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March 7, 2013 | 15
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Los Angeles Lakers struggle, innovative owner passes at 80 Usman Siddiui staff writer Following the 2012 off season drama, the Los Angeles Lakers formed a team that seemed to be a force that would be vicious to any team in the NBA. They racked up Steve Nash, who is one of the greatest point guards ever to play the game and also exchanged Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard who is widely recognized as the best big man in the NBA today. Howard and Nash seem fierce enough but even with these additions, the Lakers managed to hold onto Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. These five players alone combine for 33 All-Star Game appearances, four defensive player of the year awards and three most valuable player awards. However, the season has been rocky since the start as the team fired head coach Mike Brown, five games into the season and replaced him with Mike D’Antoni hoping to bring “Showtime” back. The team now sits at 28-30, sitting three games behind a playoff spot and fighting just to have a post season this year. Last week the Lakers longtime owner, who is considered by many to be the greatest owner in the entirety of sports, Dr. Jerry Buss passed away after he battled cancer for 18 months. The Lakers held a memorial service for Dr. Buss three days after his passing at which former Lakers such as center Shaquille O’Neal, coach Phil Jackson and other current Lakers players such as Bryant and Gasol who spoke in Spanish, gave speeches remembering the great visionary. Under Dr. Buss’ ownership, the franchise acquired ten of its 16 championships and many players and coaches became legends in the process. The Buss family will continue to own the team; Jim Buss and Jeanie Buss have both been heavily involved in the team’s front office for several years.
This month in Tiger Athletics Baseball Season Record 12-5
Men’s Tennis Conference 2-1
Last Game: Mar. 5 Riverside at Cypress win 4-2
Season Record 8-1
Conference 4-0
Last Game: Mar. 2 Riverside at Fullerton Loss 11-2
Track and Field Season Record 0-0
Conference 0-0
Last Game: Mar. 1 Beach Classic at Cerritos
Mar. 7
at Golden West
Mar. 7
at Fullerton
Mar. 9
at Orange Coast
Mar. 12
vs. Mt. San Jacinto
Mar. 12
vs. Santa Ana
Mar. 14
vs. Irvine Valley
Mar. 14
vs. Saddleback
Mar. 15
vs. Palomar
Mar. 16
vs. Irvine Valley
Mar. 19
vs. Cypress
Mar. 19
at Irvine Valley
Mar. 21
vs. El Camino
Mar. 21
vs. Fullerton
Mar. 26
vs. LA Pierce
Mar. 21
RCC Open
Mar. 22
at Fullerton
Mar. 28
at Saddleback
Mar. 22
at Mt. Sac. Multi Event
Mar. 27
vs. Santa Barbara
Apr. 2
at Orange Coast
Mar. 29
at Orange Coast College
Apr. 4
at Cypress
Apr. 4
vs. San Diego
Apr. 9
SoCal Hep/Dec at Cerritos
Apr. 6
vs. Cypress
Apr. 5
vs. San Diego Mesa
Apr. 13
at San Antonio Relays
vs. Golden West
Apr. 9
SoCal Quarterfinals
Apr. 9
Softball Season Record 14-1-1
state Fullerton
Conference 5-1
Last Game: Mar. 3 Riverside vs. Fresno at North W 9-3
Conference 3-0
Last Game: Mar. 3 Riverside vs. Saddleback W 6-3
Mar. 6
at Golden West
Mar. 7
vs. Fullerton
Mar. 8
at Orange Coast
Mar. 14
at Irvine Valley
Mar. 11
vs. Santa Ana
Mar. 15
vs. Palomar
Mar. 13
vs. Saddleback
Mar. 19
at Cypress
Mar. 15
vs. Irvine Valley
Mar. 28
vs. Saddleback
Mar. 16
at Irvine Valley
Apr. 2
vs. Orange Coast
Mar. 17
vs. Fullerton
Apr. 4
at El Camino
Mar. 20
at. Fullerton
Mar. 22
vs. Santa Barbara
Mar. 26
at. Cypress
Mar. 27
vs. Cypress
Mar. 28
vs. Golden West
Jim has taken over for the time being as the main decision maker in the front office since Dr. Buss had to relieve some of his responsibilities. Jeanie Buss has been executive vice president of the Lakers for a few years. With Dr. Buss’ passing, the Lakers are in search of someone who possesses both ambition and sound decision making like Dr. Buss did. Jim is the person who assumes this role, but given the choices he has made within the last few years, many Laker fans seem shaky
OEC Multis championship
Mar. 14
at Santa Ana Aztec Invite at San Diego
Mar. 15
State
Swim/Dive
Women’s Tennis Season Record 6-1-1
Ben Brown invite at Cal
Mar. 8
