Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers Fans React to Bam Adebayo's 83 Point Game... Plus, Injuries Again an Issue?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Lakers could be very short-handed against a bad Bulls team. And meanwhile, Lakers fans are not buying what BAM out of bio was selling. That's next. You are Locked-on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Locked on Lakers. First listen to every day, Monday through Friday,

Starting point is 00:00:30 sometimes on weekends, even on holidays, and now more than once a day, no matter how where you get your podcast, podcasts, Spotify, Apple, maybe you're one of the 37,000 plus subscribers watching on YouTube, the Lockdown Lakers YouTube channel, where we are often broadcasting live. No matter how you're doing it, your part of making the Locktown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network anywhere in any universe you're going to find. I'm Brian Komeneski with Andy Kaminetsky. We've covered the Lakers for nearly 20 years with ESPN, with the LA Times, with the athletic,

Starting point is 00:01:00 a lot to get into, including the local. reaction to Bam out of Bio's 83 point game earlier this week. Obviously history, but controversial history to say the least. So we'll break that down

Starting point is 00:01:18 and perhaps try to get into a little bit maybe above what's going on with the Lakers. Center position down the stretch. But let's start here, Andy. The Lakers playing Chicago tonight. This is the easiest game that they've got in this next stretch of schedule.

Starting point is 00:01:35 They need to win it, but they will be doing so without a lot of guys, potentially. Yeah, the Lakers' latest injury report came out. And for what it is worth, as far as just the good news, Austin Reeves is not even on it. And there have been concerns about his wrist during the win over the wolves. He seemed to be favoring it. He seemed to be in some degree of discomfort that he's not even on it. Obviously guarantees nothing because I'm old enough. to remember when Jackson Hayes was not on the injury report at all heading into the Wolves game

Starting point is 00:02:09 and then suddenly missed it with a back issue. But I am inclined to believe Austin's going to be available against the Bulls. Here, however, are those who are at least somewhat in jeopardy. Jackson Hayes is probable. He's been upgraded, so that's good. Jacks is probably going to be there. LeBron James remains questionable with the hip contusion and the left foot arthritis. Max Ecliba is questionable with the back injury. We've seen both of these going on for a while. Marcus Smart, however, downgraded to doubtful with a hip injury. And I didn't hear anything about this following the game,

Starting point is 00:02:51 although given Marcus's style of play and how hard Marcus plays and how much he sacrifices his body in the process and some of the injury issues in the past. It's not shocking. If there is a game that the Lakers should be able to win without Marcus smart, frankly, without Marcus LeBron or Maxi, it would be this game against the Bulls.

Starting point is 00:03:18 Do not take them lightly. Do not take them lightly. Do not take them lightly as if I was trying to summon Beetlejuice. But they should be able to beat this team without. those three guys. This Bulls team is terrible. Josh Giddy, who is, you know, obviously a pretty talented player, can do a lot of stuff. You know, when the Bulls beat Golden State on Tuesday, Giddy went for 21 with 13 rebounds, 17 assists. So he's certainly a pretty capable player. You know, Mattis Bezell is his good

Starting point is 00:03:53 player. Jalen Smith's having a nice year. But like, they're so, they weren't a very good team before the trade deadline and after it they're so mismatched. You know, these games are good tests, though, to, like, there's nothing about this game that, like, naturally fires you up. There's no natural rivalry. There's no star coming in. There's, you know, no national TV audience. None of this stuff.

Starting point is 00:04:24 I'm not even sure there will be an audience. I mean, people will be. there. I'm not sure how it's like, it's like, it's why. It'll probably get people there. Yeah, I mean, they'll be there physically in the building and all that stuff. But like, you know what I mean? Like there's nothing to naturally hype up. Meanwhile, um, there's, you know, multiple important games right on the horizon coming up, you know, the Houston games are coming up. The Denver game is coming. Like, there's a lot for the

Starting point is 00:04:56 Lakers to be looking forward to, looking ahead to. And so, you know, would it be great if they come out and just stomp the bulls? And Luca's sitting in the last, you know, 12 minutes of the game, doesn't have to play in the fourth quarter. And, you know, you see a lot of brawny and a due thero and all that. Yes, it would be phenomenal. I will take a very solid workman-like win that builds on the sort of defensive progress they've made, attention to detail, and all that stuff.

