SBNation.com User Blog: Koshu

How a Baseball Team, TV and the Lakers Helped Ensure the Prosperity of the NBA

Koshu — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:44:25 -0000

The ongoing saga regarding the availability, or lack thereof, of Time Warner Cable Lakers game broadcasts got me thinking about a thesis paper I'd read awhile back regarding the influence of television on the birth, survival and long-term success of the NBA. While all of the quibbling between media companies has rightfully rankled Lakers fans in the here and now, it's worth noting that, barring a number of key business decisions and twists of fate during the past 50-plus years regarding professional basketball's value as broadcast entertainment, there may have been nothing to quibble or get rankled about today.

Think about it: in 1953, a pioneering but short-lived company called the DuMont Television Network paid $39,000 for the first-ever national rights to broadcast NBA games. Flash forward to the present, and TWC's consideration for the regional rights to broadcast games -- for one NBA team -- is estimated at $3 billion.

But the Lakers franchise has done its part to earn such valuation. In fact, at multiple turning points during the NBA's history, the franchise's choices have been the keys to both its own success, and the league's survival.

Prelude to One of Those Turning Points

It was a hot summer day in L.A. in 1979. I was at home, indoors doing nothing in particular that I recall -- likely because Stage 3 smog was blanketing the city. The TV was on, but I wasn't paying much attention, until a curious promotional clip for that evening's sports-news broadcast interrupted the show in progress.

"Magic comes to Tinseltown!"

And with that short, but emphatic proclamation made following the 1979 NBA draft, regular programming resumed.

The 1980s Lakers-Celtics rivalry is often, and rightfully credited as the key historical turning point for the modern NBA's fortunes -- generating a critical mass of nationwide, then international interest in the league that has kept the NBA financially viable ever since. But, would the rivalry for the ages between Magic, Bird and their respective supporting casts have mattered to anyone west of the Central Time Zone, and more importantly to the TV networks on whose purse strings the NBA's prosperity hinges, had the Lakers remained in the Midwest two decades earlier to face likely extinction at the hands of Major League Baseball's expansion into the Lakers' market? Would that rivalry have even materialized, and if so, would the NBA have been around by the '80s to enjoy the renaissance created by the rivalry?

In the late 1950s and into the 1960s, despite the George Mikan-led Lakers becoming the first NBA championship dynasty, the league was struggling to stay alive, and would remain in financial peril for most of the years preceding Showtime, as chronicled in The NBA on Network Television: A Historical Analysis, written by Mario Sarmento, a University of Florida Mass Communications graduate student who pored over a half a century of published information regarding this topic, including material provided to him by the NBA.

Even though Sarmento wrote his thesis paper in 1998, almost a decade and a half ago, and long-time NBA fans are largely aware of the good fortune enjoyed by the league that started with Showtime and was kicked into an even higher gear thanks to the Michael Jordan era, many of the details provided by Sarmento, especially the information predating the 1980s, will interest the history buffs among us. (Besides, the paper leaves off where many of the younger NBA fans', in particular Lakers fans', collective memories start first hand: at the end of Jordan's career and the start of the Shaq-Kobe three-peat.)

So, if David Stern, as part of his year-and-a-half victory lap wants to give credit where credit's due, he should provide a shout-out to the Lakers, the Minnesota Twins, and several men whose businesses failed but helped the NBA succeed -- among others mentioned in Sarmento's work.

Prelude to One of Those Turning Points

"Magic comes to Tinseltown!"

And with that short, but emphatic proclamation made following the 1979 NBA draft, regular programming resumed.

Here's the link: The NBA on Network Television: A Historical Analysis.

Enjoy!

Haughty Teams from L.A. Nipping at the Heels of Leprechauns, and a Few Other Musings

Koshu — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 23:31:33 -0000

I was responding to a recent comment by an SSR member who's not a Lakers fan, but who praised the work the Lakers front office has done over time. My reply became long and rambling enough that I decided to turn it into a fanpost to help give people more cud to chew on while waiting for the upcoming NBA season to start. Really, this is less than the Avatar of pre-season fanposts in terms of insight, but I hope you get a little amusement out of it regardless.

The topic at hand to start the fanpost is the difference between L.A. and Boston as sports towns, and the degree to which the Lakers and Celtics are franchises respectively conducive to winning future NBA championships. . . .

(I recommend reading this fanpost while listening to "Hook" by Blues Traveler as faint background music.)

