April 29, 2010

By BRAD PYE JR.

Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond.

Attention critics: Leave Kobe Bryant alone.

Just let him play and the Lakers will again be NBA championship-bound. The only man standing in Bryant’s way is LeBron James.

But the Lakers have to emerge victorious from the Western Conference playoffs before they meet James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers trounced the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-87, April 27 at Staples Center to take a 3-2 series lead, and that may stifle Bryant’s critics. Next, the Lakers head back to Oklahoma April 30, where they could finish off the Thunder with a Game 6 win.

Compton’s Craig Calloway was likely the happiest man at Staples Center April 20 — and not because Bryant scored 39 points to lead the Lakers to a 95-92 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reason: The 29-year-old made a half-court basket that netted him $235,000 of those pretty little green ones.

Is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook the next great NBA point guard? Given the way the former Leuzinger High School and UCLA star has played against the defending world-champion Lakers, the answer is yes. He can score, and his speed and skills have kept the Lakers scratching their heads. Westbrook, who reportedly grew up in South L.A., is something special.

Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic may not win the NBA championship, but he recently became the first player in league history to be honored as Defensive Player of the Year twice, and for two consecutive seasons. His average of 13.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots this season earned him 576 points in votes from writers and broadcasters. 

And the beat continues…

Two of some of the most celebrated high school athletes in the Southland are currently Price High’s much-honored basketball player Allen Crabbe and Serra High’s baseballer Dominic Smith.

Crabbe and Smith are both future superstars.

Crabbe has been named Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports. Earlier, Crabbe was named Gatorade State Player of the Year.

Smith, a 6-foot 180-pound freshman, had a .611 batting average for the 2009-10 spring season.

And the beat continues…

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, has been suspended for six games. And, the Steelers are loaded with black quarterbacks. They have Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch.

There has been a lot of moving going on in the NFL draft, including the Miami Dolphins sending Jason Taylor to the New York Jets.

And the beat continues…

Hopefully Manny Ramirez will be more productive after his 15 days on the disabled list than he was after that 50-game suspension last season. Ramirez was recently placed on a 15-day disabled list to recover from his strained right calf.

And the beat continues…

Floyd Mayweather Jr., who battles world welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley May 1 in Las Vegas, says he’s better than Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. The 33-year-old Mayweather is 40-0, with 25 knockouts. The 38-year-old Mosley is 46-5, with 39 KOs. Mayweather is the favorite on most predictors’ lips.

And the beat continues…

University of California, Los Angeles gymnast Brittani McCullough qualified in the floor exercise in the individual competition in the NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Fla., on April 24. She won the floor title with a score of 9.9375. 

Don’t invite former University of Southern California coach Pete Carroll and his ex-player Taylor Mays to dinner any time soon. Reason? Carroll advised Mays to remain at USC for his senior season. Mays did. The first safety Carroll selected was Texas’ Earl Thomas — not Mays, one of his own.

And the beat ends.

Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .