Broncos Hit Early By Injury Bug

By Justin Worsley

It may only be April, but the Denver Broncos have already suffered a devastating injury.

Ryan Clady, the Broncos' franchise left tackle, has torn his patellar tendon while playing basketball over the weekend, according to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.

Clady, the 12th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, has started all 32 of his career games at left tackle, protecting the blind side of both Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton. Clady played college football at Boise State.

In last week's draft, the Broncos selected Utah tackle Zane Beadles in the the second-round. Clady, who had surgery on his knee on Tuesday, is expected to miss a significant amount of playing time. Clady's injury could force Beadles to enter action earlier than Denver anticipated.

Clady, 23, has made the All-Pro team in both seasons of his career. In 2008, Clark allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL by a rookie tackle. Denver's offensive line only allowed opposing defenses to hit their quarterback 62 times last season, the ninth-lowest total in the league.

The surgery will sideline Clady for at least three months.

Sandra Bullock Files For Divorce

By Justin Worsley

It's official: Sandra Bullock has announced she will be filing for divorce after a five-year marriage to television personality Jesse James, according to an exclusive interview with People.

Bullock, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress last March for her performance in "The Blind Side," discovered soon after she won the award that James carried an 11-month affair with tattoo model Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. Ironically, the two held the tryst while Bullock was on set for "The Blind Side."

James, 41, has since spent 30 days in a rehabilitation facility for alcohol, drug and sexual addiction.

Bullock, 45, also announced that she will be adopting a 3 1/2 year-old child from new Orleans. The couple has had custody of the child, named Louis Bardo Bullock, since January, however, they wanted to avoid publicity until after the Academy Awards ceremony. Bullock will adopt him as a single parent.

Bullock is the third Best Actress winner in six years to divorce her husband within a year after reaching the pinnacle of acting. In 2006, Hillary Swank divorced actor Chad Lowe after ten years of marriage. A year later, Reese Witherspoon divorced husband Ryan Phillipe.

Bullock has been married to James since 2005.

Faneca Finds New Home

By Justin Worsley

On the final day of the NFL draft, the Jets shockingly released guard Alan Faneca, despite making his ninth-consecutive All-Pro team last season. Many saw Faneca as a mentor for rookie Vladimir Ducasse, who was drafted the day before in the second-round of the NFL draft.

Faneca, however didn't last long in free agency. On Tuesday, it was announced that Faneca, 33, has signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Faneca was a key part of the Jets offense last season, which led the league in rushing yards. The Cardinals are hoping Faneca, who also played for Pittsburgh, will help spark their rushing attack as they ease quarterback Matt Leinart into the starting line-up. Arizona ranked 28th last season in rushing yards, led by rookie Chris Wells 793 yards.

One of the main reasons that the Jets released Faneca was due to his salary. Faneca was set to make $7.5 million this season. The money saved by the Jets will be used to sign Ducasse as well as several other incoming players.

Faneca was selected 26th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL Draft.

Howard Given Extention By Phillies

By Justin Worsley

The Philadelphia Phillies have secured first baseman Ryan Howard on Monday, giving the 2006 NL MVP a five-year, $125 million contract extention with a sixth-year option, potentially raising the contract to $138 million.

The contract is the richest ever given by the Phillies and will begin in the 2012 season. Howard is currently in the middle of a three-year extention he signed before Spring Training of the 2009 season.

Howard, 30, becomes the second-highest active played in the major league. His $25 million per season average is second only to the Yankees' third-baseman Alex Rodriguez, who is averaging $27.5 million per season.

The contract is sure to shape negotiations between several other first basemen in the NL, most notably Brewers' Prince Fielder and Cardinals' Albert Pujols. Both clubs are currently re-negotiating contracts before the 2011 season ends, which is when both players would become free agents. Howard's contract could potentially raise Pujols' negotiations to at least $30 million per season.

Howard, a lefty, has hit 222 home runs in his career in Philadelphia.