Starting point is 00:05:29 If they do that stuff, well, they should win this game relatively easily. But it's the type of game that it's easy to let your foot off the gas, just kind of naturally in the progression of the season. They can't let that happen, certainly not to the point where they threaten to give the game away. Yeah, you were talking about the workman-like effort. part of the workmanlike effort is treating a game like the Bulls as, you know, an exercise in sorts of getting your stuff better. Like use them as an opportunity for if, let's just say human nature and we're all being honest, they are looking ahead to some degree to Denver and the two Houston games and Detroit and down the line. Because frankly, to some degree, why wouldn't they be?

Starting point is 00:06:21 Like those games are super critical for the standing, super critical tests, whatever. Treat the Bulls like a dress rehearsal opportunity before you embark on a slate of, I think, like, six, five, six pretty challenging games coming up. You'll have Miami, the second end of a back-to-backward. Like I said, we're going to talk about Bam, Atabio. But, you know, two consecutive games on the road against Houston, you've got Miami, you have Orlando. you'll have Detroit. Like, this is not an easy stretch. Use the Bulls, if nothing else, as a lab.

Starting point is 00:06:59 And that is a real opportunity. And that's something, by the way, professional workman-like teams do. Yeah. So we'll see how that goes. Obviously, you know, people are going to be focused on DeAndre Aiton and, you know, keeping up the momentum on him. He's kind of going to be under a microscope for the rest of the season, I think.

Starting point is 00:07:17 It's just how it is. It's a weird thing with Aitin, too, because, fans are both like clamoring for him to play better but sort of also I think in a lot of ways wanting to him to be gone you know there's a certain amount like in this this $8 million player option that he's got for next year

Starting point is 00:07:37 is going to be one of the more interesting contracts to watch in the offseason I think right now it looks like he would pick it up I would imagine be surprised if somebody was willing to give Aden a long-term deal you know, maybe if somebody gave him three in 18 or three in 19, maybe he'd take that, you know, so just to have some guarantee money. I would be stunned if somebody gave him three years.

Starting point is 00:08:00 Honestly, I'd be. Yeah, me too. Yeah, me too. So it looks like right now with all of the change that everybody's expecting and this or that and the other, among the people who probably will be back, if you had to put it in pencil at least, would be on, DeAndre Aiden. There's the expectation that Marcus Smart probably will pick up his player option. He would, I think, on merit, have probably a better chance to get a deal somewhere else.

Starting point is 00:08:30 But the age and the injury history, I think, would make teams wary. Again, if Smart isn't back with the Lakers, it's not necessarily because somebody went big over the top with that contract. it's probably because somebody was willing to give him two or three years at a number that he was willing to just lock in. So those two guys. But I

Starting point is 00:08:57 I'd like to say this is the kind of game two. We can go to break here in a second. I would love to see La Ravia like find extra minutes and an opportunity to get out of the sort of shooting rut that he's in because

Starting point is 00:09:15 they've managed to keep him in the rotation and do things pretty decently. They'd be nice if they had the Jake Laravia that they had at the beginning of the year. Or somewhere in between, at the very least, meet in the middle. Like the 25 points off the bench, Jake Laravia, that's a tall order as a consistent production, consistent performance. somewhere between 25 off the bench and it feels like he makes a basket with the same rate as a Haley's common appearance. Like somewhere in between those two things.

Starting point is 00:09:54 And, you know, again, he played really well against Minnesota. Like he found a way to make an impact, but it would be nice. It put really hard. You understand, like, this is something that happens in the playoffs. Guys who are purely sort of contributing based on effort, that's one of the things that makes you less able to contribute in the playoffs because everybody tries in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:10:16 Yeah. I mean, it would be nice to see him find ways to contribute in a game that didn't revolve purely around effort that almost seems like it's jeopardizing as safety. Yep. All right, Andy. Well, Bamadabio, as you may have heard, scored 83 points in an NBA game earlier this week. It was not well received in Los Angeles and, quite frankly, across many circles in the NBA. We'll talk about that next.

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Starting point is 00:11:39 Locked on Lakers is also brought to by DoorDash, the season. It's heating up red hot, and DoorDash has a win. to keep fans in their bag the whole way through the stretch run. Whether you're watching the highlights, the tunnel fits, or just your favorite player, Doordash makes the entire season more fun because every player has their bag, Andy. With DoorDash, fans have one too. DoorDash keeps your snacks, stock, your gear fresh, and your watch party vibes.