LA is [NBA basketball] first—not that they don’t follow the Dodgers, but it is [basket]ball first

As successful as the Lakers have been for so long, sadly this is largely due to what else is going on, or not going on, in L.A. sports. Well, L.A. certainly used to be, like Boston, a baseball-first city. And even though there are quite a few of us Dodgers fans who were around when Reggie Jackson was becoming "Mr. October" at our expense, and the Dodgers' longtime fanbase continues to propagate, you are right. The McCourts never got their hands off each other's necks long enough to truly get a finger on the pulses of the city of L.A. or the franchise they frivolously added to their portfolio.

And, the shell game involving stadiums continues to keep the NFL out of L.A. . . .

Where to segue next? Well, it seems that USC has reloaded, and Notre Dame fans continue to nervously nurse that nine-win lead in the head-to-head football rivalry (currently 43-34-5 in favor of the Irish). Seems leprechaun mojo may be in a prolonged refractory period across the Eastern U.S. sports landscape.

after [Larry] Bird left the [Celtic]s fell back for a long time and the C’s [front office] did not take the approach that if you do not win a title relatively soon, there is something very very wrong. They accepted relative mediocrity where before Red [Auerbach] would not.

Well, Celtics fans will also point to deaths of a couple of young promising players. Yet, while deaths are tragic, as a practical matter they could be seen as something akin to career-ending injuries, and the fortunes of any franchise are always susceptible to those. Reggie Lewis and Len Bias were drafted by Boston. The Celtics' 22-year championship drought ended because of well-conceived trades — finally.

If Rajon Rondo sticks with the Celtics, and Danny Ainge really has the stuff and isn't a one-time one-trick-pony GM, then there's a chance to sustain the Celtics' current championship window for awhile. But even then, there's really no comparing Rondo to Dwight Howard as a key star around whom to build for the future. Jeff Green seems nice. . . . But, what's the plan Danny?

Hey, but at least the Celtics were — finally — able to get a title a few years ago after a long absence. Unfortunately, given what other top-tier teams are currently doing, it seems logical that a number of Celtics fans will go arthritic gripping tightly to their Banner 18 angst, though the law of averages suggests they'll be able to finally relinquish that angst within another 22 years, +/– half a decade. In the meantime, the Lakers will probably have pulled off another one or two of those multiple-championships-within-a-decade things they tend to do (starting now with two titles currently in the bank). What will Celtics angst be called once the Lakers relegate Banner 18 to just another banner?

Looking at the other contenders (i.e. teams that have played for the NBA championship in the past five years). . . .

Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Smaller-market success: one's recently reached the championship level, the other one's starting to fade from it, but at least OKC begins this season knowing that it has a great precedent and that the NBA isn't completely rigged in favor of Boston and cities with beaches.
Dallas. It's like Mark Cuban and company's only goal as a franchise was to win one championship, and there were no other pages in their game plan beyond that. It's a franchise acting like its reason for being no longer exists, and now they just do stuff to do stuff.
Orlando. (Wounds are still raw. This portion intentionally left blank.)
Miami. Dwyane Wade, L.E.B.R.O.N. (i.e. LeBron) James and Chris Bosh have a decent window ahead of them this decade to go after more titles, and RAILLY (i.e. Pat Riley) will always try to add rings to his collection as long as he breathes. Miami, as a place to live and "be", has some of the same appeal as L.A. But where will the Heat be a decade from now? What is the franchise's set of unique qualities for remaining perennially relevant? What's RAILLY's plan for complementing top-5-in-the-league point god Mario Chalmers??

All I know is, I'm looking forward to being a Lakers fan for the next quarter century, but what else is new.

SS&R Hawaii Meet-and-Greet #1 and #2 2012 - What Do You Consider Fun?

Koshu — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:36:27 -0000

Aloha e fellow Silver Screen and Rollers!

This is the second in a series of fanposts for planning and coordinating the fun we're gonna have in Hawaii this summer!

It's great that there's enough interest for potentially two meet-and-greets, so if you're available to visit Hawaii after August 10, please let me know. I'll update the guest list at the bottom of this fanpost as people sign up. If there's enough interest, I'll set up a series of fanposts for M&G #2.

In the meantime, here's where we stand with M&G #1:

• Location:	Honolulu, i.e. the island of Oahu
• Dates:	June 18 - June 30, 2012

For those attending, or planning to attend M&G #1, what would you like to do while you're here in Hawaii? These can be things to do for the whole group, or things you'd like to explore and experience for yourself. I'll recap the ideas proposed so far, and let the brainstorming begin — after the jump. . . .

