The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off the NBA season Tuesday night with a 99-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers but not before picking up their championship hardware.

Talk about bling – - that’s a serious ring.

And the only player on this year’s roster who was involved in the ring ceremony is new addition Ron Arest, who was a member of the Houston Rockets last season.

If Artest didn’t already have enough motivation to win a title, sitting through a ring ceremony will only add more fuel to the fire.

Based on their schedule, the talk during the TNT broadcast is the Lakers can go 20-1 to start the season.

If (and only IF) the Lakers can stay healthy (ie: Pau Gasol returns in a speedy fashion), the Lakers might make a legit run at the Bulls record of 72-10.

What do you think of the Lakers chance at repeating this season?

Kaboom!

‘Nuff said.

Bow down to your 2009-10 Rookie of the Year.

Kobe Bryant has one more accolade for his resume.

NBA Player of the Decade.

The Sporting News named the Los Angeles Lakers guard player of the decade, which should come as little surprise if you think about the last 9+ years.

One of the players who helped him earn the title, Shaquille O’Neal, had this to say about Bryant’s achivement:

The thing about Kobe is that, over the course of my career, I have never played with anyone who was as fierce as he is. By fierce I mean just having that extra killer instinct that you know when the game is on the line he is not going to shy away from the big shot, he is not going to make excuses. If we would go into the fourth quarter, playoffs or just some game in the season and we were within a little bit of the other team, Kobe was not going to shy away from the challenge of getting the win. He was going to take the shots.

He was going to take those shots away from Shaq.

That’s the part O’Neal left out, but kudos to the big man for his kind words about his former teammate.

The number 37 is for the number of weeks Thriller spent on top of the Billboard Charts.

It’s going to be a loooooong season in Laker Land.

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In honor of Michael Jackson, I wanted to post a clip from today featuring Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.

Magic can always find a way to make the crowd smile.

Who else is craving KFC now?

Trevor who?

Just when Laker fans were starting to curse management for letting Trevor Ariza go, free agent forward Ron Artest announced that he’s going to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Artest is taking a paycut to come to Hollyweird, verbally agreeing to a proposed three-year, $18 million contract.

Meanwhile, Trevor Ariza is headed to Houston to replace Artest.

Ron Artest > Trevor Ariza.

Yes, Artest has a couple of screws loose and he’s bound to get into trouble in Los Angeles, but his play on the court more than makes up for the risk.

No knock on Ariza, who developed into a fine role player in the playoffs, but he’s headed to his fourth team in five seasons for a reason.

If the Lakers can find a way to resign Odom to play alongside the fellow New Yorker Artest, get ready for another Championship parade next June.

In case you need another reason to hate the Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum has provided you haters with one.

Bynum reportedly took R&B singer Rihanna on her first date since her encounter with Chris Brown in February.

The 21-year-old center, who is not shy when it comes to the ladies, is just returning to the Lakers after a knee injury sidelined him for several weeks.

But when asked if the big man and the pop diva were dating and if their friendship had the potential to ever become anything more, his response was “Nope.”

She would never have to worry about Chris Brown laying a finger on her (allegedly … probably …. almost certainly he did it) with Bynum by her side.

And I’m all for getting yours, Andrew …

… but if Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has taught us anything (besides choking in the playoffs), its that you should keep the wifey at home and don’t invite her out to Staples.

Don’t let me catch Rihanna sitting courtside next to Jack Nicholson in a pink #17 jersey.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Laker fans have to be cringing at Andrew Bynum getting nice at the Playboy Mansion with a bunny on top of his shoulders.

According to Arash Markazi of SI.com:

While the Lakers were in Atlanta preparing for what would be an 86-76 loss to the Hawks on Sunday, Bynum was in Los Angeles mingling at a pajamas and lingerie party after the Playboy Golf Finals.

Wearing a green smoking jacket and slippers, Bynum, whose injury status is generating daily headlines in Los Angeles, partied like a rock star near the infamous grotto.

He picked up Playmate Nicole Narain and placed her on his shoulders and got somebody to take a picture with his digital camera.

Upper-body strength, check.

He hopped over a velvet rope near the DJ booth so he could take a picture with Narain and other Playmates who ended up sitting on his lap.

Jumping ability, check.

He sidestepped a few of the roaming cameras and got down with some Playmates on the checkered dance floor set up in the backyard.

Lateral movement, check.

Later, with lines around the bar getting longer, he pulled out a bottled beverage from one pocket and four plastic cups from another and offered up drinks to three Playmates who were with him.

Ability to adjust to game situations, check.

All that extra weight can’t be good for a guy who is recovering from knee surgery and who is trying to return for the playoffs.

And if you are going to get loose while your boys are busting their ass on a road trip, at least make sure you aren’t getting your photo snapped for the world to see.

If Thursday night was a preview of the 2009 NBA Finals, NBA fans are in for a treat.

Even without center Andrew Bynum, the Los Angeles Lakers knocked off the Boston Celtics in overtime 110-109.

It might be just a meaningless game in February, but it helps Los Angeles erase the sour taste that has haunted them since last June’s 131-92 beatdown in Boston.

Are we looking at another Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals?

Super what?

Andrew who?

Kobe Bryant made the sports world forget about the Super Bowl or an injured Andrew Bynum with his record-setting 61-point performance at Madison Square Garden Monday night.

Bryant’s 61-points is the most scored at Madison Square Garden. The previous mark was held by Bernard King, who dropped 60 on Christmas Day in 1984.

With a bird’s eye view (shout out to Craigslist) from the rafters in the Garden, I got to watch Bryant dismantle the Knicks defense.

By the end of the game, even the Knicks fans couldn’t resist chanting “MVP!”

LeBron will have his chance to outshine #24 on Wednesday when the Cavs travel to MSG.