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Starting point is 00:12:27 So from tip off to overtime, stay in your bag and order DoorDash, get snacks, drink, gear, whatever gets through the season delivered right to your door, DoorDash in your bag all season long. I, I, you know, the Lakers were playing later in the evening, you know, that kids and stuff. And I was not watching the Miami game when I was aware of what was happening. And I could see the box score and some of the commentary on Twitter. But I didn't see what was happening. In the end, Bamadabio finishes with 83 points against the Washington Wizards who are technically still an NBA team. And he took 43 free throws as well as 43 field goal attempts.

Starting point is 00:13:20 To say the least, Andy, by the fourth quarter, it was pretty clear. Everybody was trying to, on Miami was trying to see how many points they could get for BAM. They were fouling to extend the game in the last few minutes and all that kind of stuff. it became something less than a normal basketball game. But nonetheless, 83 points is 83 points. It was not well received in Los Angeles. No, it was not, and this is not, by the way, simply us speculating how it was received in L.A.

Starting point is 00:13:56 This was actually announced at the crypt either during or right before Lakers Wolves began, and the news was roundly booed inside the building. A friend Mirjan Swanson did a piece for the L.A. Times talking with some fans. And one, Eric Ortiz was quoted. Honestly, it hurts. And it's kind of messed up. All those free throws, no disrespect, but it didn't feel earned.

Starting point is 00:14:27 Eric, not just a Laker fan, but he was six years old when Kobe put up 81. So, you know, there's the extra layer of, you know, childhood memories. And, like, those are some of the strongest you'll ever have in terms of connections with sports. Robert Ory, who's part of the Spectrum Sportsnet, Lakers coverage post game, also obviously a Laker legend in his own right, said, quote, a disrespect to the game. To me, don't cheat the game. If you're going to play like that, that's cheating the game. But he also added, scoring 83 points is still hard regardless if he cheated. the game or not. And there's a lot in there that I think is just really interesting, including

Starting point is 00:15:07 how Laker fans should digest this information and Bam out of bio now being listed at 83, Kobe at 81. And you go down with, Wilt. Wilt is number one with 100. Kobe used to be number two. Now he's number three. Right. And for a long time, I mean, Brian and I just so people understand as we talk by this. Brian and I were in the building for 81. That was the first season that we covered the Lakers. So we were actually in then Staples Center watching this take place. It was a crazy game in its own right, not just because of 81, but because the story at halftime didn't, oh, wow, Kobe's about to make history. It was, are the Lakers about to lose a game to this crappy Warriors team? Like, they were down at the half to an awful Toronto squad. And,

Starting point is 00:16:01 Kobe's, he had 26 at the half, but like Kobe having 26 of the half at the time, you know, it was obviously impressive, but that didn't feel like, totally normal. It didn't feel like something special was about to happen. No. In terms of unusual, that was just, you know, a Sunday for Kobe. But then Kobe started pulling them back in and then you really started becoming aware, like, holy bleep, Kobe's at like 50 with most of the third quarter left. And like the majority of Kobe's points, not all of them,

Starting point is 00:16:32 but the majority were needed to get back into the game and then to cement control of the game. And then down the stretch, the last couple of minutes, everybody was blatantly feeding Kobe to see how many points. See how many points you get. But as well it should be. Most of the 55 points that he scored in the second half were required for the Lakers to win the game.

Starting point is 00:16:51 Absolutely. Absolutely. So laying down the context of Brian and I were there when this happened. We're covering the team when it happened. And we've spent a lot of time talking about this in general. 83 points is effing hard to do, period. I don't care what the context in, it's exhausting. Like the physical exhaustion of it in and of itself is Bam had a usage rate in this game of 55.8. By the way, Kobe's 55.3.

Starting point is 00:17:21 So I guess 56 is impossible. It's like to read. If you want to get to the 80, it's what's required. You got to, you got to, right. Like, you have to handle the ball a lot. It is exhausting. It's like when Kobe put up 60 in his last game, he took 50 shots. 50 shots was a career high for Kobe.

Starting point is 00:17:41 He had never put up 50 shots in his career, including like triple overtime games. Like, if you had asked me then, what was more likely, Kobe scoring 60 or taking 50 shots? I would say 60 points without even blinking, just knowing he'd get to the line, probably get a good whistle his last game. I did not think Kobe was physically capable of putting up 50. So the point being, we'll get into, I guess, ethics and how to think about this. But 83 is really damn hard to do if for no other reason than the physical toll. Like, it is impressive. And, you know, he was getting, I'm a few minds of this in terms of like the basketball ethics here.

