Radman fesses up

[Skandery]

Is the NBA players union anywhere near as ridiculous as the MLB union?

Nowhere near!  The NBA is second, but a very FAR second to baseball.  Just from what I hear and read and talking with friends who follow the other sports, here's my opinion of the respective power of the Players' Union of the Big Four (Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey) in descending order. 

1.  Baseball





2.  Basketball
3.  Hockey
4.  Football

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey Skandery!
   
That was some good stuff you posted there...it caused me to reflect on how influential the head administrative personnel can be on the success/failure of a team.  Since the days of GM Bill Sharman (West's mentor), the LAL have had great master planners and architects at the helm.  While the floundering of the current team is reminiscent of two other interregnums in the dominancer of the LAL (in the mid-'70s, post-Wilt but pre-Magic era, and the mid-90s, post-Magic/pre-Shaq/Kobe period).  While the jury is still out on the Kupchak Administration's record, one must at least credit him for keeping the LAL from falling as far as they might have.

As far as the choice West had to make between Wilkins, Worthy and Cummings, the mind reels at the different permutations and combinations that could have occurred, and not just for the LAL!  Terry Cummings was a great player as well - he would definitely have fit right in to Showtime!
   
-RB
Shaq #1

[WayOutWest]

Terry Cummings was a great player as well - he would definitely have fit right in to Showtime!

I don't know how Terry would have fit in with the fast break showtime Lakers.  He was more of a traditional half court forward.

[Reality]

Now I'm even more perplexed by Phil and the Lakers keeping Rad and his contract after Radmanovic sat the entire Phx series.

[Derek Bodner]

The reason I say that is because this further proves he is a bonafide space cadet.  He was oblivious to the fact that snowboarding can injure you

So can walking down the street.

Is snowboarding explicitly stated in the contract (i.e. like Motorcycles)?  If not, you have no leg to stand on IMO.  There are many activities one could be injured in.  Voiding his contract would be a terrible precedent to set. I don't even think Sprewell got his contract voided.

[Reality]

Is snowboarding explicitly stated in the contract (i.e. like Motorcycles)?  If not, you have no leg to stand on IMO.  There are many activities one could be injured in.  Voiding his contract would be a terrible precedent to set. I don't even think Sprewell got his contract voided.

According to L.A. Times of Feb 24th, 2007:

Six days after dislocating his right shoulder in Park City, Utah, during the All-Star break, and three days after telling the Lakers he'd hurt himself slipping on a patch of ice, Radmanovic admitted he got hurt while snowboarding, an activity specifically prohibited in his contract.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-lakerep24feb24,1,4247539.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

[jn]

If memory serves me correctly the Lakers got Mychal Thompson in exchange for a half eaten sandwich.  That was pretty good trade.

In a way I have to defend Radmanovic.  I have no doubt plenty of other players take part in risky behavior and just never get caught.  For example it's an open secret that KG was/is a wild driver.  Didn't Karl Malone do a lot of motorcycle riding?  He was admired for it because he never bit it.  Jay Williams, on the other hand.....

Here's another one, Tom Hammonds was rightly considered a pro's pro during his time in the league but he also took up drag racing during his time with the Wolves and I don't mean he used to footrace women with Adam's Apples and big hands.