Shaquille O'Neal, speaking to Fox Sports Net on Thursday, offered a measure of contrition for skipping an exit meeting with Kupchak and coach Phil Jackson two weeks ago.
"I didn't go to the meeting, and I'll take the punishment like a man," O'Neal said. "I don't make excuses, and I'll never talk back. I'll never embarrass Phil. I messed up, and when I mess up, I'll always clean up."
The players were expected to meet with the coaches before taking off for the summer. All attended their interviews except O'Neal, Rick Fox, who was undergoing surgery for a foot injury, and Samaki Walker, a free agent who won't be back with the team.
Via Los Angeles Daily News
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The most challenging offseason of Mitch Kupchak's front-office career will apparently not include entertaining offers to work outside Los Angeles.
More than one NBA team has sought permission to interview the Lakers' general manager. But owner Jerry Buss has declined to grant that permission, a fact the team acknowledged Friday afternoon after repeated media inquiries.
"Mitch has done an excellent job for the Lakers since taking over for Jerry West as general manager three years ago and is an important part of our organization," Lakers spokesman John Black said. "Because of this, we feel it is in the best interests of our team, our franchise and our fans that he remain a Laker, and for this reason we have turned down these requests for permission to speak to him."
Lakers officials declined to name which teams inquired about Kupchak, but his name has been frequently linked to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards also have front-office vacancies, and a handful of other teams -- including Golden State -- are believed to be looking for front-office help.
Via Los Angeles Daily News
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The new name with Laker management is Gary Payton, who is most definitely not a power forward, but is a free agent, and represents the range of off-season philosophies for a franchise still measuring the magnitude of its recent playoff failure.
The Lakers hope to rework their roster with a combination of their mid-level salary-cap exception (about $4.7 million), the lower exceptions (the highest of which is $1.4 million), trades and draft picks (Nos. 24 and 32).
They expect to do it around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, cornerstones of an organization that won three consecutive titles but stumbled in this month's Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, and perhaps with a subtle offensive shift that would emphasize Bryant rather than O'Neal, depending on O'Neal's physical condition come October.
The mid-level exception likely will buy the Lakers a very good power forward or a very good guard, but not both.
Via Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks
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Lakers May 2003 Archive
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Detroit News | May 25, 2003
The New Jersey Nets have bitter memories of last year's NBA Finals, when they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Minneapolis Star Tribune | May 23, 2003
Mychal Thompson, the former Gophers basketball star who has served as the Timberwolves television analyst the past two seasons, has been offered the job as the Los Angeles Lakers radio analyst.
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| May 21, 2003
LA needs a credible power forward, and budding stars Elton Brand and Jermaine O'Neal are beyond the team's means.
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Rocky Mountain News | May 20, 2003
The agent for forward Juwan Howard said his client has not ruled out signing a new contract with the Denver Nuggets.
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Los Angeles Times | May 19, 2003
Phil Jackson will have to wait at least another year if he hopes to coach a record 10th NBA champion, breaking his tie with Red Auerbach, who won nine as coach of the Boston Celtics.
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Rocky Mountain News | May 19, 2003
With their three-year reign as NBA champions having come to an end, the Los Angeles Lakers are vowing to make changes.
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Orlando Sentinel Writer Jerry Brewer | May 19, 2003
We need to talk about this Most Dominant Player thing.
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Chicago Sun-Times | May 18, 2003
The failed partnership between Michael Jordan and Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin came as no surprise to former Jordan running mate Scottie Pippen.
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Los Angeles Times | May 18, 2003
Shaquille O'Neal did not meet with Laker coaches Saturday, and so he went end to end on the season, there at neither its start nor its conclusion.
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Los Angeles Times | May 18, 2003
David Falk, the agent for free agent Juwan Howard, said Saturday that the Lakers were among the teams for which Howard would play, and that a $16-million pay cut probably would not be an obstacle in negotiations.
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New York Daily News | May 18, 2003
The fallout from Game 6 in Staples Center: It's time to rebuild the Lakers.
