrady) did a great job."

McGrady missed a potential tying shot in the final seconds, although All-Star MVP LeBron James said his foul of McGrady went uncalled on the play. Bryant agreed.

"It was a good game," Bryant said. "I wish they'd sent Tracy to the line on that shot, especially here in Houston, but it didn't work out that way."
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Phil
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:36 am    Post subject:


Healthy Bryant enjoys weekend

By Ross Siler, Staff Writer

HOUSTON - Only a year ago, Kobe Bryant wondered whether his sprained ankle even would allow him to play in the All-Star Game. He also was dealing with personal grief, flying to Philadelphia following the game for his grandfather's funeral.

This year, Bryant couldn't have felt any better leaving Toyota Center after Sunday's game. The Lakers will reconvene for practice this afternoon in El Segundo and play host to Portland on Tuesday night.

"I feel healthy," Bryant said. "I had a chance to recuperate over the break, just rest, get off my feet. I feel much better physically this time around.

"Last season, we were kind of limping into the second half of the season, just holding on, just trying to stay healthy, trying not to break down completely. I had plantar fasciitis, I had the bad ankle. It was rough."
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:40 am    Post subject:

Jackson May Be Staring at Brand New Territory
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer

The Lakers reconvene today, 30 games from either the playoffs or the lottery, guided by a coach who has swept confetti from his hair, popped open champagne in effervescent locker rooms and never, not once, missed the playoffs in 14 previous NBA seasons.

Phil Jackson and the Lakers sit at 26-26 as the Laker landscape, harvested with a three-peat and parades during Jackson's previous tour, is now dotted with catchphrases of chance and hope.

Jackson has made a point of sprinkling in playoff jargon throughout the season, saying as recently as four weeks ago that he hoped to be a spoiler team once the playoffs began, but the postseason is hardly a shoo-in for a team that lost seven of 10 heading into the All-Star break.

Eighteen of their last 30 games are at home, a plus in the eyes of Laker followers, although the opponents aren't pushovers, with Detroit, Phoenix and San Antonio (twice) coming to Staples Center. If the Lakers can't win a majority of their home games and continue to stumble on the road, then they won't make the …

"We just don't abide the thought," Jackson said Sunday in an interview with The Times. "My mother would say, 'Perish the thought, don't even think about it.' If it happens, it happens. And if it happens, we'll spin the dial and say, 'Hey, we're lucky, we're going to get in the lottery,' and we'll try to make some chicken salad out of it all.' "

Then Jackson leans closer.

"The reality is we don't want to see a player like Kobe Bryant lose the most productive years of his career to futility," he said. "We want to have success. He's keeping people entertained and he's maybe the most entertaining player of the year. He keeps the Lakers in the forefront of conversation and is a big attraction on the road. But the real attraction is about winning."
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:43 am    Post subject:


The stars shine in Texas

By Ross Siler, Staff Writer

HOUSTON - The game-winning basket was scored by Dwyane Wade, the last shot belonged to hometown favorite Tracy McGrady and the MVP award went to LeBron James, who celebrated his 21st birthday not even two months ago.

It wasn't the ending anyone would have scripted, but somehow it made sense at the conclusion of the 55th NBA All-Star Game, a 122-120 victory for the Eastern Conference on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant finished with eight points, eight assists and seven rebounds on 4-of-11 shooting yet wound up with the ball in his hands in the final minute.

Yet the most remarkable sight might have been Bryant and O'Neal joking with one another as they took the court and throughout the game.

"We were laughing all weekend long," Bryant said. "It's been good."
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:45 am    Post subject:

James Is Biggest Star of a Comeback Story
By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer

HOUSTON — It wasn't exactly a child who led them, not at 6 feet 8 and 245 pounds, but it was the youngest All-Star, just-turned 21-year-old LeBron James, who led the East back from a 21-point deficit Sunday to beat the West and win his first most-valuable-player award.

James scored 29 points as the East won, 122-120, in the most competitive All-Star game in years. The East came from 21 behind early in the third quarter to go up by nine with 6:43 left. The West came back to tie it on Kobe Bryant's 20-footer with 32 seconds left left. The East took the lead with 16 seconds left on Dwyane Wade's rebound and score. James then blocked Tracy McGrady's 18-footer to secure the win.

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Of course, James had an advantage on the last play. He cheated.

"I got a piece of his arm and the ball, which made it short," said James. "Great defensive play I guess."

James started last season's All-Star game at 20 but Bryant has that record, making his first start at 19. However, James becomes the youngest All-Star MVP.

"He's a great player," said Shaquille O'Neal afterward in the interview room. "He's the future of the game, he and the gentleman sitting next to me [Wade.]

"I know because I've got three sons and I go in their room and they don't have any posters of me. There's posters of D-Wade, T-Mac and LeBron."
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:46 am    Post subject:

Good vibes, King James rule the day
He's the youngest MVP as Bryant and O'Neal make like pals in the East's victory.

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

HOUSTON – When Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal hugged hello at the pregame captains' meeting at midcourt of the Lakers-Heat game a month ago, it got more notice than two nations signing a peace treaty.

Referee Derrick Collins, standing next to Bryant and O'Neal, was actually unable to suppress his smile. Behind Bryant, teammate Smush Parker stopped his warmup shooting suddenly upon realizing Bryant and O'Neal were actually speaking to each other, craning his neck like all the fans to get a look.

On Sunday night, Bryant and O'Neal talked, hugged, joked and clowned whenever their paths crossed in their second All-Star Game as opponents, a 122-120 Eastern Conference victory at Toyota Center.

Bryant said later that bonding went on behind the scenes during All-Star festivities the past three days.

"We've been laughing all weekend long," Bryant said. "It's been good."
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:48 am    Post subject:

Kobe gives it up for T-Mac
Lakers star lends big helping hand, makes host shine

By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle


If Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is anything, it is well-mannered.

Starting in the 55th NBA All-Star Game at Toyota Center on Sunday night, Bryant did his best to defer to his host — Rockets forward Tracy McGrady. Could Mr. 81 have made a serious push at the All-Star Game record of 42 points set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962? Sure, but Bryant said it was his intention to relinquish the spotlight — and potential MVP honors — to McGrady.

"It's a long weekend for them because they have to play host," Bryant said of McGrady and Yao Ming. "They're doing myriad things. Tracy is so explosive, it'd be nice to see him go out there and have a big explosion, and he had it."
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