LAKERS vs THUNDER GM. 5 (recap)

At some point between Saturday night and Monday evening each player of the Los Angeles Lakers received a phone call. The transcripts of those phone calls were not recorded but it is safe to say they all went something like this: Player: Hello? Caller: Hello, can I please speak to Mr. Gasol? Player: This is him. Caller: Hi, Mr. Gasol this is your wake-up call, its time to get to work.

The Lakers showed everyone why we are the NBA Champions. Laker land was in despair yesterday before tip off and half way through the first quarter all of those feelings were gone. Oh what a difference six minutes can make.

Game 5 was a great display of Laker basketball, the extra passing, the help defense, and the power down low. Everyone did their part to achieve this victory, even if that meant switching a few things around. Kobe did a great job with his new assignment of guarding Russell Westbrook keeping him to 15 points. Even though Kobe himself only had 13 points he did have 7 assists and 3 rebounds which added to the win very quietly.

The main difference was the involvement of our BIG men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Combining for 46 points and 22 rebounds they have given the Oklahoma coaching staff something to think about and maybe a few more hours of work trying to come up with a new game plan as to how they are going to stop them in game six. Lets not forget Ron Artest pitching in his 14 points 5 assists and 2 rebounds plus his best haircut of the season, in my opinion.

Oklahoma will make a big push in game 6 with their home crowd behind them, but with the Lakers playing as intense as they are I think this is going to be a very close game. I can not wait.

13 more wins until another Laker Championship…

-BigLakerMike

GET A FREE “ONLY KINGS HAVE RINGS” TEE

We know you want a FREE shirt! Stay tuned through-out the day via our Facebook and Twitter pages. Follow the hints and clues and you may find yourself the owner of a brand spanking new “ONLY KINGS HAVE RINGS” tee compliments of TheForestLab#!

HINT: The whole TFL#! crew will be at Staples Center tomorrow night for the game. I’m just sayin’!

LAKERS vs THUNDER GM. 4 (recap)

BigLakerMike lends us some advice on what the Lakers need to do to win game 4 and how to show the Thunder who’s boss. “After watching game four of the Lakers/Thunder series I was so upset I just wanted to re-post the review from game three and leave it at that.  The same problems carried over to game four.  No Odom, no Artest, no calls, no WIN, its as simple as that.

It is easy for the Laker fans to see the world as Chicken Little and think that when we are put in a position like this that the sky is falling.  Shortly after the horrible loss I received a text message from a good friend that supports another team.  The text message said, “Don’t the Thunder realize that all they are doing is pissing Kobe off.”

It is not uncommon for the Lakers to play in cities like Oklahoma City where the fans are incredible and noise from the crowd can literally alter the momentum of the game.  We have seen this before in places like Sacramento, Phoenix, Utah, etc. It is for this reason that we worked so hard through out the year to obtain home court advantage.  It is important that we NOW implement the style of basketball we know can beat the Thunder.

The main thing that stands out in my mind that can put us back in the driver seat is our free throws, getting to the line and making them. Oklahoma is drastically getting more free throws then us but they also are making them.  They made 42-48 free throws in game four.  With the Thunder shooting 85% from the line and the Lakers shooting 69% this needs to change.

The energy of being at home needs to be shown on the court as well.  In games three and four we have not come close to matching the energy level of the Thunder.  Why haven’t we gotten excited about dunks, big shots, or great passes.  We have certainly had them, we need to show this young Thunder team why home court in a series is so important.

Welcome home Lakers now lets go to work. 14 more wins until another Laker Championship…”

HERE’S RONNIE

Artist Matt Cory is at it again. In his most recent time-lapse video we see Matt remix Jack Nicholson’s character from the horror classic “The Shining” by replacing Jack with NBA terrorist Ron Artest. Since 1999 Ronald has been recking havoc on the NBA and it’s fans (too soon?) with his explosive personality and defensive swagger.

Here’s the good news – “Here’s Ronnie” is on sale NOW! You can find it right here on TheForestLab.com or in person at fine retail stores such as Tradition (Westlake Village or Ventura) or LAX2JFK (South Bay).

THE GAME – SLANGIN’ GAME (PROD. SCOOPDEVILLE)

We had Scoop come through [Tradition] the other day, and here’s the new Game track with him on the production. The beat is dope. Be sure to come check him at our party, May 8th. Click here to download.

originally posted on ShopTradition.com

LAKERS vs THUNDER GM. 3 (recap)

“With the Lakers dropping game three to the Thunder 96-101 it is important that we do not panic. There are a few things that we need to keep in mind when looking at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The first is that these guys are not a scrub team that somehow landed in the eighth seed in the West. The Thunder are a 50 win team, and had they been in the Eastern Conference they would possibly have landed in the 3rd seed! Only seven games separated them from us, where as twenty games separated the 1st and 8th seed in the East. I think it is a lot more concerning for the Cavaliers loosing to a team that is twenty games behind them, they have a much longer trip with the quality of basketball drastically getting better from series to series in the East. In the West however we have a gradual change that will require us to play with a bit more intensity each round.