Starting point is 00:18:22 And it's like on the one hand, he was seeing a lot of triple teams and double teams and this and that, whatever. And it's like, you know, they were trying to get him to stop like Washington was. I saw a super cut of every foul that adabio absorbed in the course of that game. And there was like two that I was like, that was like, that was marginal. But he put up 31 in the first quarter. Yeah. It was an actual game. So, but like this kind of thing, like on the one hand, I get it, you know, respect the game, respect, you know,

Starting point is 00:18:57 the basketball gods and all these other things. But the flip side is, you know, it is a very long season. And when something special starts to happen, I think you can have some sort of special dispensation. Now, again, these guys started at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Famously, the Lakers and Phil Jackson took out Kobe when he had to sit on 60 after three. Like Lord knows what he could have done in that game. But Lakers didn't need him to it.

Starting point is 00:19:27 turned around and ended up with 81. And so it was an impressive performance. It was one that I think it is important to remember. A lot of this was to reward BAM, who has been, you know, the consummate professional in his time in Miami is deeply respected by players who play with him and teammates and coaches and fans and all this stuff. and is so far down the list of players you would expect to score 83 points in a game. It's, it's all-stun cartoonish.

Starting point is 00:20:07 You know, I mean, it's insane. It's like somebody, I think you mentioned we were texting back and forth that you saw somebody referred to it as it's the, it's the Corey Brewer 50-point game of 80-point games. Like, and, you know, in the next segment, This is the part that I really want to get into because I the basketball ethics question, the ethical basketball stuff. Like we, I find that debate understandable, but kind of I'm not getting upset. It wasn't Bam. This is not something Bam does as part of his character.

Starting point is 00:20:46 He does not go shot hunting. He doesn't go stat hunting. It's precisely because of all those things that everybody was excited. to see how many points BAM could get in this game. From our standpoint, it's the reaction to Lakers fans and how they perceive it relative to Kobe. And, you know, the context that now surrounds things that are special to Kobe.

Starting point is 00:21:17 That's what I know you want to get into, and certainly I want to get into, and we'll do that next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by TurboTax. It's tax time, but for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is a lot. Like trying to book an appointment, that's not convenient, sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers, emailing back and forth and wondering if they really get your situation. But this year, you're getting a major upgrade into a TurboTex now has in-person locations worldwide. You can meet face-to-face with a real tax expert, and your documents get uploaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot.

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Starting point is 00:23:18 So we'll jump back into this Kobe stuff in just a second and do it to let people know about the everyday air club. If you've been thinking about joining the everyday air club now is the time again, you get the ad-free show. which we've told you about, and access to the Discord chat, which is not just between, you know, locked up for Locked on Lakers, but you have access to all the hosts around the network and the channel.

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Starting point is 00:23:52 It should be a ton of fun. So right now you can use the code of March to get your first month, month free, head to lockdownlakers.supercast.com or tap the link in the show notes below. And yeah, every day club. See if it's for you. Obviously, 81, if you're making a list of sort of Kobe iconic things. If you just ask people to vote on like what is your most iconic Kobe game, I think there's

Starting point is 00:24:26 a good chance 81 wins. I don't know that for sure. Some people might say game seven. There are other ones people might point to. But if I had to bet, I would say 81 wins. I think for a lot of people, it's 81. His, I don't remember if it was game three or game four of the 2000 finals, the one where Shaq, I don't remember if Shaq got hurt or filed out, but Kobe took over.

Starting point is 00:24:56 and that really felt like the true Kobe has arrived on the biggest stage moment. And he had been hurt himself. Kobe really just took that game over. And I remember that being a huge. Oh, he had been on a hurt ankle. And I remember that was the game that afterwards Shaq carried him out of the building like piggyback so Kobe wouldn't have to walk. You know, that's during one of the many times the two of them were not getting along a season.

Starting point is 00:25:24 So it really stood out. I've always said Kobe hitting those two free throws on that Achilles. That is to me the single most impressive thing he's ever done. I agree. The mental fortitude for him to be able to compose himself, to hit those free throws, to put the Lakers into the playoffs or help them win a game to make sure they can get into the playoffs,

Starting point is 00:25:47 knowing full well he was not going to be able to participate in them, knowing my career is in serious jeopardy. Oh, it's the most amazing thing I've seen him do live. But like you would agree though. Like those things require more description. They require like they are a little more. 81 like you don't even need to say what you're talking about. You walk up to a basketball fan in L.A.

