Apparently, Lakers Have No Off-Season

Hard to figure. On one hand, a die-hard, card-carrying alumnus of the North Carolina Tar Heels such as Mitch Kupchak would never on his own choose a Dukie for his team’s basketball coach. On the other hand, leave it to a die-hard, card-carrying Tar Heel alumnus to figure out the only way his alma mater can beat the dreaded Dukies: Steal their coach and doom the Blue Devils to the level of mediocrity the rest of college basketball operates under.

Way to go, Kobe, um, I mean Mitch!

Allan Kandel

Los Angeles

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If Mike Krzyzewski somehow flies the coop from his comfortable hoop utopia called Duke and signs to coach the Lakers, who eventually is the “real� Coach K, Kobe or Mike?

Mark J. Featherstone

Windsor Hills

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Let’s see: Jerry Buss is in Italy, Phil Jackson is in Montana, Mitch Kupchak is in denial, Shaq is in la-la land, Kobe’s in limbo, Fisher’s in transit and Magic Johnson is in shock. As for Jack Nicholson? He’s in the market for Clipper season tickets.

David Macaray

Rowland Heights

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Why don’t we trade Shaq for Jerry West?

Jerry Walton

Glendale

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So Shaq is demanding a trade. Woop-de-doo. I would tell Shaq to not let the door hit him on the way out, but it would be pointless: Shaq is too old and too slow to get out of the way of the door.

Shaq would be wise to rename himself “The Big Has-Been.� He’s 32 going on 40. He has the exercise habits of Kirstie Alley. Shaq has shown up fatter and more out of shape as the years go by. Kupchak should trade this fading rapper/cop/actor for some young talent that will play basketball rather than park at a buffet table for the entire off-season.

I think a trade to New Orleans is in order. I could envision the headline now: “The Big Lazy Is Shipped to the Big Easy.�

Craig P. Fagan

San Diego

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Why blame Jerry Buss for Phil and Shaq leaving? Phil can’t control the team anymore, yet he asks for a salary bump from $6 million a year to $12 million. And the Big Decline expects $30 million a year for the next three years with the way he has been playing lately?

Oh sure, the current Laker mess is all Jerry Buss’ fault.

Paul Zemanek

Santa Monica

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Granted, filling the shoes of Jerry West is a challenge, but Mitch Kupchak is proving to be either a really old novice at NBA management or he’s just not cut out for the job. Never mind that he has not made one recruiting success, a general manager cannot allow eight out of some 14 contracts to run out, including the owner-favored future of the team. And you can’t be so tactless with media regarding your other star that he demands a trade. But that’s the price you pay for not putting your foot down with the owner and ending up being a lap dog.

Teddy Marasigan

West Covina

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After seeing the passion of Laker fans during the playoffs, and reading the many letters in The Times analyzing their defeat, I am forced to ask: What is to like about this team? How do they inspire such emotion? Is it the remote coach who only takes jobs where there’s a superstar to guarantee a title? Is it the overweight, overhyped, moody over-the-hill center? Is it the adulterous possible rapist who has been rumored to throw a game to make a point? Or is it the cast of no-names who surround this bunch?

For all the analysis of the Lakers as a dysfunctional “family,� I think the people of L.A. are the obvious dysfunctional entity for caring for this really nasty and overrated team.

Robert Waterbor

Rancho Mirage

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The Lakers reported today that Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Yankees for Bernie Williams. George Steinbrenner said in a news conference that it was important for the Yankees to preempt any possible moves by the Red Sox.

Williams is expected to easily get 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists a game, in addition to making 87.5% of his free throws.

In return, O’Neal gets a stable team environment.

John Wisniewski

Lakeview Terrace