The Thunder also have Kevin Durant the NBA scoring Champion averaging an amazing 30.1 points per game. With the Thunder’s first home game we saw exactly what we expected, a fired up crowd excited for their first home game. The crowd was hitting levels of sound few arenas will ever reach. I saw that crowd and could not stop thinking that it was so good for the NBA to have an organization in a city with such enthusiasm and love for their team. But as we know all good things must come to an end.

The road for a victorious Thunder series has to come through L.A. and we have not seen a few things that are inevitable for the Lakers to see. The first is Kobe’s typical foul line game, he has not spent as much time as he normally does at the line. The refs so far have not been calling the fouls he normally gets, this will change. Lamar Odom has not had a stellar game either, he is bound to go crazy in a game and as long as we play our usual basketball adding Odom will all but seal another victory. Artest is playing excellent he is doing all that we can expect of him going up against a scoring champion. I would rather him play against a scoring champion first and maintain that level of defense against up coming teams then have to increase his defensive intensity for a later series.

This was a very close game and with Phil Jackson making the alterations and changes that exposed us last game we have an excellent shot at stealing a win in Oklahoma. Saturday night we go to battle again so put on your lucky shirt, sit in your favorite seat, and lets get ready for war.

Also, if you do not have a lucky shirt might I recommend “Only Kings Have Rings”.

Still 14 more wins until another Laker Championship…”

-BigLakerMike

LAKERS vs THUNDER GM. 2 (recap)

Again we turn to BigLakerMike for a brief re-cap of the Lakers’ slim victory over the OKC Thunder in game 2 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

“If you get to the Staples Center an hour before the game you will get to see players from both teams shooting around getting ready for the battle that is about to ensue. Fans show up to see Odom, Gasol, Farmar, and others, but their main goal is to see Mr. Bryant go through his wram-ups. The only problem is Kobe isn’t shooting, he is on his way back into the locker room to get taped up and stretched because he has already been shooting for two to three hours.

Before the game Tuesday night however Kobe took NO pregame shots.  This is an chance not to many players are willing to make, however for Kobe Bryant it really does not matter.  Kobe finished the game with 39 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter when it really mattered.  Gasol pitched in with 25 and there were no other Laker players that broke double digits.  The Thunder how ever had four players that were in double digits showing the Lakers that there maybe something to worry about come Thursday night when they will be at home.

The officiating in this game seemed to be all over the place.  It seemed as though the refs were constantly playing catch up. That however did not excuse the lack of energy of the Lakers.  Sports writer Ric Bucher said it best last night when he described the Lakers as playing Prius basketball: Playing with just enough energy to get the job done.  I think that the most important part of this team that we are not seeing is Ron Artests offense.  He is playing amazing defense and if he can add a consistent jump shot we are going to be next to impossible to beat.  All in all both teams shot better then in game one and now it is important for the Lakers to put the choke hold on the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

14 more wins until another Laker championship…”

-BigLakerMike

WORLD OF COLOR DEBUTS JUNE 11th

Lights, water, fire, music and animation will come together like never before on June 11 when “World of Color” makes its dazzling debut at Disney’s California Adventure park. You will get to experience some of your favorite Disney stories – from the charming to the adventurous – in a magical, new way.

Enjoy the video and a special introduction from the man behind the magic, Steve Davison from Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment.

Read more here.

LAKERS vs THUNDER GM. 1 (recap)

By now you’ve noticed were huge Lakers Fans. As such, we keep common company. Our good friend BigLakerMike has stepped up to give us and you his take on Game 1 of the Lakers/Thunder series.

“On Sunday the 18th the Los Angeles Lakers took a page from Lincoln Hawk’s book in Over the Top and turned their hats around. Most people in the sports world wondered if the Lakers had the ability to “flip the switch” when it came time to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the playoffs.

It seems as though Kobe Bryant and the rest of the team sent two messages in their 87-79 win Sunday, the first was to the Thunder letting them know they appreciate the “warm up” games they will be providing to help them prepare for the second round. The second lesson was to us, the fans, telling us that there is nothing to worry about, right now.

The Thunder have a few things going for them as they enter their first playoff series. Their speed, energy, and their forward Kevin Durant. With these three things they can make this series entertaining and fun for Oklahoma fans. For Laker fans however it gives us the chance to remind ourselves why we obtained Ron Artest. With this being his chance to prove to us that it is the playoffs that provide the stage for him to display the defensive expertise that will give us the best chance at defending our championship. He did this perfectly, even though Durant did have 24 points he went 7 for 24 from the field. Artest prevented Durant from getting into a groove and showing why he won the scoring title.

Andrew Bynum played very well for being out for the previous 13 games. When Bynum, Gasol, and Odom play together on the floor it makes it very difficult for guards to drive to the basket. Combine this with the already mentioned work of Ron Artest and the Thunder stand little chance of winning this series. I did not even mention the fact that after the Thunder face all of these obstacles they then have Kobe Bryant to deal with. Both teams shot poorly so expect closer games but also expect the same outcome.