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Houston Chronicle | May 18, 2003
Derek Fisher cried.
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Los Angeles Times | May 17, 2003
The Lakers aren't dead exactly.
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Orange County Register | May 17, 2003
The Lakers do not expect forward Rick Fox, who underwent surgery Monday to repair a torn tendon in his left foot and realign his left heel, to miss much of next season.
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Orange County Register | May 17, 2003
Phil Jackson's trash, in the form of his most difficult Lakers season, is another man's treasure.
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 17, 2003
More than a dynasty was lost Thursday evening at Staples Center.
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Los Angeles Times | May 17, 2003
Samaki Walker, who fell out of Jackson's rotation early in the season and rarely played, showed the frustration of it Thursday.
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Los Angeles Times | May 17, 2003
Tex Winter left the Lakers' offices in El Segundo on Friday afternoon, videotapes under his arms, a lifetime of basketball perhaps behind him.
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New York Post | May 17, 2003
Byron Scott wanted his Nets back on the court "as soon as possible.
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Columnist Michael Hunt | May 17, 2003
Except for the TV people who are hanging off ledges at the possibility of selling NBA Finals advertising on the basis of Bayonne, N.
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Washington Post Columnist Michael Wilbon | May 17, 2003
In a star-driven sport, the NBA may have to play its marquee playoff series without much star power.
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New York Times | May 17, 2003
For the past three years, the N.
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New York Times | May 17, 2003
The Nets came to practice this morning knowing that they would not have to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs this year.
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Los Angeles Times | May 16, 2003
Robert Horry probably will not have the 2003-04 option on his contract exercised, according to those familiar with the club's plans.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 16, 2003
Inside the Lakers' training room at Staples Center, there is a framed photograph of two young men just beginning to realize their potential.
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Indianapolis Star | May 16, 2003
Rik Smits hasn't worn an NBA uniform since the Indiana Pacers lost Game 6 of the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers on June 19, 2000.
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L.A. Daily News | May 16, 2003
Phil Jackson, who survived a difficult season in which he overcame kidney stones and heart problems, said he plans to return next season and fulfill the final year of his contract to coach the Lakers.
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L.A. Daily News | May 16, 2003
After seven-plus months with Phil Jackson calling the shots, the Lakers are now in the hands of general manager Mitch Kupchak, who must determine during the offseason whether this second-round loss necessitates wholesale changes or just minor tweaking.
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L.A. Daily News | May 16, 2003
In the solace of the Lakers' training room late Thursday night, Kobe Bryant stared at a picture of himself and Shaquille O'Neal holding the championship hardware from their first NBA title three years ago.
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Los Angeles Times | May 16, 2003
After a whirlwind week of the likes he had never experienced, Laker Coach Phil Jackson could say one thing with certainty when he woke up this morning.
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Los Angeles Times | May 16, 2003
There won't be a fourth championship in a row for the Lakers, at least not this time.
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Los Angeles Times | May 16, 2003
Then it was done.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 16, 2003
Spurs fans finally can breathe easy.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 16, 2003
Tim Duncan pushed the Lakers to the brink.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 16, 2003
Baked.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 16, 2003
In the end, when it was finally over, when the Spurs rushed to midcourt to celebrate and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson gave one last wave to the crowd and the three-time defending champions were champions no more, Malik Rose stood alone underneath the basket watching the whole unbelievable scene.
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Associated Press | May 15, 2003
The three-year championship reign of the Los Angeles Lakers came to a decisive end Thursday night.
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Orange County Register | May 15, 2003
Lakers trainer Gary Vitti suggested Wednesday that the soreness in Shaquille O'Neal's left knee wasn't much of anything.
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 15, 2003
The San Antonio Spurs built their 25-point lead in Game 5 while Shaquille O'Neal was desperately searching for his game, or his energy, or maybe a friendly call from the officiating crew.