Aloha e fellow Silver Screen and Rollers!

This is the second in a series of fanposts for planning and coordinating the fun we're gonna have in Hawaii this summer!

In the meantime, here's where we stand with M&G #1:

• Location:	Honolulu, i.e. the island of Oahu
• Dates:	June 18 - June 30, 2012

Ideas on the Table:

(as of April 26, 2012)

Proposed by	Description	Date(s)	Location(s)	Group activity?	Notes
I3oh	UCSD history-class finals	June 26		No (thank God)	This is wrong on so many levels, but at least I3oh gets to come out to Hawaii and play.
I3oh, Koshu	Breakfast, local style	TBD	Kailua	Yes	One choice for a venue stands out: Boots & Kimo's, in Kailua (on the Windward side of Oahu). This place is where macadamia-nut pancakes reportedly originated, and they serve many other local-style classics. Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach — world-class beaches with fine white sand — are nearby, so let's head over there after breakfast to have some fun (SCG: Kailua Beach Park has a walking/jogging path, and shower stands).
Koshu	Pau hana (happy hour)	TBD	Ala Moana Center	Yes	I'm leaning toward doing this at Mai Tai Bar at Ala Moana Center (nice mix of tourists and locals) so that the ladies can get their drink and shop on. However, if we meet in the late afternoon, it might be nice to have drinks at Longhi's on the makai (ocean) side of the mall to catch the sunset.
So_hee	Spa treatments	TBD	Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort	Yes	So_hee to arrange.
So_hee	Welcome dinner	June 20	Waialae Iki	Yes	So_hee's family to prepare appetizers, entrees and desserts. Koshu to bring drinks.
So_hee	Scuba diving	June 25 or earlier (see Notes)	TBD	Yes	Divers should wait at least 24 hours before flying out of Hawaii (proposed activity date based on I3oh's and SCG's departure date).
SoCalGal	Triathlon training	June 20 - 27	Various on Oahu	LOL, sure (typo)	I'll hold a stop watch, and shout encouragement through a megaphone.

OK, look forward to hearing from you!

Current Guest List:

(as of April 26, 2012)

Name	Attendance Status	Available Starting	Available Until	Accomodations	Notes
crushmybones	Possible	TBD	TBD	TBD	Likely available after June
I3oh	Confirmed	June 20*	June 27	Waikiki Yacht Club	Willing to share accommodations
Koshu	Confirmed	June 18	December 31	†
Marty Mart	Possible	TBD	TBD	TBD
So_hee	Confirmed	June 18*	June 30*	Waikiki Yacht Club	Plans to attend with other family members, may provide accommodations to share
SoCalGal	Confirmed	June 20*	June 27*	Waikiki Yacht Club	Willing to share accommodations.
tiger child	Possible	TBD	TBD	TBD
VMuse	Possible	After August 10	TBD	TBD
808BostonSportsFan	Possible	TBD	TBD	†

= M&G #1

= M&G #2

* = Flight booked

† = Accommodations arranged and confirmed

SS&R Hawaii Meet-and-Greet 2012 - Where, Who and When

Koshu — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:02:02 -0000

Aloha e fellow Silver Screen and Rollers!

The Hawaii meet-and-greet, which started out as a novel tongue-in-cheek idea, is on its way to becoming a reality! This is the first of a series of fanposts for planning and coordinating this first-time event.

The meet-and-greet will be held in Honolulu, i.e. the island of Oahu.

As for the specifics of the meet-and-greet, those will be determined much like how many wonderful things come to be in Hawaii: they will figure themselves out based on who shows up, and what they bring to the mix in terms of interests and sense of adventure. For example, some people may be perfectly happy staying in Waikiki to shop and sunbathe the whole time, whereas others may choose to venture further out to sightsee and explore the amazing natural environments on the island and offshore.

But first, we have to schedule the event and find out who plans to attend, so if you're seriously interested in taking a Hawaii vacation, and meeting some of the legendary and infamous SS&R characters with whom you root for the Lakers via this blog, then please continue reading after the jump.

Oh, and did I mention I'm buying a round of umbrella drinks for whoever shows up? . . .

The meet-and-greet will be held in Honolulu, i.e. the island of Oahu.