Starting point is 00:26:09 and you say 81. They know what you're talking about. What I think that was interesting about this is, you know, obviously Laker fans are going to feel a certain way about it. Kobe fans are going to feel a certain way about it. We've seen it. Like, you know, I joked on Twitter at, Cam Brothers, that Bam is going to be booed so loudly at the crypt for the rest of his

Starting point is 00:26:33 career at a level that is going to be honestly hilarious. I also noted to quote Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction. Bam's lost all his L.A. privileges. The man's not going to be popular in L.A. for the rest of his basketball career, maybe the rest of his life, which in some way sucks because by all a. counts he is a high character good dude. Phenomenal. But what I think, though, is interesting about this.

Starting point is 00:27:01 And I mean this sincerely. Like, Laker fans can and should feel however they want about this. I'm not going to tell you how to feel. I'm not going to tell you grow up or I'm not going to tell you like, you know, like how Kobe would have felt about or Kobe would have said it was like you should feel about this however you want. That's part of fandom. But the other thing that I do think is true.

Starting point is 00:27:23 And I don't think this is just about Laker. fans getting in their feelings or anything like that. I just think it's reality. It is perfectly legitimate to say, obviously, 83 was more than 81. That's just math. There's nothing you can do about that. That's irrefutable. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying 81 was more impressive than 83. I remember at the time when Kobe scored 81. There were a lot of sports debates. I'm sure you and I wrote about this at the time for the LA Times or, you know, radio appearances we were doing for 710, people debating whether 62 in three quarters against the Dallas team that went to the finals was actually more impressive than 81 against that Raptors team,

Starting point is 00:28:07 even though, again, the 81 was necessary to pull the Lakers from down behind to actually win the game. Like an 81 is almost 20 more than 62. But there were a lot of legit discussions about whether 62 was more impressive than 81. The point being, the idea of what is more impressive is totally subjective to begin with, and it is not purely defined by the actual number. And that's not Laker fans being petty. That's not anybody being petty. That's the way this stuff gets discussed. Like I'm sure, I mean, actually, I'm not even sure. I remember when David Robinson put up 71 to get the scoring title, I think it was in 1994, they were playing the Clippers, and it was the last, I believe, the last game of the season,

Starting point is 00:28:56 and they beat the crap out of the Clippers like everybody did then. And Robinson was blatantly stat patting in order to guarantee the scoring title. And there was a lot of debate about, you know, the ethics of that. And I'm sure that there were people then debating, you know, 60-ish point games or maybe like an incredible 55. Is that more impressive than 71? because again, Robinson stayed in much longer than he had to. This is nothing new. And I think in a lot of ways,

Starting point is 00:29:27 as long as you're not looking to just completely discredit, bam altogether, because I think that is actually missing the point. And I think that actually just underrates how hard it is to do. But I don't think there's anything wrong with actually saying the 81 point performance is more impressive than 83. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. And that's not just being a Petty Laker fan. No, I, here's, I will, in the spirit of what you're talking about, I agree with you.

Starting point is 00:29:53 I don't think it's, I think it is unreasonable to ask Lakers fans to sort of dispassionately evaluate these things. And, you know, the question like, what would Kobe have said? You know, Bam was respectful of Kobe. Like, he was asked that question. And, you know, I, you know, I think you would have told me to, you know, keep, like, there's nothing did. He grew up idolizing Kobe.

Starting point is 00:30:16 Yeah, there's not an ounce of disrespect for Kobe. with Bam and I think the idea that you know he was moving ahead of Kobe was something that was special for him but like the fact that Kobe's not here to answer the question is part of what frames why Lakers fans react the way they do and like I'm not you know I'm not like you say I'm not telling people how they should feel about it but the part that I think is so you know that I look at my reaction was, wow, that was weird. That was, you know, that's a great game for BAM or whatever. And 10 years from now, 15 years from now, this game from

Starting point is 00:31:02 Bam is going to, you know, whether BAM ends up, I mean, how many times, how many All-Star games has he made? Probably a few. And he's made a few all-defense teams, I'm sure. Right. I mean, like, three All-Star games, six All-N-B-A teams in one form or another, five All-League nominations. all for defensive and stuff like that. It's a really good player. He's a really good player. I don't think he's a Hall of Famer, at least not yet, but he's in that hall of like really, really good players

Starting point is 00:31:32 that could sneak in, I guess, one day or something like that. I don't know. Nobody's going to look at this game and be like, that was Bam at a bio. Like that was a Bam at a Bio game. And we're going to look at it and say that was one of the strangest, weirdest nights that we've ever seen from this guy. It was crazy.