It is not fair to say that the Thunder have no chance to advance in the playoffs but with Phil Jackson winning the first game in playoff series he is 44-0. I’m sorry Oklahoma but those are not good odds. So please let me give you guys a few things you may want to check out here in Los Angeles before your short stay is over: Disneyland, Pinks Hotdogs, the Hollywood sign, the Getty museum, or you can catch a taping of American Idol.
Game two is on Tuesday at 7:30…”

-BigLakerMike

NEXT GEN APPLE IPHONE

Today the blogs are on fire with news that a prototype  of Apple’s next-gen iPhone complete with forward-facing camera for video conferencing was found in a bar in Redwood City. The good people over at Gizmodo have said iPhone in their possession and have done all the geeky work for us by running down all the good stuff about the new hardware and why they think it’s real. Below is a video of the supposed new iPhone looking very iPad inspired.

Hit this link if you want more hot iPhone porn in the form of  more pictures and videos.

HOP ON PROPS

We wanted to take a moment to show some respect to the shops and individuals who we’ve become friends with recently.

TRADITION in Westlake Village & Ventura picked up our “Only Kings Have Rings” shirt. If you’re in the area and wanna see it in person ask for Jason and tell him Batman sent you.

KILOS AND GRAMS gave us a shout-out on their blog and we thought that was tight. We think you should check it out.

Chuy and Nacho from LAX2JFK are making things happen. If you were smart you’d keep them on your radar and check in with them often.

Finally, the good people over at VAPORS MAGAZINE help spread the word about “Only Kings Have Rings“. Ironically, they have info about a lot of other great stuff.

TFL#! STREET TEAM

The corner of Figueroa St. and Chick Hern Ct. has been in an uproar of excitement and anticipation recently. For the last three Lakers games at Staples Center The Forest Lab Street Team has been doin’ their thing. They’ve handed out over 4,000 flyers promoting TFL#!’s new “Only Kings Have Rings” tee drawn by artist Matt Cory.

While on the streets of downtown Los Angeles the Street Team found Lakers (and even some Clippers’) fans eager to share in the excitement of the Lakers play-off berth and witnessing that, indeed, Kobe is King. We’ve also meet some great supporters recently that share our enthusiasm for the Lakers and Kobe. We’ll talk more about them tomorrow. For now, we’d like to thank the thousands of Lakers fans who have helped make our street time outside Staples Center enjoyable, exciting and memorable. Also, a big shout-out to everyone on the Street Team (WRD, Kimmy Ann, Joshy, Ashley D, Joe, Sara, Will-Yum, Garrett & Josh) for the help!

ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE GO…
We’ve extended this special edition t-shirt’s pre-sale price of only $25.00 until Friday night. So, if you haven’t gotten one already you better get it while the gettin’s good! On Saturday you’ll have to pay full price of $29.99 + shipping.

Only Kings Have Rings – Pt. 2

This time-lapse video shows how artist Matt Cory brought Kobe Bryant to life for The Forest Lab. The original concept for  ”Only Kings Have Rings” was a design collaboration between Matt Cory and TFL#! owner, Garrett Campbell. The idea called for a graphite pencil drawing of Kobe wearing a crown similar to the famous crowned Biggie Smalls picture. But, Matt felt that using Lakers colors in a cross sketch/hand drawn style would be more effective. As you can see, Matt was right. The final drawing makes a provocative and unmistakable statement about Kobe’s elite status as the rightful King of the NBA.

Drawn with color pencils, the final product took about 6 hours to complete. You can see a full detail of the back and the front of the shirt at mattcory.wordpress.com.

“Only Kings Have Rings” is available to buy NOW during an exclusive pre-order only through TheForestLab.com. All pre-orders will be shipped by April 15th – just in time for NBA play-offs that begin April 18th.

Get ‘em while they’re hot.

ONLY KINGS HAVE RINGS – Pt. 1

On any given night you can dial up your local sports news pundit (on T.V., radio, or the interwebs) and get the latest about the ongoing and seemingly endless debate about who the best player in the NBA is. The opinions you’ll find will vary quite a bit. Recently, some jock turned analyst wrote that Kevin Durant has entered the conversation of the NBA’s creme-de-la-creme. Durant might be good… but is he the best? Then there is the guy reverently referred to as the “King”. Sometimes Im appalled at how quickly grown men will lose their panties when talking about LeBron’s God-like powers on the court.

From our point of view, however, the picture is very clear. If you want to be the best at something you’ve got to give me a measurement by which I can account your estate. In other words – show me the guys whose nightly performance elevates them above most and then let me count how many rings they wear on their fingers. The guy with the most wins!

Right now, that guy is Kobe Bean Bryant.

A member of the fabled Los Angeles Lakers (the greatest sports franchise in the history of sports, period.), #24 has proven time and time again that HE is the man who can get the job done. Sure, he looks pretty doing what he does on the court but when the basketball stop bouncing there are few who can hold their finger high in the air and declare themselves number one – even if that finger is broken and bandaged!

We are here today to tell you that Kobe Bryant rules and reigns over the NBA because “Only Kings Have Rings“.

Kobe Slide