Redskins Grant Campbell His Wish

By Justin Worsley

After Donovan McNabb was traded to the Eagles last month, everybody in the nation's capital saw it as the end of the Jason Campbell era. Campbell saw it as the end too, refusing to join the team in any of their off-season activities and demanding a trade to a team where he has a fair shot at competing for a starting job as a team's signal caller.

The Oakland Raiders have completed a trade with Washington to acquire the fifth-year veteran. Though terms were not officially disclosed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Redksins will receive a 2012 fourth-round draft pick.

Campbell will enter Oakland competing against former first-overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. Russell was seen by many to be the franchise quarterback when drafted in 2007, but has never played up to expectations, making poor decisions when throwing and displaying poor work ethic off the field. Russell was benched last season in favor of Gradkowski.

Campbell, a 2005 first-round draft pick from Auburn, has increased in productivity consistently during his tenure as a Redskin, throwing for a career-high 3,618 yards and 20 touchdowns, however he has had trouble when it came to winning football games, amassing a mediocre career record of 20-32.

Oakland, who has suffered seven consecutive losing seasons after their Super Bowl XXXVII loss to Tampa Bay, has been unable to find a leader at the quarterback position since the retirement of Rich Gannon in 2004. Including both Gradkowski and Russell, 10 different quarterback have started for Oakland since the departure of Gannon.

Campbell will have his first chance to show he is the new leader of the Raiders when the team opens their 2010 season on the road at Tennessee on September 12.

Jets Release All-Pro Guard Faneca

By Justin Worsley

Alan Faneca has made nine-consecutive All-Pro teams, but if plans on making it a tenth season, it won't be for the Jets.

After selecting offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse with the 61st overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Jets abruptly released Faneca, helping the team financially in order to sign Ducasse. Faneca was due $7.5 million this season.

Faneca, 33, has been criticized due to his age, however, his production has not slipped, the Jets had the league's most potent rushing attack last season largely due to Faneca clearing the way for running backs Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and Shonn Greene.

Faneca, however, isn't expected to remain a free agent for long. Many teams were interested in trading for the former first-round pick, but were not willing to take the financial hit with his salary.

Titans Trade White To Move Up In Draft

By Justin Worsley

The days of thunder and lightning are officially over in Tennessee. Veteran running back LenDale White, the thunder portion of Tennessee rushing attack, has been traded to the Seattle Seahawks as well as defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson along with their fourth and sixth-round draft choices in exchange for Seattle's fourth and sixth-round choices.

The trade reunites White with Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll served as head coach for the the University of Southern California while White attended the college.

White, who was selected in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft, has split carries in the past two seasons with Chris Johnson. White, who is known for his bruising style of running, led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in the 2008 season, reaching the end-zone 15 times. In 2009, however, he saw a drop in carries as Johnson emerged to rush for over 2,000 yards. White finished the season with 222 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Titans used the fourth-round selection on UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner.

Clausen Finally Gets Drafted

By Justin Worsley

Much like fellow Notre Dame alumnus Brady Quinn, the highly touted quarterback Jimmy Clausen faced his biggest nightmare in the NFL Draft, a free-fall.

Clausen, who like Quinn, was considered a top-10 player and the second-best quarterback by many scouts. After Denver selected Florida's Tim Tebow with the 25th, overall pick, it was evident that Clausen would still be undrafted at the end of round one.

There was hope, however, that Clausen would be taken early in the second round. Many teams who were selecting early in the second round are in dire need for a quarterback of Clausen's caliber. Clausen continued to drop, however, as Kansas City, Cleveland, Buffalo, Oakland and Arizona passed on the gunslinger until the Carolina Panthers selected Clausen with the 48th overall pick.

Carolina, who did not have a first-round pick, released the franchise's all-time leading passer Jake Delhomme earlier in the month and are currently relying on Matt Moore to lead the team this season. Moore was impressive in little playing time last season, going 4-1 as a starter while throwing for 1,053 yards and 8 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions.

