I was recently talking with Far Eastern University’s rookie forward Pipo Noundou.
Bitter Western Conference rivals to teammates?
Pipo, an avid NBA follower, who hails from Cameroon, was telling me an interesting NBA off-season rumor that Denver swingman Carmelo Anthony might just join the newly-minted Los Angeles Lakers come the 2010 season.
I couldn’t remember where Pipo got that story but as I scanned through the internet for possible trade talks or trade possibilities, I found none, except some remarks from NBA followers at a popular search engine site.
Several NBA aficionados said Anthony’s entry to the Lakers’ triangle offense system may only backfire because the 2003 NBA third overall draft choice of the Nuggets would clash head on with Lakers leader Kobe Bryant for leadership.
At the same time, Anthony’s defense remains suspect though there’s no doubt he’s going to be a major contributor on offense should LA really try to lure him.
Well, that’s going to be an interesting off-season NBA trade plot, considering that the Lakers have yet re-sign forward Lamar Odom.
The 6’10” Odom was an integral part of the Lakers’ championship run this past season, averaging slightly above 12 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs.
I don’t know what’s going through the mind of Anthony at this time, though the memory of the Nuggets’ Game 6 Western Conference Finals showdown against the Lakers remain fresh.
Well, Kobe and the Lakers were simply too much after blowing them off the Pepsi Center by more than 20 points that enabled Los Angeles to barge into the NBA Finals.
Wish I was there when Kobe spoke to the media last July 21 during his 1-day visit here in Manila. Maybe I could have asked him if the rumor (if it really was a rumor) was really true…his response would surely be explosive.
What do you think? If Anthony indeed, joins LA, would it be good for the Lakers’ aim for back-to-back titles?
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