Poker News

Donald Woods Jr.

Where’s the diversionary, obligatory, basketball game on television that compliments the poker atmosphere in May? I’m speaking of the beloved Los Angeles Lakers team that usually occupies a significant portion of T.V. screens in the casino throughout the playoff season. Surely, the playoff games on the casino floor were in full effect, judging from the multitude of state of the art flat screen TV’s strategically placed on the casino floor sections in California. The unmistakable blur of the fast paced end-to-end “helter skelter” basketball was in evidence, but something was amiss. The team showing on this particular day featured the effervescent Shaquille O’Neal but again something didn’t bode well with the scene. It seems that Shaquille O’ Neal no longer resides in Los Angeles, thereby explaining the lack of attention from this casino viewing public. The reality is the Los Angeles Lakers are not in this year’s playoffs explaining to a large degree why some of the casino TV’s were tuned to a tedious baseball game, some kind of indoor football game, or re-runs of “I love Lucy”.

To us Southern Californian’s, having a team to pull for during the playoff season is old hat. Seeing a player from one of the many Southern California Teams hoisting the championship trophy, again a virtual re-run. However, this new school of thought as it relates to the Los Angeles Lakers is a travesty. Many casinos across the country actually take into account the additional patrons whom grace the doors during the playoff season. Ideally, these people may sit down to a table game of some sort to relax. Subsequently, the best of both worlds collide. The casino would then enjoy more patrons playing, eating, drinking, and partakingthe NBA playoffs at a casino near you. Here’s the problem for us in Los Angeles; there are no Lakers in the playoff! Since we have become a nation of blame let’s try to find the culprit depriving us of our inalienable right.

Dr. Jerry Buss, a poker player in his own right, gambles away Mr. Shaquille O’ Neal. For those of you whom do not know the story, I’ll traipse over it one more time. Three out of the last five years the Los Angeles Lakers have won the NBA championship. The other two years the Lakers were defeated in the semi-finals and the finals, respectfully. However, someone decided-and I’ve heard this from many different accounts-that Shaq was mainly responsible for this tragedy. This reminds me of the title of that movie, “Great Expectations” what more would you have this guy to do. I know it is not as simple as I’m describing, however for lack of space I’ll condense it. I do not know Shaq personally, however, in terms of basketball, I understand he’s held to higher expectations than most of the other players in the NBA including his former team-mate, Kobe Bryant. That brings me to my next culprit, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant is a fine basketball talent. However, just like in the real world people pick and choose whom they prefer to like or dislike. In the context of the Los Angeles Lakers, ina nutshell, the owner was forced-due to some bad damaging management-to select either Kobe or Shaq. In simplistic terms, Kobe is younger than Shaq and management deduced that an older, overweight Shaq is not worth the money for the years that Shaq wanted. In addition, Mr. Kobe wanted Shaq and the head coach, Phil Jackson to be gone! So poof! Be gone Shaquille O’ Neal, c’est la vie “most dominant”, vamenos amigo, and then Shaq was a Miami Heat. Kobe who to this point had been the best ever “Robin” to Shaquille’s “Batman” was now in trusted with the arduous task of delivering a championship without interruption, which Shaq had been reduced to. To find out how this turned out contact Kobe at, wwwONFORCEDVACATION. com for more information. Conversely, Shaq may simply have one thing to say,” CAN YOU DIGGGG IT?”

Filed under: Poker News