2003 NBA PLAYOFFS MEDIA INFORMATION contact Laura Geery, the Telecommunications Manager at PUBLIC RELATIONS STAFF STAPLES Center at (213) 742-7246. John Black Director of Public Relations Please specify whether you would like the phone line at your (310) 426-6004 - Office press seat or work space in the Chick Hearn Press Room. (310) 828-1333 - Home INTERVIEWS: Alison Bogli All interview requests should be directed to John Black. In ac- Public Relations Coordinator cordance with NBA policy, both the Lakers and visiting locker (310) 426-6002 - Office rooms will be open to members of the media for a 45-minute (310) 869-7103 - Home/cell period prior to game time and 10-15 minutes following the con- clusion of the game. Players and coaches are available for Josh Rupprecht interview at these times. Only working members of the media Public Relations Assistant with valid credentials will be admitted to the locker rooms. AB- (310) 426-6001 - Office SOLUTELY NO AUTOGRAPHS ALLOWED DURING MEDIA (310) 403-1798 - Home/cell ACCESS PERIODS. Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson will be available to speak with the media approximately 90 minutes The Lakers Public Relations Department is located at the before game time. HealthSouth Training Center at 555 N. Nash Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 PRACTICES: All team practices will be closed with the exception of the last PR Fax: (310) 426-6105/6106 30 minutes which will be open to the media. Players and staff will be available for interviews during a designated access peri- CREDENTIAL GUIDELINES od, before or after practice. All 2002-03 regular season media and photo credentials will be honored during the first three rounds of the playoffs. Additional- Please contact the Lakers public relations department to con- ly, 2002-03 NBA passes will be honored, as will single game firm start of practice times, sites and availability of players and credentials issued by the Lakers public relations department. coaches. Duration of practice is at the discretion of the head However, please note that these credentials do not guarantee a coach. seat in the working press area, which must be arranged by contacting the Lakers public relations department at least 24- PHOTOGRAPHY: hours prior to the game you wish to cover. If the game is a Limited space is available for still photographer along each Sunday game, all requests must be received by close of baseline, with exact locations to be determined on game day. business Friday. For non-season credential holders, creden- ABSOLUTELY NO TRIPODS ALLOWED. Photographers tial requests must be made in writing by the affiliation’s sports must stay in their designated areas, and are asked to be con- editor/director on company letterhead and faxed to the Lakers siderate of print media and fans directly in their viewing area. public relations department at (310) 426-6105/6106. All single game credentials should be confirmed by the Lakers public STATISTICAL SERVICES: relations department prior to arriving at STAPLES Center. Complete games statistics, including box scores, running play- by-play and quotes will be provided - with running play-by-play Please have credentials visible at all times. and stats provided after each quarter. Scores from other games will also be made available. Because of the tremendous amount of requests for playoff cre- dentials, coupled with space limitations, it is not possible to CHICK HEARN PRESS ROOM: accommodate every request. We urge all media to arrange The Chick Hearn press room is located near the primary media credentials as soon as possible. entrance adjacent to Chick Hearn Court. The stairway from the primary media entrance lead directly to the press room on the ROAD CREDENTIALS: Event Level. A pregame meal is served in the press room be- Any local media planning to cover the Lakers on the road during ginning 2/12 hours prior to game time. There will also be bever- the first three rounds of the playoffs should notify John Black or ages and snacks available in the press room during and follow- Alison