Season Record 0-0
Conference 0-0
Last Game: Mar. 1 at Orange Coast College
Mar. 8-9
Chaffey Invitational
Mar. 22
Saddleback/Fullerton
Apr. 5
At. RCC Invitational
Apr. 12-13
at El Camino
Apr. 18
OEC champioships at
OEC Dive Championships
Golden West Apr. 25
State Championships at East LA
about the idea of having him run things. During the offseason after the Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 playoffs, Buss hired Mike Brown to replace Jackson without consulting Bryant. Brown was fired five games into this season and was replaced by D’Antoni, though Jackson was once again available. Buss has seemingly also taken over some of the personnel moves that take place within the team. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak
is known for making great trades at the right time, but at times has made some bad moves. The city of Los Angeles and Laker fans are accustomed to seeing their team not just win consistently but win championships at a consistent rate. Lakers fans are not the most patient of people and despite the obvious fact that Jerry Buss cannot be replaced, they want to see the winning culture restored and see the Los Angeles Lakers rise once again to the prestigous platform they once dominated.
Former Tigers coach finalist for basketball immortality James Williams Features Editor Former UNLV men’s basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian has been named as one of 12 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2013. Tarkanian has found success at nearly every level of coaching in his 43-year career from 1959 to 2002, including his time at Riverside City College. Tarkanian’s name can still be found on plaques and awards on the RCC campus. One of his former players, John Smith is currently the coach for the men’s basketball team on campus. “Words cannot express how much coach Tarkanian means to me. I learned how to coach sitting on the bench for him,” Smith said. “He was a father figure to us all and taught us the importance of hard work.” Tarkanian has the highest winning percentage of any junior college basketball coach because of his success at RCC, from 1961-1966, and Pasadena City College, from 1966-1968, where he combined for an overall record of 210-26. He won four straight California junior college championships, three straight with
RCC (1964-1966) and the fourth with PCC in 1967. Among the players on the roster for the last two championship seasons under Tarkanian at RCC was Smith’s father, Lucky Smith. “(Tarkanian) was ahead of his time when he coached my father at RCC and made junior college basketball famous and a valuable route for others to consider,” Smith said. Tarkanian has a 729-201 overall record (784-202 including games vacated by NCAA) in Division I games as coach of Long Beach State, University of Las Vegas, and Fresno State. “He held everyone accountable whether they were future NBA players like Stacey Augmon or bench warmers like myself,” Smith added. “I guarantee you; the majority of players that played for him have gone on and applied some of his teachings into their daily lives.” Tarkanian’s official 729-201 record still has him among the top 25 coaches for alltime wins and one of the top 10 coaches in winning percentage. Out of his 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, Tarkanian and the UNLV
Runnin’ Rebels have made four different appearances to the final four (1977, 1987, 1990, and 1991). The appearance in 1990 led to UNLV winning the NCAA Championship that season. “He definitely deserves to be inducted to the hall of fame. He succeeded against all odds that other coaches would have succumbed to,” Smith said.
After leaving UNLV, he tested the waters in the NBA as the San Antonio Spurs head coach going 9-11 during the 1992 season before a difference in views with front office decisions led to him being fired. Tarkanian along with the other 12 finalist will wait until the NCAA Final Four comes around in April when the Class of 2013 is selected.
James Williams/ staff photo
A plaque that lists the three RCC men’s basketball rosters that won three straight state championships from 1964 to 1966, under Jerry Tarkanian.