1. Interested in Joining the Fun?

If you'd like to attend the meet-and-greet, please let us know by posting a comment below.

2. When Can You Visit Hawaii?

Please follow this link to SurveyMonkey, and take the survey to let us know which week(s) you're available.

It's fine to choose consecutive weeks if you'd like to include a full weekend within your vacation.
Feel free to further describe your preferred travel dates and other vacation plans when commenting below.
Please provide your feedback ASAP. Based on the results of the survey and your comments, the goal is to set dates for the meet-and-greet by this time next week, so participants can begin looking into travel and accommodations, which will be further discussed and firmed up in the next fanpost regarding this event.

Regardless of who shows up, and the degree to which we're able to synch up our schedules and plans, this is gonna be fun and worthwhile for those who can make it! If it turns out that we can't come to a consensus regarding the best dates for the event, heck, I'm perfectly fine if we end up with multiple meet-and-greets throughout the summer.

OK, look forward to hearing from you!

Current Guest List

(as of April 18, 2012)

Name	Attendance Status	Available Starting	Available Until	Accomodations	Notes
crushmybones	Possible	TBD	TBD	TBD	Likely available after June
I3oh	Confirmed	June 20*	June 27	Waikiki Yacht Club	Willing to share accommodations
Koshu	Confirmed	June 18	December 31	†
Marty Mart	Possible	TBD	TBD	TBD
So_hee	Confirmed	June 18*	June 30*	Waikiki Yacht Club	Plans to attend with other family members, may provide accommodations to share
SoCalGal	Confirmed	June 20	June 27	Waikiki Yacht Club	Willing to share accommodations.
tiger child	Possible	TBD	TBD	TBD
VMuse	Possible	After August 10	TBD	TBD

= M&G #1

= M&G #2

* = Flight booked

† = Accommodations arranged

AMMO reloading. . ....

Koshu — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:17:51 -0000

AMMO reloading. . . .

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sam_amick/11/22/adam.morrison/index.html

In Appreciation of WAGs and HABs

Koshu — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:52:18 -0000

Worked on tax returns tonight, did some Photoshop'ing related to a topic in the most-recent "At The Bar" fanpost, then wrote a long comment in said fanpost. By the time the surface tension between my fingertips and the keyboard finally relented, it was 10 p.m., the kids were long put to bed, and a serving of delicious freshly baked mahi-mahi was waiting on the stove.

Even though many of us have loved ones who are die-hard Lakers fans, I can't think of any couples who share a kindred addiction to SS&R. For those of us who are SS&R denizens, widow(er)-making isn't confined to the time between tip-off and the post-game recap of each game. Frankly, loving a Silver Screen and Roller requires sacrifice -- whether it's with a smile or a scowl (those of you with kids know the threshold for the meter tilting toward the latter is lower in your cases ;-).

And now, the playoffs are about to start. But before they do, please remember to tell your significant other, and any others whose company or companionship you hold dear, that you love and appreciate them now -- and will once again . . .

. . . at the end of June, that is.

As for me, I'm buying boxes of chocolates: one for every round of the playoffs.

Feel free to post this in game threads when Pau draws blood or otherwise goes strong and makes...

Koshu — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:08:16 -0000

Feel free to post this in game threads when Pau draws blood or otherwise goes strong and makes something positive happen.

(Underlying photo Steve Vai)

If You Could Build the Ideal Team to Run the Triangle

Koshu — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:48:36 -0000

Ah, all of the armchair and real GM'ing going on as the trade deadline nears. Why not a fantasy exercise for all those creative and analytical juices?

Here's the scenario . . .

Ah, all of the armchair and real GM'ing going on as the trade deadline nears. Why not a fantasy exercise for all those creative and analytical juices?

Here's the scenario . . .

Fast forward to the summer of 2011. Phil Jackson is packing his teardrop trailer for his first trip to Montana as a retiree. Brian Shaw, with keys to the Lakers future in hand, opts to consider the tongue-and-cheek advice to TRADE EVERYONE -- and unilaterally makes the requisite changes in the rules to allow this to happen if he decides it's in the bests interests of the team going forward.

In addition, the rest of the league acquiesces to letting the Lakers abscond with any player currently on a team roster because a) Shaw says so, and b) the projected windfall of revenue sharing from sales of Lakers gear worldwide more than makes up for the drop-off in other forms of income realized by a given team (Donald Sterling, naturally, is the first to sign off).

