Sunday, January 26, thousands of people woke up to the tragic news of the death of an NBA legend and hero to many, Kobe Bryant. Kobe was an inspiration to many, especially to lots of students and faculty on campus and people in our community. Communities around us are coming together and honoring him in different ways. According to local junior basketball student, Mario Ramos of A.B Miller High School, who is related to a student on our campus, their J.V basketball away game on Tuesday, January 28 took a 24-second violation in honor of their basketball idol. The whole team came together and made this decision because of how much Kobe meant to each player. Ramos said, "Some refs … [Read more...] about The Impact of the legend, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
VoxPop: Remembering Kobe
"Growing up he was almost like a father figure to me. I really modeled my mentality around Kobe. He was my inspiration. In a way, he's the closest person that's passed away from me. Kobe was our childhood. Because of him, I've had a lot of opportunities and met many new people. Sometimes his passing doesn't feel real." "I've cried more in the past three days than I have in the past five years. I got the news when I was driving back from Vegas, and I was a mess the whole seven hours of driving. It doesn't feel like it's gotten better, but it's brought a lot of people together. The outreach of love is probably the biggest part that I've seen from this, and it's allowed me to feel better … [Read more...] about VoxPop: Remembering Kobe
Kobe out for season
By Shelby Hancock |Staff Writer| The Los Angeles Laker's shooting guard, Kobe Bryant faces a third consecutive season out of the game. In their game on Wednesday Jan. 21, against the New Orleans Pelicans, Bryant tore his rotator cuff according to ESPN reporter Baxter Holmes. Bryant, 36, was forced to play the game left handed, ending in a 96-80 loss for the Lakers. In his 19 seasons Bryant averaged a 25.4 points per game. This season Bryant averaged 22.3 points per game according to ESPN. This season Bryant played in 35 games and shot 37.5 percent, far below his career mark of 45.4 percent according to the LA Times. Many coaches started to realize Bryant wasn't playing … [Read more...] about Kobe out for season
He plays, eats and sleeps basketball
By Brandon Landrum |Staff Writer| Senior guard Lacy Haddock had a phenomenal year playing for Coyote men’s basketball. Haddock was a standout player this year for the Coyotes averaging 12.8 points, 6.3 assist and 2.9 rebounds per game in 26 games. Haddock came from Las Vegas, Nev and graduated from Sierra Vista High School in 2007. He averaged 18.7 points per game during his senior year. Haddock has played for College of Southern Idaho, Yavapai College, and Central Washington University before playing here at CSUSB in 2012. In a few words, Haddock has a true gift as a basketball player and definitely has opportunity to expand and explore his talents. Despite being an … [Read more...] about He plays, eats and sleeps basketball
Lakers being to lose pace
By Brandon Landrum |Staff Writer| The league’s best Indiana Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 104-92 on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The Lakers hosted the Pacers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, after returning from their yearly GRAMMY Trip where they went 2-5. The GRAMMY road trip usually consists of a seven game road trip that the Lakers take every year in the month of January due to the Grammy Music Award show taking place inside the Staples Center. Each game makes an influential mark on each of the players that are on the team. The Lakers although have been riddled with injuries all season, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Xavier Henry, and Jordan Farmar have been among those … [Read more...] about Lakers being to lose pace
Kobe as a source of inspiration for students
By Erin Leach |Staff Writer| Social media blew up with comments and concerns for one of the greatest players basketball has been blessed with. Many were devastated when Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was injured this past week. Some may say tweets from fans like “Pray for Kobe” seemed like an obsession gone wild from an overzealous, over invested fan pool, but inspirational figures like Kobe provide something positive in the lives of a generation that has been deemed to be economically and socially troubled in the coming years. I would argue that an obsession with Kobe or his counterparts doesn’t necessarily mean a disinvestment in those other areas. … [Read more...] about Kobe as a source of inspiration for students
Alexander sees NBA in his future
By, Ryan Libby |Staff Writer| Kwame Alexander has flown himself into the limelight with his backboard-breaking dunking ability, but his humble attitude off the basketball court makes his celebrity status unknown to many. Alexander, the All-CCAA senior forward seemed surprised at his YouTube popularity with over 800,000 views on YouTube for his high flying slam dunks, appearances on ESPN, ABC and NBC as well as the number two play on SportsCenter’s top 10 plays of the week. "It’s an honor," said Alexander. "It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Somebody else put [the video] on [YouTube] and it goes viral like that. It’s good. It’s fun." Walking around campus it’s hard not to notice the 6 … [Read more...] about Alexander sees NBA in his future
Mike Brown’s dismissal leaves fans wondering who is next
By Jovani Gama and Chelsea Underwood |Sports Editor, Asst. Sports Editor| The verdict is win; Mike Brown is no longer the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach, and it appears as if a new era of Lakers’s basketball is about to begin. The Lakers made headlines last year after they announced that the great Phil Jackson’s predecessor would be the former Cleveland Cavaliers’ Coach of the Year Mike Brown. Jackson, who retired after the 2010-2011 campaign with a mind boggling 11 championships to his credit, left behind shoes as big as the city for which he coached to fill. While initially up to the challenge, Mike Brown seemed to lack the “it” factor that it takes to survive in … [Read more...] about Mike Brown’s dismissal leaves fans wondering who is next
Suspended World Peace creates playoff uncertainty for Lakers
By Spencer Hirsch |Asst. Sports Editor| The suspension of Metta World Peace, who reverted back to the Ron Artest of old last Sunday, creates uncertainty for the Lakers in their opening round playoff matchup against the Denver Nuggets. For those who did not see it, Peace ripped his elbow into the side of Oklahoma City Thunder's James Harden’s head. He was ejected from the game and received a seven-game suspension from NBA Commissioner David Stern, six games of which remain, as the Lakers begin their first round series Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The suspension puts the team’s championship aspirations in an uncertain state, at least for the first round. First, Lakers fans are … [Read more...] about Suspended World Peace creates playoff uncertainty for Lakers
Coyote Jock Talk: Strong playoff implications in the Lakers,Thunder matchup
By Jovani Gama |Sports Editor| With the Los Angeles Clippers breathing heavily on their backs, and the frightening possibility of facing the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs looming over their heads, the Los Angeles Lakers entered Sunday afternoon in a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in what most would call a must win scenario. The game was decided after two overtime sessions. The Lakers ultimately prevailed with a 114–106 victory but their impressive victory was not the only thing that made headlines. For one, the fact that the Lakers won the game was not as astonishing as the fact that they climbed a seemingly insurmountable mountain in order to do … [Read more...] about Coyote Jock Talk: Strong playoff implications in the Lakers,Thunder matchup