LOS ANGELES, 26 October 2003 — The San Antonio Spurs are the defending NBA champions and their forward Tim Duncan is the two-time reigning MVP, but the lion’s share of media and fan attention will be focused this season on the soap opera called the Los Angeles Lakers.
After failing in their bid last season for a fourth straight championship, the Lakers didn’t just sit back and hope that next year would be better. The summer signings of free agent veterans Karl Malone and Gary Payton meant that, with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, the purple and gold would boast a starting lineup with four of the greatest players of their generation.
The signings generated incredible interest, yet while the talent level was mind-boggling, questions arose as to whether this assemblage of superstars would actually work. After all, the Lakers were a team that fell short of expectations last year in large part because O’Neal and Bryant had difficulties getting along with each other.
Then came the bombshell that shocked the Lakers’ world. On July 18, Bryant was charged with felony sexual assault in Eagle, Colorado, a crime with a possible sentence of life in prison. Although Bryant’s trial is likely to begin after the 2003-04 season concludes, the saga continues on almost a daily basis.
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA prepares for a new season, highlighted by 11 new coaching changes, along with a trio of the top-chosen rookies in LeBron James (Cleveland), Darko Milicic (Detroit) and Carmelo Anthony (Denver) in last summer’s draft. As usual, the Western Conference is much stronger than the East. In addition to the Lakers and Spurs, the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks also have the talent to win a title. In addition, the Houston Rockets will be one of the more interesting teams to watch as China’s 7-foot-5 center Yao Ming enters his second NBA season.
In the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Nets are the favorites to go to their third consecutive NBA finals after retaining Jason Kidd, and signing veteran free agent center Alonzo Mourning in the offseason. Kidd considered signing elsewhere, but the league’s premiere point guard decided to ink a long-term deal to stay put.
After that, there are a lot of wannabes, with Detroit and new veteran head coach Larry Brown the most intriguing. Led by rebounding shot-blocking defensive ace Ben Wallace, the stingy Pistons allowed a league-best 87.7 points per game. Richard Hamilton and Tayshuan Prince are reliable scorers, but they will have to prove they can put the ball in the basket.
In the West, Duncan and point guard Tony Parker, the Spurs have the best inside-outside scoring threat in the league. Besides Parker, they have some good youngsters in Manu Ginobili, newcomer Hedu Turkoglu, combined with a solid core of veterans, including the defensive-minded Bruce Bowen and Malik Rose. What they showed against both Dallas in the Western Conference finals and New Jersey in the NBA championship was that they played the kind of defense that wins championships.
One of the most fun questions will be is whether any of the 28 teams can stop the Mavericks from scoring? Dallas acquired two of the league’s best scorers in separate swaps. The trade of point guard Nick Van Exel to Golden State for 24-point per game scorer forward Antawn Jamison not only makes the team bigger up front, but puts the ball firmly in the hands of Canadian point guard Steve Nash.