You win some offseason contest to be Lakers GM for a day, and settle in behind Mitch Kupchak's desk. You and the Shawfather roll up your sleeves and set about building the ideal team to run the triangle offense through at least the mid-point of the decade. You, dear SS&R member, are on the clock.

Have fun!

The Shawfather Part IV - Struggle for Power

Koshu — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 12:29:05 -0000

This is the fourth in a series of fanposts celebrating the SS&R persona of Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw: one of the most significant contributors, both on and off the court, to the team's' success for more than a decade.

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Behind the scenes:

Shawfather Credits and Open Call

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker | Part II - Fire and Water for Christmas
Part III - Holiday Greetings

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"

Part IV begins at a time that some optimism has been restored within the Lakers family. Three straight wins against inferior competition prompt Phil Jackson and a trio of team veterans to enjoy a little cruise through Downtown L.A. prior to their first showdown of the season with the family from New York. The Knicks, now led by Amare Stoudemire, a capo famed for burying foes in the desert in years past, wear a confidence that had been lost for an entire decade. Meanwhile, the Lakers ride through town ever optimistic as the sun begins to set. . . .

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Behind the scenes:

Shawfather Credits and Open Call

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker | Part II - Fire and Water for Christmas
Part III - Holiday Greetings

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"

"Purple Yellow" begins to thump through the speakers. . . .

Jackson continues to ponder the fragility of his team's success as Gasol steers back toward Staples Center.

Across town, BlueXFalcon receives a call from Bernel, thoroughly spent from hunting down quarry that had eluded him since Part I. As it turns out, the Filipino Mafia has bagged two prizes for the price of one -- but in doing so, obtained definitive proof that the fears about the Lakers' vulnerability that have been plaguing Jackson are more systemic and profound than he or the Shawfather previously believed.

Production notes:

Thanks to EmmaWK for pointing out that the "WE WIN" GIF was created from looped Zoolander footage.

So what happens next?!

What does BlueXFalcon do between now and his meeting with the Filipino Mafia?
What could possibly be so troubling to Bernel in light of his successful efforts to track down a foe (the answer to this will be revealed later in the comments, but your answers could provide additional insights that also apply)?

Have fun answering these questions in the comments below!

Shawfather Credits and Open Call

Koshu — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:06:22 -0000

Shawfather fans!

As previously discussed, I originally thought it would be nice to create a fanpost where Silver Screen and Rollers can post their ideas regarding plot development for the project. So anybody have any ideas they want to share?

Later, I figured: why not include fans of the project as characters in the story, beyond the "offscreen" references to the Filipino Mafia in Part I? In the middle of Part III, the Shawfather realizes the Lakers' Christmas Day debacle against the Heat points to a need for enhanced MOAT, so he decides to turn to sympathetic security consultants with military backgrounds, introducing Sarge Clemins, who (along with HotMama24) will debut in a future episode. Anybody else interested in a featured role?

The call is officially open! Look forward to hearing from you in the comments below. Feel free to bookmark this fanpost in the event you come up with an idea down the road. I'll periodically check here for updates.

Shawfather fans!

But first, the legalese.

Disclaimers

It's unlikely everyone's material, including mine, will make it into production during The Shawfather's run (i.e. through the end of the current NBA season). Even the best ideas today may end up in the circular file depending on how real-life events play out that influence the storyline. In general, ideas may be slightly or greatly modified for production use.

As for characters in the story, there are so many interesting folks who are part of this online community, that whether you're expressly interested in a role or not, you might end up with a cameo or more. That's the price you pay for having a personality worth noticing.

Now for the fun stuff!

Plot Treatments

The better your idea dovetails with the current storyline, and/or events unfolding throughout the NBA -- especially those pertaining to the Lakers -- the easier it will be to use in whole or in part.
Ideas that incorporate plot elements or quotes from the Godfather movies, or from other famous movies, also may stand a better chance of being used. A good reference for movies SS&R members like and recognize is SoCalGal's "Rough Cut 7/2 - Favorite Movies".

