Posted on: Wednesday, April 6, 2005

Lakers doomed by huge egos

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

Sometimes it can be dangerous to get what you wish for. As a case in point we offer Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

They wanted Shaquille O'Neal out of the way, to the East Coast as it turned out, and got what they wanted. Well, maybe, not everything. For it is doubtful they envisioned this: an end to 10 consecutive years in the NBA playoffs and a place in the lottery after four finals appearances in five years.

But as a beyond-disappointing season winds down with a whimper, here are your "Lottery Lakers." Booed at home and playing like a failed chemistry experiment everywhere, they are a team without a postseason or the prospects for a quick and substantial turnaround. That and the bonus of watching O'Neal and the Miami Heat playing on, of course.

For only the second time a team has plummeted directly from the finals to missing the playoffs in 12 dizzying months. The only other one was the post-Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls. Not exactly your blueprint for a quick rebuilding job.

Now, the only race of note the Lakers are still in is with the Clippers to see who finishes higher in the standings. That is how bad it has gotten.

Think Mike Krzyzewski is now thanking his lucky stars he didn't bite on the Lakers' big offer last summer?

Were legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn alive to see it, he could have quipped how the Lakers faked themselves into the popcorn machine on this one, so eager were they to accommodate the egos of Bryant and owner Jerry Buss and chuck O'Neal. They felt they were the brains and brawn behind the three-peat, disregarding the man in the size-22 sneakers in the middle.

From the time Bryant felt compelled to take those ill-advised shots in the 1996-97 playoffs as a rookie, it was apparent he yearned to be "the guy" on the Lakers. He chafed at playing second fiddle to O'Neal. He pouted and he sold himself as the "franchise" though the statistics — the Lakers were 36-8 in games with O'Neal and without Bryant last year and 55-45 the other way around — said otherwise.

Well, as he has been quick to remind his supporting cast in pointing fingers and taking shots, this is Bryant's team all right. So much so that teammate Chucky Atkins has termed Bryant the team's "general manager." And, he wasn't alluding to Jerry West-like abilities, either.

Yes, the Lakers have suffered through injuries that limited the play of Vlade Divac and Devean George. And, the departure of coach Rudy Tomjanovich was unfortunate and unforeseen. But, ultimately and undeniably, it comes back to Buss and Bryant, whose fingerprints are all over this season.

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson has summed it up succinctly: "Ain't no (number) 34 (O'Neal) here no more."

And, we know who got what they wanted there and how it has turned out.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.