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Los Angeles Times | May 15, 2003
On Wednesday afternoon, in the same room where two days earlier he had rejoiced over what life had given him back, Phil Jackson frowned and would not hide his sadness over the passing of his friend, Dave DeBusschere.
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Los Angeles Times | May 15, 2003
A shrug and a grin.
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Los Angeles Times | May 15, 2003
He sat out the first dozen games of the season because of intentionally delayed toe surgery, causing irritated teammates to begin their journey with a limp.
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L.A. Times | May 14, 2003
Phil Jackson's career choices in the next two summers — he has said could retire after this season or next, depending on his health — will have no effect on the decisions Kobe Bryant must make, Bryant said Tuesday.
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Los Angeles Times | May 14, 2003
It was out?
It was a swish, it was a stunner, it was a comeback, it was a championship.
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L.A. Daily News | May 14, 2003
Phil Jackson might have only one year left in his legendary coaching career, one season left to cast his influence over the Lakers.
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Los Angeles Times | May 14, 2003
The Lakers played themselves to the edge of their championship run on Tuesday night, to a place they've been before, and so they know the looks of it, and the growing gloom of it.
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L.A. Daily News | May 14, 2003
Tim Duncan is San Antonio's lone superstar, but Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Duncan has been patient with his young teammates and understands the need to get them involved.
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Orange County Register | May 14, 2003
If the Lakers don't win the next two games and pull this off again, that last shot will loom as the defining moment in the dynasty's demise: Robert Horry used to hit that shot, but this time he didn't.
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Orange County Register | May 14, 2003
On the bright side, the Lakers were competitive right to the last non-drop on Robert Horry's last shot Tuesday night, providing maximum suspense.
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Los Angeles Times | May 13, 2003
Phil Jackson plans to coach for as long as the Lakers stay in this postseason, then will determine this summer if he is able to continue his career, he said Monday.
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L.A. Daily News | May 13, 2003
Doctors reattached a torn tendon in Rick Fox's left ankle and realigned his left heel during surgery in New York on Monday morning.
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Los Angeles Times | May 13, 2003
Rick Fox underwent surgery Monday morning to repair a tendon in his left foot, torn during the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and to align his heel.
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Orange County Register | May 13, 2003
Phil Jackson's foot, largely hidden under the table where he sat addressing reporters Monday, kept going tap-tap-tap as he talked.
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Orange County Register | May 13, 2003
In Kobe Bryant's world, anything bad that happens just means a new challenge is born.
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Washington Post | May 13, 2003
If you want to see the best of the NBA playoffs, perhaps you ought to tune in tonight and Thursday for the pleasure of watching the best two teams in the league -- the two most recent champions -- playing inspired and urgent basketball in a tense series that ultimately could go seven games.
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Associated Press | May 12, 2003
An upbeat Phil Jackson rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, two days after undergoing a heart procedure, and he will coach in Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 12, 2003
After listening to the Lakers complain about the officiating for the first two games of the series, the Spurs voiced their own complaints Sunday.
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Orange County Register | May 12, 2003
Lakers coach Phil Jackson was released from Centinela Hospital Medical Center on Sunday morning, but doctors recommended he not coach Game 4, which began about 24 hours after Jackson's angioplasty.
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Orange County Register | May 11, 2003
Jackson undergoes angioplasty
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San Antonio Express-News | May 11, 2003
Jackson's status the unknown factor
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San Antonio Express-News | May 11, 2003
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he limited David Robinson to 15 minutes Friday because he thought he was moving slowly.
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AP / LA Times | May 10, 2003
Laker Coach Phil Jackson underwent an angioplasty Saturday after experiencing tightness and pain in his chest for about a week.
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Sacramento Bee | May 10, 2003
The worst fears of the Kings were realized Friday evening when an MRI on All-Star power forward Chris Webber revealed a knee injury that might put him out for the playoffs
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 10, 2003
So, Mark Wunderlich, can you handle the truth?
Jack Nicholson gave a rousing, dramatic performance during the second quarter of Friday night's game, when he took a step onto the Staples Center court during a timeout, gestured wildly with his hands and verbally berated Wunderlich, one of the game's officials.
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 10, 2003
If Lakers forward Devean George's 13 points provided inspiration Friday night, Robert Horry's 13 produced a sigh of relief.
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Los Angeles Times | May 10, 2003
For a change, Staples Center fans didn't wait until Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were introduced to unleash their loudest cheers.
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Los Angeles Times | May 10, 2003
Laker Coach Phil Jackson recently complained of discomfort that he suspected was heart-related, and, according to those familiar with the process, was examined by team physicians.
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Los Angeles Times | May 10, 2003
The Lakers reclaimed a little of themselves on Friday night, and pulled themselves back into the Western Conference semifinals with a game and an attitude befitting that of an NBA champion, three times running.
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Orange County Register | May 9, 2003
Lakers guard Devean George is not expected to play tonight when the Lakers face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center.
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Orange County Register | May 9, 2003
Lakers guard Devean George is not expected to play tonight when the Lakers face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center.
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L.A. Daily News | May 9, 2003
It's doom and gloom, a pall having fallen over the Lakers' faithful.
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L.A. Daily News | May 9, 2003
Phil Jackson has a vision of how his team might escape from a 2-0 deficit against the San Antonio Spurs and win this conference semifinal series.
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New York Times | May 9, 2003
The N.
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Los Angeles Times | May 8, 2003
Rick Fox has scheduled his foot surgery for Monday in New York, a procedure he hopes will have him back on the floor inside of six months.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 8, 2003
As Shaquille O'Neal walked out of the SBC Center and into the typically oppressive Texas humidity Monday night, he saw little reason to worry.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 8, 2003
San Antonian Danny Ortegon drives a 1998 Dodge Stratus that sports two Lakers pennants, a purple-and-gold-painted Lakers logo on its rear windshield and an inscription below that says: "Lord of the Rings.
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Los Angeles Times | May 7, 2003
George out tonight
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San Antonio Express-News | May 6, 2003
The shock wasn't that David Robinson took a shot below the belt.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 6, 2003
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich stood in the hallway outside his office early Monday evening, reminiscing about how last season's series with the Los Angeles Lakers turned so terribly bad.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 6, 2003
Spurs forward Bruce Bowen faced two tough tests Monday.
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Los Angeles Times | May 6, 2003
Let's see, Phil Jackson has already said the Spurs are "vulnerable" and their new athletic roster makes them "different, but I don't know if they're better" and the series hadn't even started yet.
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Los Angeles Times | May 6, 2003
Laker management expects Rick Fox to return about six months after his surgery to repair a tendon in his left foot and is optimistic enough about his recovery that it will not alter its developing off-season strategy.
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Los Angeles Times | May 6, 2003
Now what?
Where do the Lakers go from here? How do they replace their backup small forward, who was replacing their starting small forward, who will be sidelined up to nine months because of a torn tendon in his left foot?
With Rick Fox already sitting on the bench in fashionable street clothes instead of wearing his Laker uniform and chasing San Antonio Spurs around the court, Devean George hit the court with a thud Monday at the SBC Center.
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Los Angeles Times | May 6, 2003
That's five in a row to this team and three in a row in this building, and if there is something to the San Antonio Spurs at SBC Center, the Lakers are beginning to get it, though Phil Jackson had other ideas entirely.
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Los Angeles Times | May 5, 2003
Let's have a warm Laker farewell for David Robinson!
As a token of their affection, they'd like to present you with a 7-foot, 340-pound, fire-breathing dragon, who's still upset you weren't nicer when you gave him that autograph, back in the '80s.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 5, 2003
Tim Duncan, having shunned last year's shorts-and-sandals attire for brown slacks and a black dress shirt, sat in a director's chair Sunday afternoon listening to David Robinson praise him.
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 5, 2003
Tim Duncan wrapped his arms around another Maurice Podoloff Trophy on Sunday, and the Lakers were pleased enough with the timing.