While Clausen is expected to immediately compete for the starting quarterback position, that didn't stop the Panthers from selecting another quarterback in the third round. Appalachain State's Armanti Edwards, the record-setting quarterback in the FCS-division of college football, was selected with the 89th pick of the draft.

The move came as a surprise to many Panthers fans, who saw a glaring need at several other positions. Carolina also traded away next season's second-round draft pick to New England in order to acquire Edwards. Edwards, who also ran for over 4,000 rushing yards in his collegiate career, could be used as the quarterback for the teams wilcat formations.

The Panthers also provided a new target for next season, wide receiver Brandon LaFell, with the 78th pick in the draft.

Lions Draft Aggressively, Improve On Both Sides Of The Ball

By Justin Worsley

For the second consecutive season, the Lions have found a way to earn two first-round draft picks.

Last season, the Lions used the first-overall selection to take franchise quarterback Matt Stafford. Earning Dallas' first-round choice for disappointing wide receiver Roy Williams, the Lions also selected Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th overall pick.

This year, the Lions held the second-overall pick, which was used on Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh gained national attention in the Big XII Conference Championship Game where he decimated the Texas Longhorns' offensive line. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting last December.

The Lions needed help at either defensive or offensive tackle, however, it is no secret that head coach Jim Schwartz, a former defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, was eyeing Suh. Schwartz ha developed stars out of defensive tackles in the past, most notably Albert Haynesworth.

The Lions, however, were not content with finishing the night early. In a shocking inner-division trade, the Lions acquired the Minnesota Vikings' 30th overall pick to select California running back Jahvid Best. In return, the Vikings will receive Detroit's second-round draft pick (34th overall) and their seventh-round pick (214th.) The teams will also swap selections in the fourth-round (Minnesota now has the 100th pick and Detroit will select 128th.)

Best was considered one of the best running back in the draft, despite an injury concern, most notably concussions. In the past 12 months, Best has suffered three concussions, including a season-ending concussion while hurdling a defender in order to score a touchdown against Oregon State on November 7.

Both players will make an immediate impact on the Lions. Detroit was unable to move the ball on offense, ranking 24th in rushing yards. The team was even worst at getting to the quarterback, however, only recording 26 sacks, the fourth-worst in the league.

A Shocking First Round As Bradford Goes 1 And Tebow Goes 25

By Matthew Klein

In a shocker in the first round of the draft the Denver Broncos with the 25th overall pick chose Quarterback Tim Tebow from Florida. This made Tebow the 2nd QB taken behind Sam Bradford who went #1 overall. Many people thought that Tebow would not even go first round, some even thought late second early third, but the Broncos took a chance. Jimmy Clausen was thought by many to be the second QB taken, some thought he would go top 10. Well it turns out he was not even chosen in the first round and will have to wait till tommorow.

Followed by Bradford at 2 was Nebraska's big man Ndamukong Suh. This was a no brainer for Detroit as Suh will give them a huge boost at the defensive tackle position and with his size and speed he should get adjusted quick and turn out to be a star in a couple of years. Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams both from Oklahoma followed third and fourth respectivly which made three Sooners selected in the first five

The draft will resume tommorrow at 6 on ESPN. As everyone will be tuned in to see where Clausen and Colt McCoy both end up, as well as waiting for big trades to go down.

Much Action Planned In This Summer’s Theaters

By Justin Worsley
With the release of “Iron Man 2” on May 7, it will officially kick open the door for this Summer’s blockbuster films. The next four months will be jam-packed with enough action and adventure films to make life outside of celluloid boring and delusional. Listed below are the top five must see movies of the Summer:
Must-See Movies:
1. “Iron Man 2”
Release Date: May 7.

Following the 2008 box-office hit, Robert Downey Jr. is back as billionaire Tony Stark, who must cope with a world that knows of his alter ego, Iron Man, and the American government as they press Stark for information on his technology to further advance their military. Stark must also confront two new villains Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Whiplash (Mickey Rourke.) The film returns director Jon Favreau as well as Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle, Stan Lee, writer of the “Iron Man” comic-book series, will also have a cameo.
2. “The Expendables”
Release Date: August 13.

