Chris Mihm Interview

After missing all of last season and the end part of the season before, Chris Mihm is ready to come back and help the Lakers win games this season. Mihm says he's 90%-100% recovered from his injury, and he is working on getting his strength and conditioning back. He also says that his foot isn't bothering him anymore, that he can move around well, and that he can jump as well as he could before, which is a good sign. Check out the interview with part one here and part two here.

Ronny Turiaf Talks About Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant has been keeping in touch with Lakers teammate Ronny Turiaf over the summer through text messages, one of which might have played a small part in inspiring Bryant's tenacious man-to-man defense at the recently completed Tournament of the Americas.

"I was giving him a hard time about stopping Leandro [Barbosa of Brazil], and he did it," said Turiaf, who is playing here for France. "He's playing with a chip on his shoulder as far as stopping the best player on the other team, playing his best basketball, and I'm hoping he can carry that on for us this year."

Turiaf's use of the word "us" prompted the question of whether he thinks Bryant will still be with the Lakers once the season begins -- not exactly a certainty given the trade request Bryant put in with the Lakers earlier this summer.

"That's really none of my business," Turiaf said. "That's between him and management. As far as I know, I'm hoping and wishing he's going to be with us because I have a special relationship with him -- he's like a big brother, and he brings so much to the table on offense and defense.

"So I don't know. Training camp starts in like three weeks, and he hasn't been traded yet, so maybe that's a sign he's going to be there."

Will Kobe Show Up?

Still plenty of speculation about whether Kobe Bryant shows up to training camp or not next month, Hoopsworld chimes in on the situation.

"While Bryant has quieted his push for a trade, he hasn't backed off it either. With the entire world watching the summer games, he's chosen to remain silent to any questions pertaining to the Lakers.

It's a concern because he's kept himself out of touch. He doesn't work out in El Segundo at the team's facility. He doesn't talk to management. Depending on whom you ask Bryant may not even show for training camp."

"Perhaps Bryant has no choice but to play out the season. Maybe Andrew Bynum progresses significantly and the team is better than anyone expected.

Maybe Bryant is rejuvenated and remains a Laker for life . . . rings soon follow, etc.

But what if he really doesn't show for training camp?

Would the Lakers have to trade him then? Would he take it as far as sitting for actual games? What would be the financial repercussions?"

Also from Hoopsworld, the writers talk about Kobe's attitude toward the media, and how it differs in certain situations.

Phil Jackson In The Hall Of Fame

After nine NBA championships as a coach, tied for the most with Red Auerbach, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has made it to the Hall of Fame. Jackson gives plenty of credit to Red Holzman, his former coach back when he played with the New York Knicks. Jackson said that Holzman took him "under his wing, he didn't have an assistant coach, he made me his assistant coach and taught the game to me and taught me a lot about the game and encouraged me to go into coaching."

"He always believed in what was called the middle path," said Jackson of Holzman. "I appreciated that, his ability to handle players, particularly a team that was full of college players of the year. Cazzie Russell and Bill Bradley were both competing for the same job, but the ability for both of them to play as a team directly reflected [Holzman's] ability to handle people and make them play as a group. That ability to handle people probably was the trademark that I learned more than anything else. He treated the superstars and role players very much in the same manner."

About Jackson's success: "It's been like a comet," said Jackson. "The success of the teams I've coached has been just phenomenal. I've heard people say that I've been the luckiest coach that's ever been in the NBA and I would probably have to agree with them. I've been in the right spot at the right time."

Jackson even joked about Auerbach, saying, "We lost out on the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes. Red Auerbach came out of the grave and told Kevin to give him to the Celtics so the Celtics can get back in the running. That was a blessing, that connection. We just didn't have the connection to make that happen for us."

Despite all of the positive talk from Jackson about going into the Hall of Fame, he did bring up the possibility of this being his last season coaching. "This could well be my last year of coaching. I'm not saying it is, but it could be. I think I have an outstanding offer to sign up again, but I have held that back because of my recovery. Then there's the basis of how well the team does. If this team doesn't move forward quickly, and that's, I think, the second round of the playoffs, then I think we have to reconsider."

From ESPN, an article about Jackson's road to the Hall of Fame, and a timeline of his career.

Congratulations to Phil Jackson for making the Hall of Fame, and hopefully we will still see Phil coaching the Lakers for plenty more seasons after this one!

Lakers Report Card

Just in time for the start of the new school year, the Lakers have been graded on their offseason moves. The Lakers were given thumbs up for signing Derek Fisher, resigning Chris Mihm and Luke Walton, and drafting Javaris Crittenton, and were given thumbs down for Kobe Bryant's outburst and for losing out on Kevin Garnett. SI's grade for the Lakers: D.