Characters

If you're interested in being portrayed in The Shawfather, you'll need to pick a character from a well-known movie -- or pick a highly recognizable celebrity -- to portray you. Again, "Rough Cut 7/2 - Favorite Movies" may be helpful.
In addition, the movie character or celebrity you choose should have lots of photos available online (close-ups as well as partial- and full-body shots): the greater variety of facial expressions and angles (e.g. frontal, profile; high and low as well as eye level) the better.
If you're a Lakers fan and choose a celebrity who's a recognized fan of a rival team, well, then that's not a good fit (see comments regarding Matt Damon in the cast credits below).
Pinoy SS&R members: please choose an available character from Katekyō Hitman Reborn!, or another manga/anime character whose look and feel complement Reborn! If you don't have a preference, or if online images are scarce for your preferred character, then I'll choose a character for you.
hotmama24 and Patch A.: please see the notes/questions in the credits and comments below that pertain to you. Look forward to your input!
Of course, the movie character or celebrity doesn't have to look like or otherwise be similar to you (feel free to think of him or her as an avatar).

Current Cast

The cast members listed below have been featured in past Shawfather episodes, or are scheduled to appear in future episodes. I'll continue to update these credits from time to time.

The Association
Character	Description	Other Affiliation(s)	Portrayed by	Notes	Appearances
Brian Shaw	The Shawfather	L.A. Lakers	Brian Shaw		Parts I, III
David Stern	The Commissioner		David Stern
Los Angeles Lakers
Character	Description	Other Affiliation(s)	Portrayed by	Notes	Appearances
Derek Fisher	Caporegime, The President	U.S. government	Derek Fisher	Plays for the Lakers while running the executive branch of the federal government in his spare time.	Part II
Jack Nicholson	Fan		Jack Nicholson	Penchant for exacting vigilante justice on fake or fickle Lakers fans.	Part III
Kobe Bryant	Caporegime		Kobe Bryant		Part III
Pau Gasol	Made man		Pau Gasol		Part II
Phil Jackson	Underboss		Phil Jackson		Parts II, III
Ron Artest	Made man		Ron Artest		Part II
Silver Screen and Roll
Character	Description	Affiliation(s)	Portrayed by	Notes	Appearances
Bernel	Boss	Filipino Mafia (L.A. Lakers ally)	Kyoya Hibari	Hibari is a character from Katekyō Hitman Reborn!	Part I
Imposibol	Boss	Filipino Mafia (L.A. Lakers ally)	Hayato Gokudera	Gokudera is a character from Katekyō Hitman Reborn!
Patch A.	Boss	Filipino Mafia (L.A. Lakers ally)	Takeshi Yamamoto	Yamamoto is a character from Katekyō Hitman Reborn!
BlueXFalcon	Moderator	Mod Squad (L.A. Lakers ally)	Adam Brody
SoCalGal	Moderator	Mod Squad (L.A. Lakers ally)	Tyra Banks
Gen!e	Security consultant	L.A. Lakers (on loan from the British government)	Desmond Llewelyn	Llewelyn as Q in the James Bond films.
HotMama24	Security consultant	U.S. military (L.A. Lakers ally)	tbd (see notes)	Prospective casting: Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton in the Terminator movies), Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in the Alien movies), Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards in Starship Troopers), Jenette Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein in Aliens). Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie in the Tomb Raider movies), Selene (Kate Beckinsdale in the Underworld movies), Alice (Milla Jovovich in the Resident Evil movies).
Sarge Clemins	Security consultant	U.S. military (L.A. Lakers ally)	Gerard Butler	Butler as John "Kable" Tillman in Gamer and/or Leonidas in 300.	Part III
Jeterian 2	Law enforcement officer	Miami-Dade County Police Department (Miami Heat ally)	Philip Michael Thomas	Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs in the Miami Vice TV series.
Mjtig	Law enforcement officer	Miami-Dade County Police Department (Miami Heat ally)	Don Johnson	Johnson as Sonny Crockett in the Miami Vice TV series.
Tyson (xMMAxTYSONxMMA)	Psychological operative	Peninsula is Mightier (Miami Heat ally)	Mike Tyson
KenJumba			> Kevin Wu (KevJumba)
Miami Heat
Character	Description	Other Affiliation(s)	Portrayed by	Notes	Appearances
Chris Bosh	Made man	ESPN	Chris Bosh
Dwyane Wade	Caporegime	ESPN	Dwyane Wade
L.E.B.R.O.N.	Caporegime	ESPN	LeBron James		Part II
PAT RAILLY	Boss	ESPN	PAT RAILLY		Parts II, III
New Jersey Nets
Character	Description	Other Affiliation(s)	Portrayed by	Notes	Appearances
Maria Sharapova		L.A. Lakers (Part I)	Maria Sharapova		Part I
Mikhail Prokhorov	Head of family		Mikhail Prokhorov	Appears to owe the Shawfather a favor from an incident pre-dating the events depicted in Part I.	Part I
Sasha Vujacic	Soldier	L.A. Lakers (Part I)	Sasha Vujacic		Part I
Ronin, Other Characters
Character	Description	Affiliation(s)	Portrayed by	Notes	Appearances
AMMO			Adam Morrison
Justin Bieber			Justin Bieber		Part III