This movie will either be brilliant or an awful, run of the mill action film, however, I feel optimistic. Sylvester Stallone, who wrote, directed and stars in the movie actually broke his neck during one of the fight scenes. “The Expendables” is about a group of mercenaries who are sent to South America to overthrow a dictator only to find out upon arrival that they are deceived and there is a traitor among their group. The film stars many of Hollywood’s former and current action stars including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis and a special appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film will also be the last screen appearance by Brittany Murphy.
3. “Inception”
Release Date: July 16.

Director Christopher Nolan takes a break from the “Batman” franchise to direct this thriller. Dom Dobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) has the ability to enter the minds of wealthy tycoons and sell their secrets and strategies to bidders. While inside the mind of a major CEO, however, Dobb finds himself trapped as the mind grants a person more power than in reality. Dobb and his teammates need to find a way for him to escape as the CEO attempts to figure out Dobb’s methods for his own use. The film also stars Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
4. “Robin Hood”
Release Date: May 14.

While watching the previews, the newest version of “Robin Hood” looked like a medieval re-make of “Gladiator.” While Ridley Scott is directing and Russell Crowe is starring, this film is nothing like the latter. The story focuses on Robin Hood as he uses his military tactics to liberate his home village from the tyrannical rule of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen.) The original contect of Robin Hood characters past will still be present, so there is expected to plenty of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
5. “Toy Story 3”
Release Date: June 18.

Andy is now grown up and no longer has any use for his toys. So as he goes off to college, Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head and the whole crew and donated to Sunnyside Daycare, seen as a retirement resort for the toys. It is soon, discovered, however, that Andy realizes he is missing his toys and the gang must work together to return back to their owner. Along with the reuniting of Tim Allen and Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton joins the cast as the smooth talking Ken doll who falls for a Barbie doll in the movie.
For more information on the upcoming films, including trailers and a calendar for all movies being released this Summer, visit imdb.com.

Redskins Have Added New Face Of Franchise, Looks To Build Team

By Justin Worsley

The Redskins shocked the NFL last month with an inner-division trade to acquire quarterback Donovan McNabb. The team has all the tools now to become a playoff contender, but in order to be successful in a tough NFC East division, the team needs to improve their offensive line.

Chris Samuels, the teams left tackle for the decade, is no longer on the team after injuries forced him into retirement. McNabb has had a share of injuries in his career and if the Redskins would like for him to be successful, drafting a tackle to protect him will be crucial.

Luckily for the Redskins, there are several offensive tackles who merit a top-10 pick in the draft. Oklahoma Stat'es Russell Okung could slide down to here, and is the clear-cut top prospect at the position. If he is unavailable, however, the team could look at Iowa's Brian Bulaga or Maryland's Bruce Campbell.

Any of those three players would immediately start for the Redskins depleted line as they face some of the NFL's best pass rushers in a sack-happy NFC East division.

Tampa Bay Looks To Improve Defensively In Draft

By Justin Worsley

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have always lived by the philosophy that the best offense is a great defense.

After an awful start to last season, the Buccaneers got hot down the late stretch, winning two of their final three games, including a 20-17 overtime victory of the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.

With the third overall pick in the draft, the Buccaneers could have two great options available at defensive tackle. While Ndamukong Suh is considered by many to be one of the first players selected in the draft, many others feel that Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is the better of the two prospects. Both could be available here.

Also contending with the third-overall selection is offensive tackle Russell Okung, who could protect the blind side of quarterback Josh Freeman and help speed his development.

Trading down could also be an option, but it is unlike as Tampa Bay tends to treasure their first-round picks.

Detroit Showed Signs Of Improvement, But Still Face A Long Road

By Justin Worsley

Though many teams see a 2-14 season as a miserable campaign, the Detroit Lions see it as baby steps to progress.

