Nicholai R. Roska
44 articles · PhilBoxing.com
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High-flying Clippers shore up frontcourt
LOS ANGELES -- The rich just got richer. Already loaded with a dynamite line-up starring Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, the Los Angeles Clippers just got a tad more explosive…
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Kobe rising; Lakers fading
LOS ANGELES -- Even at age 32, with 15 years of NBA wars under his belt and a bum wrist, Kobe Bryant is as brilliant as he's ever been. The 11-time All-Star…
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An NBA Civil War in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES -- It was one of the NBA's most anticipated games in the shortened season thus far: Lakers vs Clippers in a hoops version of Battle Los Angeles last January 14…
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MY MERRY NBA CHRISTMAS
LOS ANGELES -- I spent most of Christmas Day at Staples Center covering Opening Day festivities between the host Lakers and the visiting Bulls from Chicago. It was, to me, the most…
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Santa Chris Paul’s giving spree
LOS ANGELES -- I was at the Staples Center here in L.A last Dec.19. as an officially credentialed NBA writer. And I had the good fortune of covering the pre-season civil war…
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Maverick Odom changes colors
LOS ANGELES -- He's 6-foot-10 long and 230 pounds large. He can shoot, pass, rebound, play respectable defense, and light the hardcourt with his winning, infectious smile. There sure is a lot…
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A SEASON IN PERIL
Billy Hunter. LOS ANGELES -- The NBA lockout is now on its 137th day. And it looks like the count will go on deep into the New Year. No thanks to the…
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LOCKOUT
LOS ANGELES -- Determined to end a labor dispute that has locked the league for 112 days and counting, NBA owners and their representatives met with the players' union on Tuesday with…
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Sliver of hope for ongoing NBA lockout
LOS ANGELES -- The US economy is in bad shape. The national unemployment rate is an alarmingly high 9.1 percent, while new jobs are getting increasingly rare. And that is why people…
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NBA icon spills guts in a new memoir
LOS ANGELES -- There's a buzz in the smog-filled air, but it has nothing to do with celebrity talkmeister Boy Abunda. This, after all, is L.A., which simply means all the watercooler…
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The NBA’s MWP goes “Dancing with the Stars”
LOS ANGELES -- Ron Artest is now officially the NBA's MWP. No, no, that's not a misprint for MVP. It really is MWP, an acronym for his legal new name -- Metta…
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The NBA lockout looks like a lock
LOS ANGELES -- A friend of mine recently walked into a dealership hoping to buy a new car to replace a 1995 Toyota Camry that had served him exceptionally well for about…
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Rootin’ for a not-rotten Fish
LOS ANGELES -- I remember it so well, an event that was seared into my brain the way good memories and milestones are. Only this one is a nightmare that haunted me…
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Pau Gasol: To keep or not to keep, that is the question
LOS ANGELES -- In the still of the NBA postseason, when the news is slow and the rumors are fast, the Los Angeles Lakers are making a lot of noise. Trade noises,…
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Mike Brown wins Lakers jackpot
Mike Brown. WE HAVE a winner. In the sweepstakes that is the Lakers coaching search, Mike Brown owns the lucky ticket. ESPN broke the news late Wednesday that the Los Angeles Lakers…
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This man of stature deserves his statue
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers, dethroned and swept out of this year's NBA playoffs, appears to have a lot of fight left in them. Sadly, though, this fight is just…
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Knock, Knock: What’s in the backpack?
Kevin Durant and his backpack are as inseparable as hamburger and French fries. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Oklahoma City Thunder forward is lighting up the ongoing Western Conference finals with a two-game combined…
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ALL QUIET ON THE LAKERS FRONT
LOS ANGELES. The only major thing to report about the Lakers is that there is nothing to report. Coach Phil Jackson is off to retirement, counting both his blessings and his money.…
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The search for LA’s next icon
LOS ANGELES -- It's not "American Idol." And it ain't "America's Got Talent." But it's a search, nonetheless. One that will go far and wide looking for the next bench superstar. Killer…
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NO LAKERS THIS JUNE: LOOKING AHEAD
LOS ANGELES -- Everytime I flip my calendar and stare at the month of June, I think about blushing brides and happy weddings. I think about sunny days and sweltering summer nights.…
