Letters to Sports: Two sides to Lakers crying foul after Game 2

Bob Goldstone

Corona del Mar

You cannot tell me that the defensive “mauling” allowed by NBA officials during the playoffs would be tolerated during the regular season. It almost looks like the NBA upper brass — Adam Silver and his cohorts/consultants — have directly or indirectly “suggested” that referees simply “let ‘em play.”

This inconsistency and change of “style“ by the officials has either confused or frustrated many offensive players as well as some fans. To me, a foul is a foul, period! Considerations like superstar or rookie, home team or visitors, the fourth quarter versus the first, closing minutes or seconds of a game, regular season versus the playoffs should not matter.

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

I'm watching Lakers-Thunder Game 2 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is running into people and getting the Michael Jordan treatment. Everything is a foul against the Lakers. On the another hand, LeBron James is getting the stuffing beat out of him and no calls. Coach JJ Redick needs to bring this bias up with the media and put the spotlight on the refs. That’s what Phil Jackson and Pat Riley would do. Lakers fans can start a go-fund-me page for the fine.

Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills

It ain't over yet

So is now a good time for Times columnist Bill Plaschke to jump off the Lakers bandwagon and go back to his column from April 9th and say the Lakers should shut it down against the Thunder? Of course that proclamation was made before the Lakers won their final three games of the regular season to clinch the fourth seed in the playoffs and then proceeded to overwhelm the favored Rockets in the first round. Remember, the series Plaschke called over after just two games?

Danny Balber Jr.
Pasadena

LeBron spells GOAT

LeBron James' performance against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs should put to rest the discussion of whether LeBron or Michael Jordan is the NBA's GOAT. The number of championship rings a player obtains is dependent on teammates and coaching systems. Based on both individual play and contributions to his teams, LeBron's entire body of work is unmatched and LeBron's play at age 41 is still magnificent.

Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen

Cut Trout loose

Mike Trout is having a renaissance season so far with the Angels. He is back to playing center field and is hitting home runs like the Trout of old. He has avoided injuries which have plagued him for several years. Now is the time for the Angels to give Trout a real shot at a postseason by trading him. The Angels are once again in last place and going nowhere. Trout will turn 35 soon and he deserves to go to a contender and play meaningful baseball in September and October. Free Trout!

Dave Ring
Manhattan Beach

Reign of pain

Since 2017, the L.A. Kings have employed a dizzying array of players, coaches, general managers and front office executives. Despite all that personnel turnover, in that time they have amazingly failed to win even a single playoff series much less be a consistent regular-season threat. The one constant who is responsible for all the hockey decisions and has overseen this astounding lack of success over the previous nine years is team president Luc Robitaille.

Why does absentee ownership group AEG continue to allow him to remain in charge, annually selling hope instead of actually providing results? Could it be that the Kings' steadily increasing valuation, most recently pegged at $3.5 billion (2nd highest among all U.S. teams), is really all that motivates AEG as opposed to accountability and on-ice success?

Andre Miller
El Segundo

Will fit right in

Detroit Tigers free agent ace Tarik Skubal will miss time on the IL after elbow surgery, which means he’ll fit right into the Dodgers’ rotation next season.

Steve Ross
Carmel

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