The Lions, who spent the 2008 season without a single win, are remodeling their franchise, starting with last seasons draft. Under new head coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions used their first-overall pick on quarterback Matt Stafford, the new face of the franchise. The Lions also had the 20th overall pick, used on tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

With the second-overall pick in tonight's draft, there are plenty of options available for Detroit, but more than likely, the draft will be brought down to two players: offensive tackle Russell Okung and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The question is, which pick is better? Both players would fill a big need on both teams, as the Lions surrendered 43 sacks last season and had the league's worst defense.

Detroit has been busy this off-season, acquiring defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and defensive tackle Corey Williams via free agency and trade.

If Okung is drafted, he would become a day-one starter, moving incumbent Jeff Backus into the guard position, where he would thrive as a run blocker. There have also been talks of the Lions trading with the Redskins to acquire All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, a former teammate of Vanden Bosch while both were coach by Schwartz in Tennessee.

Rams Not Tipping Hand About First-Overall Pick

By Justin Worsley

The St. Louis Rams have plenty of holes, but are showing no definite signs as to who they will draft with their first overall pick, if they even keep it.

A with the draft being only hours away, there have been numerous reports that as many as ten teams have contacted the Rams about acquiring the first overall pick.

Quarterback Sam Bradford, the consensus first-overall selection for the Rams, fills a major need, but with Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen also available, the Rams could afford to trade down in order to acquire more draft picks, bolstering their team.

St. Louis is coming off of a 1-15 campaign which includes the NFL's worst scoring offense, averaging 10.9 points per game. During the off-season, the Rams released aging quarterback Marc Bulger. Bulger has been the opening day starter for the Rams every season since 2003, but has been riddled with injuries as of late.

The one shining star of the Rams is running back Steven Jackson, who ran for 1,416 yards last season.

Other potential prospects for the Rams include defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, but the Rams may be wearing about spending a first-round pick, not to mention the first-overall pick on a defensive tackle. In the past decade, the Rams have used their first-round draft pick three times on a defensive tackle. None of the players lived up to the Rams expectations or lasted more than five seasons on the team.

Halladay Throws Second Complete Game To End Phillies 3-Game Losing Streak

By Justin Worsley

Pitcher Roy Halladay continues his dominating campaign for the Phillies, throwing his second consecutive complete game and earning his 16th career shut-out as he improves to 4-0 on the season in Philadelphia's 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Halladay allowed only five hits and his ERA has improved to 0.82 for the season.

Helping Halladay on defense included a clutch catch on a pop-fly by Shane Victorino, robbing a home run by Troy Glaus. First-baseman Ryan Howard also snagged a grounder in the ninth-inning. With bases loaded and only one out in the seventh-inning, Chase Utley and Juan Castro made a double play to preserve the shutout.

Jayson Werth drove Raul Ibanez home after both players hit back-to-back doubles in the second-inning. Werth drove in Ryan Howard in the sixth-inning off of a second double.

The Phillies (9-5) wrap up their three-game series against the Braves. Jamie Moyer (1-1) is expected to start the game.

Vikings Sign Sheppard

By Justin Worsley

The Minnesota Vikings have added depth to their thin cornerback position by signing cornerback Lito Sheppard to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Sheppard, a nine-year veteran, has made two Pro Bowls with the Philadelphia, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career. Sheppard spent last season in New York playing for the Jets.

The signing reunites Sheppard with head coach Brad Childress, who served as Philadelphia's defensive coordinator between 2003-2005.

Sheppard could start immediately for the Vikings across from fellow cornerback Antoine Winfield as incumbent cornerback Cedric Griffin recovers from surgery on his left knee. Griffin injured his knee during the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints in January.

The Jets released Sheppard on March 4 after a disappointing, injury plagued season. The Jets traded with the San Diego Chargers that same day to acquire Antonio Cromartie.

Roethlisberger Suspended Six Games

By Justin Worsley

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethisberger may have been able to evade punishment from the police, but not NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Roethlisberger, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman for the second time in nine months, was suspended for the first six games of the season by Goodell for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Roethlisberger must also undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation. The suspension could be reduced to four games if Roethlisberger undergoes the evaluation as well as good behavior.

"The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline 'even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime' as, for example, where the conduct 'imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person'," Goodell wrote in his letter to Roethlisberger informing him of his suspension. "As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk."

The Steelers, who were willing to suspend Roethlisberger as well for conduct detrimental to the team, has installed a "zero-tolerance policy" in the wake of Roethlisberger's actions as well as wide receiver Santonio Holmes recent run-in with the law. Holmes was traded to the Jets last week for a fifth-round pick in tomorrow's NFL Draft.

Pittsburgh has also placed Roethlisberger on the trading block. Roethlisberger, who has won two Super Bowl rings as a Steeler, has high value due to his arm strength as well as his ability to rally his team in the fourth-quarter. The Steelers traded with Tampa Bay for quarterback Byron Leftwich earlier today.

The Steelers are hoping to earn a top-ten pick in tomorrow's draft. Several teams in the top-ten need a franchise quarterback, including the Rams, who hold the first overall pick in the draft.

Tebow Declines Invitation To NFL Draft

By Justin Worsley

Tim Tebow has announced today that he will watch the NFL Draft from his Jacksonville home with his family instead of attending the three-day event in New York.

Tebow, one of the top-five quarterbacks in the draft, won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 for Florida, however, many scouts believe Tebow lacks the tools to play quarterback in the NFL, including his long delivery and some accuracy issues.

Tebow has spent his post-collegiate career redefining his mechanics, including his wind-up as well as taking snaps under center. When he debuted his new throwing pattern at Florida's pro-day, many scouts were impressed, but still skeptical.

The draft, which begins Thursday at 7 p.m. will tak eplace at Radio City Music hall. 17 players have accepted draft invitations including fellow quarterback Sam Bradford.

Tebow is projected by many anaylists to be taken in the late second-round or early third-round, however, there could be a team willing to take a risk on drafting Tebow in the first round, including his hometown football program, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Leftwich Returns To Pittsburgh

By Justin Worsley

In the wake of a potential suspension of franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers have brought back a familiar face.

The Steelers traded away their seventh-round draft pick to Tampa Bay to acquire Byron Leftwich, who served as Roethlisberger's backup during Pittsburgh's 2008 Super Bowl winning season.

Roethlisberger is currently awaiting discipline from either commissioner Roger Goodell or by the Steelers organization stemming from a sexual assault charge brought up by a 20-year-old college student from Georgia last month. It was the second time in nine months that someone has claimed Roethlisberger sexually assaulted them, in both cases Roethlisberger evaded criminal charges.

The Steelers also have quarterbacks Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon on their roster, all four quarterbacks were on the team in 2008.

Leftwich was selected seventh overall in the 2003 NFL draft by Jacksonville. In his career he has passed for 10,218 yards and 58 touchdowns.

Kobe Signs Extention

By Matthew Klein
The Knicks can cross off Kobe Bryant off their wish-list as he signed a three year extension with the Lakers Friday. Bryant, 31, signed the deal which will keep him on the team he has played for his whole career till the 2013-14 season. Bryant could have opted out of his deal which would have let him become a free agent with the likes of Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. "It's something that could have been done much earlier" said Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak.

Bryant, who is one of the most popular Lakers of all time and has helped lead them to four championships wanted to wait for the team to sign Pau Gasol so he would be assured he has the pieces to help him out in the future. "I thought it was only a matter of time and that it would get done sooner or later" Gasol said to reporters.

The focus now will set to whether Phil Jackson will be the coach for next year. "I don't think the organization's position with Phil has changed" said Kupchak. The Lakers will wait till after the season is over to do that as they want no distractions while they move toward the playoffs to defend their championship.