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Denver Post | May 4, 2003
Just imagine if Stan Kroenke were an owner of the Sacramento Kings and not the Denver Nuggets.
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LA Daily News | May 4, 2003
Further examination of Rick Fox's injured left foot revealed another partially damaged tendon, and he now expects it will be six to nine months, and perhaps a year, before he plays for the Lakers again.
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NY Post writer Peter Vecsey | May 4, 2003
Tim Duncan can catalog as many triple-doubles (I suppose the MVP repeat's 15 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists somewhat compensated for four misses among 11 foul shots) as humanely possible against the Lakers.
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Salt Lake Tribune | May 3, 2003
"Pick" might be leaving, but Larry Miller believes that "Roll" is not.
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New York Times | May 3, 2003
If Kevin Garnett has not seriously thought about packing his bags and leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves, he should start thinking about it.
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Los Angeles Times | May 3, 2003
Casual conversations in the Laker front office, held before season-ending meetings decide the precise direction the club will take this summer, have identified Keon Clark, P.
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Los Angeles Times writer J.A. Adande | May 3, 2003
Three months ago I didn't think I would be making either of these statements: I'm really feeling that Justin Timberlake album, and I'll take the Lakers over the San Antonio Spurs.
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 3, 2003
The usual benign chaos engulfed the Lakers' locker room late Thursday -- a bustle of reporters, cameras and cables surrounding Brian Shaw and Shaquille O'Neal -- as strong an indication as any the defending champions remain alive and relevant, just in case it was in question.
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Orange County Register | May 3, 2003
As disappointing as their regular season seemed, the Lakers posted losing records against only two teams: New Jersey, the team they had swept in the NBA Finals, and San Antonio, the team they had routed from the postseason for the second consecutive year.
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St. Paul Pioneer Press | May 2, 2003
The staple of the 2002-03 Timberwolves had been their resiliency — an ability to rally from adversity, to withstand injury after injury, and to disprove critics en route to a franchise-record 51 victories and home-court advantage in the playoffs.
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Los Angeles Times | May 2, 2003
Minnesota Timberwolf star Kevin Garnett had every reason to criticize teammates Wally Szczerbiak and Rasho Nesterovic for not showing up in their series against the Lakers, but he didn't.
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Los Angeles Times | May 2, 2003
This warmup has been brought to you, courtesy of the best little team that has never won a playoff series.
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New York Times | May 2, 2003
The depressing prospect of another four-hour flight to the Midwest — another Game 7 on someone else's floor — was too grim for Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the defending champions to deal with tonight.
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Minneapolis Star-Tribune | May 2, 2003
Finally, in the 88th game of a season in which he nightly proved himself MVP worthy, Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett once again found an entire franchise's burden too heavy for one superstar to bear.
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Minneapolis Star-Tribune | May 2, 2003
The outcome in Game 6 of the Timberwolves-Lakers series was not in doubt.
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Minneapolis Star-Tribune | May 2, 2003
This first-round playoff setback, No.
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Minneapolis Star-Tribune | May 1, 2003
When the postseason started, Kevin Garnett said he and the Timberwolves didn't want anyone's pity over the unfortunate draw that had them locked in a first-round showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Los Angeles Times | May 1, 2003
Among the Timberwolves' diminishing list of positives, they're known for never letting up and the Lakers for just the opposite, so even if Minnesota trails, 3-2, with Game 6 on the Lakers' floor, this series isn't necessarily over.
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San Jose Mercury News | May 1, 2003
This is probably the only place in the world, other than in the very heart of the Los Angeles dynasty, where the Lakers are not feared.
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St. Paul Pioneer Press | May 1, 2003
It's bad, but you don't have to tell the Timberwolves that.
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St. Paul Pioneer Press | May 1, 2003
The pressure on Wally Szczerbiak is thickening, and it isn't just in the form of Los Angeles Lakers defenders Devean George or Brian Shaw.
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