Lakers may deal with media differently
( 2003-08-08 09:35) (Agencies)
The Los Angeles Lakers are considering changing the way they deal with the
media this season because of the circuslike atmosphere the Kobe Bryant case
figures to create.
Team spokesman John Black said
Thursday the team might make adjustments, including the possibility of traveling
with two public relations representatives on road trips rather than one.
The Lakers don't have many answers concerning Bryant's plans for training
camp, and even those who can talk about Bryant were keeping quiet or not saying
much in the aftermath of the 24-year-old star's brief appearance in an Eagle,
Colorado, courtroom on Wednesday.
Training camp begins Sept. 30 in Honolulu.
Veterans, including Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and
newcomers Karl Malone and Gary Payton, are scheduled to report Oct. 2.
The
first full practice will be held the following day, and the Lakers face Golden
State in exhibition games Oct. 7-8 before returning to Los Angeles the same day
¡ª Oct. 9 ¡ª that Bryant has his preliminary hearing on a sexual assault charge.
Black said following Bryant's hearing Wednesday it was too early to know
how training camp will be affected.
"We'll sit down with Kobe at some
point when it makes sense to do that and discuss his plans with him at that
time," Black said.
A call Thursday to Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, was
referred to the Colorado office of attorneys Pamela Mackey and Hal Haddon, where
a spokeswoman said no interviews were being granted.
The coverage might be unprecedented, but the Lakers have dealt with media
mobs before. The franchise was in the spotlight during the Showtime era of the
1980s and engaged in memorable clashes in the NBA Finals with Philadelphia, Boston
and Detroit.
There also was Magic Johnson's retirement
in 1991 when he announced he was HIV positive, and his ensuing comebacks.
Phil Jackson was hired as coach in June 1999 and the Lakers won three
straight championships from 2000-2002 despite a Bryant-O'Neal feud midway
through the 2000-01 season that fueled scrutiny of the team.
Now there's
the Bryant case.
Malone's agent, Dwight Manley, said he believes Bryant's
situation will probably draw the Lakers closer.
"When a family has a
member wounded, they all kind of rally around," Manley said. "They'll probably
be very protective of him and his privacy. In the case of him being the young
guy of the four superstars on the team, it kind of should work pretty well to
have those three guys as your protective family members.
"I know speaking
for Karl, he looks at Kobe being a teammate as the same thing as being one of
his own family members or one of his own children."
At age 40, Malone is
just about old enough to be Bryant's father.
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Training camp figured to
draw considerable attention ¡ª even before Bryant was arrested ¡ª due to the
additions of Malone and Payton. With Malone, Payton, Bryant and O'Neal, the
Lakers were considered favorites to make it four championships in five
years.
Now, they'll have to cope with media coverage that will be different
from the norm, dealing with reporters who know something about legal issues but
little of sports.
A good example occurred in the aftermath of Bryant's
hearing Wednesday, when a CNN reporter asked for an interview with legendary
play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn. The Lakers politely explained that Hearn
died a year ago at age 85 after a fall at his home.
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