Starting point is 00:31:53 I think a lot of people are going to be, you know, I don't want to say forget that he did it. But it's so kind of antithetical to what BAM normally does and what makes him good is career numbers and all that. Part of what made 81 special and defining in the way that it was was because it was reflective of the type of scoring dominance that Kobe did. displayed regularly. Like a 20 block game would be more typical, like a 2020 game, if somebody's ever done that,

Starting point is 00:32:29 maybe I'm sure Wilts has, from Bam would make more sense and be more defining of him as a player than 83 points. But for Kobe, it wasn't. Like this was the peak of this thing that he did all the time. And so I don't think any differently of Kobe of 81. I don't think that what Bam did was a quote unquote better game. I don't think it was more impressive. I think it was impressive.

Starting point is 00:33:03 I think it was amazing. It was, you know, it's a fun thing for basketball. And I don't give anybody on Miami staff from Bam to Spolstra to his teammates to anybody for sort of diving in and trying to make that go. as high as they could. They're never going to be there again. But none of it makes me think the game is better. And I think if you polled players, coaches, or whatever, most people would say the same. And that doesn't, that shouldn't diminish what BAM did. I just think it's, it's that connection to, 81 was special because it helped, it was, it was kind of like, it felt more defined by Kobe's

Starting point is 00:33:46 career. Like it was Kobe's the rest of Kobe's career set up. It felt more organic to what Kobe's career was. I was going to say, it felt more befitting of a legend. And, you know, BAM has not reached legendary stat. Like, Kobe was already,

Starting point is 00:34:02 if you didn't think he had already arrived at legendary status by then, he had three championships. You know, it was clear that was a season that he led the league in scoring. In retrospect, the year he should have won MVP. Like you should have had two of them. Should have won in 2006.

Starting point is 00:34:20 Yep. But like Kobe was already like the first half of his career alone would have been first ballot hall of fame. Like, you know, it wouldn't have made Kobe quite the icon that he was because obviously you miss out on two more championships and other moments and yada, yada, yada, yada. But Kobe was already in all time great status. You know, like you can only be compared so many times to Michael Jordan, even if people are doing this specifically to explain why you're not Michael Jordan. Like, you can only be compared so many times to MJ before you have to at least acknowledge dude's pretty awesome. And to your point, 81 feels like an extension of what made Kobe Kobe.

Starting point is 00:35:08 83 for Bam is more of like an impressive, really? Like, huh, Corey Brew's 50 points for Corey Brewer. And it's still, again, I think it's incredibly impressive. Like, Laker fans, you can feel happy for BAM if for no other reason than BAM is by all accounts a great guy. And he's a type of player, frankly, that I'm sure Laker fans would love to have. Like, utmost professional, does dirty work, defense, all that stuff. I'd be happy to pair him with Lucas. But, oh, God, I would love it.

Starting point is 00:35:44 to have him paired with Luca. You can feel happy for Bam, just being able to experience this, while not feeling even the slightest shred of guilt or pettiness or in your feelings by saying 81 was more impressive. I think that is a totally legitimate way of looking at it. I'll close with this. I'll ask you this question. In 25 years, pick a number, 10 years, 5 years, 10 years, whatever. Who do you think will how many, you know, when basketball fans talk about this sort of stuff, how many more people do you think will remember

Starting point is 00:36:20 that Kobe scored 81 or do you think more people remember the BAM scored 83? I think they become interchangeable because it will be impossible to bring up Kobe's 81 without bringing up the fluky nature. I think more people will remember 81 than 80. I think more people, I'll tell you this, I think more people will revere 81.

Starting point is 00:36:39 That's for sure. But it will be impossible to forget 83. Again, because if you bring up 81, 83 is going to come up with. It just will. Good way of putting it, Revere. Lockdown-Lakers on YouTube is where you can go hang out with over 37,000 subscribers of the channel. Of course, be back at some point Thursday afternoon,

Starting point is 00:36:58 but certainly after the game as well. We'll see everyone then.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers Fans React to Bam Adebayo's 83 Point Game... Plus, Injuries Again an Issue?

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