Kobe is Pissed About Trading Lamar Kardashian — So Am I

Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant takes questions during media day at the team's El Segundo training facility on Sunday. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

 

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired the Dallas Mavericks’ first round selection in the 2012 NBA Draft in exchange for Lamar Odom and the Lakers 2012 second round draft pick, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. In addition, the Lakers will receive a trade exception.

Odom originally joined the Lakers on July 14, 2004 along with Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a future first round draft pick as part of a trade with Miami that sent Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat. The transaction led to future deals that included sending Butler to Washington for Kwame Brown and Brown to Memphis in exchange for Pau Gasol.

“Lamar was a fine player for us in his seven years with the Lakers and was a key to helping us win two championships,” said Kupchak. “In addition, he always conducted himself with class and professionalism and we wish him well in the remainder of his career.”

A 12-year NBA veteran, Odom has averaged 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 829 career games over 12 NBA seasons. In 519 games (382 starts) with the Lakers, Odom posted career averages of 13.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

One minute… Odom and Gasol are gone and the Lake Show has CP3, the next minute… CP3 is on the verge of signing with the Clippers, and the the Lakers send Lamar Odom to the World Champion Mavericks for a draft pick. What the hell is going on in la-la land? I’m pissed. I don’t have a problem moving Lamar Kardashian because the dude has entered into a life full of drama that the Lakers don’t need. They create their own drama day-in, day-out… they don’t need the Kardashian side-show entering their locker room… but I figured they’d get more out of the guy. So did Kobe.

Great, Lakers went from being to the front-runners for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard… to getting NOTHING for this year and trading the sixth-man of the year. Here’s what Kobe said on Sunday:

“I don’t like it. I’ve known Lamar for a long time, and for the team itself, he’s meant a lot in terms of his versatility, his personality. He’s a big presence for us in the locker room, just from a team chemistry standpoint. He’s great at bringing guys together and things of that nature. I trust management knows what they’re doing. I let them do their jobs, I never get in the way but it’s tough. You’re talking about sixth man of the year last year. He played lights out.”

Sweet. You pissed off Kobe, your best player and face of the franchise… AND your second best player, Pau Gasol… feels like a piece of trash who’s not wanted because you unsuccessfully tried to trade him for Chris Paul. Last week went from awesome to horrible real fast for the Lakers. Which brings me to my next point: David Stern, you are a miserable little twerp.

-bp

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