LAKERS: Lakers.com’s Postcards from All-Star Weekend 2009

by Mike Trudell
Lakers Reporter | February 16th, 2009


1	Among the first things you see upon arriving in downtown Phoenix is this giant mural that plugs T Mobile’s “Fave 5” campaign opposite the arena (I’d love to know Yao’s “5,” wouldn’t you?). In related news, if Wade and Howard stood on top of Yao, they’d take up well more than two stories of the building.


2	Here’s Lakers.com’s own Ty Nowell (a fixture in these pictures since I had the camera and he doesn’t need/seek attention) waiting for his media credential. Surprisingly, this was one of the easiest barriers to leap through, perhaps since the Spanish and Chinese media had already gotten their's.


3	Ty’s hand fits almost perfectly into Sue Bird’s handprint, which was fun. It didn’t fit as well into Caron Butler’s mold, or that of newly-traded Jermaine O’Neal, whose glove size is definitely not sold in stores.


4	It’s good to be an Adidas client on All-Star weekend (you couldn’t find an advertised swoosh anywhere). Hey Adidas, thanks for including T-Mac here, even though Chris Paul finally caught him in the final fan vote and he didn't make the team. Banners had already been made, OK!


5	Just remember folks, B- or C-List celebs are still much more famous than you are. By the way, why is Rappaport so angry in this interview?


6	Western Coach Magic Johnson may have lost Friday Night Celebrity game due to the East’s Terrell Owens and Rick Fox, but he hasn’t lost a bit of his crowd-commanding and inspiring skills. Still the main man.


7	ESPN’s Stu Scott was on sideline duties for the Celeb game, ushering players like Jameer Nelson in for a chance at the hole in one. Nelson, Shaq, Mo Williams and Danny Granger all missed their putts but still got the back-slap hug from Stu.


8	“Mascot of the Weekend” honors went to Harry the Hawk from Atlanta, who generally dominated the lesser mascots with his superior outfits, guile and energy. Ty was a particularly big supporter of Harry’s, and is trying to find a Harry bobblehead online as you read this.


9	Rick Fox: “Hey Clyde, you really think you have a shot to win with that dude (slight head nod to the right) on your squad? Please.”


10	Stu and T.O. are obviously on the same page here.


11	Ty and I spent a good 20 minutes speculating about how and when Sager first started wearing ridiculous outfits while admiring this Valentine’s Day special. Meanwhile, fellow sideline reporter, David Aldridge, was trying to make sense of the 1.2 million trade rumors he’d been hearing.


12	There’s Pau from behind, posing with the omnipresent Harlem Globetrotters who are apparently based in Phoenix. When I say omnipresent, I mean it literally – you couldn’t walk five feet at any event without running into a ‘Trotter.


13	Getting a photo of the much-ballyhooed first public encounter between Kobe and Shaq cost me an elbow to the neck (courtesy of some Chinese TV network), knee to the thigh (French AP) and camera to the dome (Reuters). Definitely not worth it.


14	We sat in the first row to take in Phil Jackson’s practice. The immediately notable difference between the two teams was height, since only two East players (Howard and Garnett) had to duck coming out of the tunnel, while the West had Shaq, Yao, Dirk, Pau, Amare and Duncan. I did not have to duck.


15	You’ve heard the song “Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolph (black backwards hat, guitar), right? He and his band (plus most of the Suns dancers) were running through their routine for All-Star Saturday night, which we took in for a moment. Unfortunately, Lil’ Wayne wasn’t present to drop his verse.


16	There’s Phil on the Jumbo after being announced as the Western coach, looking extremely happy to be in the building.


17	The much and rightfully loved Shaq + Jabbawockeez dance took place during the Western intros, and may have been the highlight of the evening.


18	Let’s just say that the seating in the first row of the upper deck wasn’t quite as comfortable as a Brookstone massage chair, resulting in Ty’s posting up on the still-quite-uncomfortable seat ledge. I mean, look at the space between the seat and the table … Yao couldn’t have reached his computer.


19	You see the general expression on the Spanish media’s face after Pau 14 and eight in 17 minutes of the West’s 146-119 win? Few things in my life were as hard as trying to A) Get the Lakers mic in there; and B) Get a question out of my mouth to reach Pau’s ears.

We took a quick shot of the press room on the way out of the arena after the lights went out. The coolest moment of the entire weekend took place right there, when David Stern introduced Bill Russell in announcing that the Finals MVP Award would be named after the Celtics legend: “Obviously, David, I want to thank you,” said Russell. “This is a bittersweet award. I just lost my special person, but I wanted to thank my teammates…” Russell was referring to his wife, who just recently passed, and nearly everyone in the room (including Ty and myself) had to work hard not to lose it. Needless to say, it was a special moment.