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker | Part II - Fire and Water for Christmas | Part III - Holiday Greetings

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"
"Rough Cut 7/2 - Favorite Movies"

I look forward to this project continuing to evolve into a top-notch online creative collaboration. Thanks in advance for everyone's support, ideas and other contributions!

Image FanShot

Koshu — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:53:46 -0000

The Shawfather Part III - Holiday Greetings

Koshu — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 14:17:59 -0000

This is the third in a series of fanposts celebrating the SS&R persona of Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw: one of the most significant contributors, both on and off the court, to the team's' success for more than a decade.

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker | Part II - Fire and Water for Christmas

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"

Part III opens as dawn breaks in Los Angeles the day after Christmas. Staples Center is now a smoldering hulk, housing the remnants of the Lakers' de facto dominance over its key rivals.

Shell-shocked combatants begin to stir, their stupor giving way to the sound of familiar footsteps echoing across the battle-scarred hardwood. The acrid air inspires a message from the man surveying the carnage -- but it is not the only message that will be delivered in the aftermath of yesterday's clash. . . .

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker | Part II - Fire and Water for Christmas

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"

Part III opens as dawn breaks in Los Angeles the day after Christmas. Staples Center is now a smoldering hulk, housing the remnants of the Lakers' de facto dominance over its key rivals.

Later in the day, fate brings together two self-proclaimed Lakers fans.

Production notes:

The role of Justin Bieber was played by Justin Bieber. No Justin Biebers were hurt or actually tortured in the making of this fanpost.

The photo of Kobe bleeding, however, reportedly depicts a real injury sustained in a game against the Golden State Warriors in 2008.

So what happens next?!

In addition to calling out Justin Bieber, what "truth" does Jack Nicholson impart to the lad?

Have fun answering that question in the comments below!

The Shawfather Part II - Fire and Water for Christmas

Koshu — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:14:43 -0000

This is the second in a series of fanposts celebrating the SS&R persona of Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw: one of the most significant contributors, both on and off the court, to the team's' success for more than a decade.

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"

In Part II, Lakers underboss Phil Jackson takes a meeting with Miami Heat boss PAT RAILLY three days before Christmas. They choose a public location and initially put on smiles to help disguise the grave nature of the business at hand. But the pleasantries don't last long on either man's part. . . .

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Previous episodes:

Part I - Farewell to the Maker

Recommended reading:

"A Guide to Silver Screen and Roll Memes" | "Brian Shaw's Vengeance Throughout History"
"The Official Brian Shaw Championship Thread/Thread of Champions"

SS&R persona of Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw: one of the most significant contributors, both on and off the court, to the team's' success for more than a decade.

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Before reading further, it's a good idea for readers unfamiliar with this blog to check out shaqfor3's excellent fanpost regarding SSR memes and lingo.

As with the movie franchise that inspired it, this fanpost series begins with the lead character firmly established -- his power and influence wide-reaching, fingers controlling the strings of "the Association" (akin to "the Commission" in The Godfather universe).

In Part I, the Shawfather dispenses with the man who, through a misplaced demonstration of defiance, unwittingly caused the Shawfather's rise from a respected but low-level caporegime in the Lakers organization to the mastermind whose Rings all other power brokers in the Association -- including the billionaires -- kiss out of respect, envy and dread. . . .

I was inspired by the hoops-cum-Hollywood motif of this blog to create an ad hoc series of fanposts using captioned photos celebrating the SS&R persona of Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw: one of the most significant contributors, both on and off the court, to the team's' success for more than a decade.

Welcome to the Shawfather saga!

Before reading further, it's a good idea for readers unfamiliar with this blog to check out shaqfor3's excellent fanpost regarding SSR memes and lingo.

Look for updates to this episode in the comments below. . . .

I really can't wait 'til we get to see stuff like this again. (LOL, what's Kobe saying??)

Koshu — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:51:24 -0000

I really can't wait 'til we get to see stuff like this again.

(LOL, what's Kobe saying??)