Bogli of their intentions at the earliest possible date. ing the game. All press materials including game notes, media Please send pertinent information to [email protected]. guides and statistics will be available in the press room. Should Please include names of all personnel in the traveling party and you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to ask John pertinent hotel information. Media members will need to make Black, Alison Bogli, Josh Rupprecht or any member of the Lak- hotel accommodations on their own throughout the postseason. ers public relations staff. MEDIA WILL CALL: Approved credentials can be obtained at the primary media entrance adjacent to Chick Hearn Court (between Figueroa The Los Angeles Lakers 2003 Playoff Guide was and Georgia streets) beginning 2 1/2 hours before game time. written and edited by Josh Rupprecht with assistance Media parking is located in parking lot #2 at the corner of Chick from John Black, Alison Bogli, Reza Marty, Desiree Hearn Court and Georgia. Please be aware that there is a fee Torres, Jeff Barry, Jayme Jackson, Brittney Shipp and for media parking. Ryan Thompson. The Lakers public relations depart- ment would also like to thank Bob Rosen, Chris PHONE LINES: Thorne and the Elias Sports Bureau for their invalua- A limited number of telephones will be available to the media ble research and assistance in compiling this guide. throughout the playoffs, although we cannot guarantee a tele- Photography by Andrew Bernstein, Catherine Steen- phone for anyone. To reserve a telephone and line, please keste, Noah Graham and NBA Photos. 1 LOS ANGELES LAKERS STAFF DIRECTORY Owner/Governor Dr. Jerry Buss Co-Owner Philip F. Anschutz Co-Owner Edward P. Roski, Jr. Co-Owner/Vice President Earvin Johnson Executive Vice President of Marketing Frank Mariani General Counsel and Secretary Jim Perzik Executive Vice President of Business Operations Jeanie Buss Vice President of Finance Joe McCormack Senior Vice President, Business Operations Tim Harris General Manager Mitch Kupchak Assistant General Manager Ronnie Lester Assistant General Manager Jim Buss Special Consultant Bill Sharman Special Consultant Walt Hazzard Head Coach Phil Jackson Assistant Coaches Jim Cleamons, Kurt Rambis, Frank Hamblen, Tex Winter Director of Scouting/Basketball Consultant Bill Bertka Scouts Gene Tormohlen, Adam Filippi, Irving Thomas, Kevin Greevey Athletic Trainer Gary Vitti Athletic Performance Coordinator Chip Schaefer Strength and Conditioning Coach Jim Cotta Director of Video Services/Scout Chris Bodaken Equipment Manager Rudy Garciduenas Massage Therapist Dan Garcia Director of Human Resources Joan McLaughlin Executive Director of Marketing and Sales Mark Scoggins Executive Director, Multimedia Marketing Keith Harris Director of Public Relations John Black Director of Community Relations Eugenia Chow Director of Charitable Services Janie Drexel Director of Laker Girls Lisa Estrada Director of Ticket Operations Veronica Lawlor Controller Susan Matson Administrative Assistant Mary Lou Liebich Basketball Operations Assistant Tania Jolly Executive Assistant to the Head Coach Kristen Luken Executive Director, Corporate Sponsorships and Client Management Ron Rockoff Director of Corporate Sponsorships Eva Campbell Director of Corporate Sponsorships Blain Skinner Team Physicians: Orthopedist Dr. Steve Lombardo Primary Internist Dr. John Moe Consultant Dr. Michael Mellman Dentist Jeffrey P. Hoy, D.D.S. Announcers Paul Sunderland, Stu Lantz Information Systems Manager Tommy Yamada Director of Event Production Ian Levitt Public Address Announcer Lawrence Tanter Director of Camps/Assistant to the General Manager Glenn Carraro Team Photographer Andrew Bernstein 2 2002 - 2003 LOS ANGELES LAKERS PLAYOFF ROSTER NO. NAME POS HT WT DOB SCHOOL PRO 8 Kobe Bryant G 6-6 220 8/23/78 Lower Merion HS ‘96 6 2 Derek Fisher G 6-1 205 8/9/74 Arkansas Little Rock ‘96 6 17 Rick Fox F 6-7 235 7/24/69 North Carolina ‘91 11 3 Devean George G/F 6-8 240 8/29/77 Augsburg (MN) ‘99 3 5 Robert Horry F 6-10 240 8/25/70 Alabama ‘92 10 35 Mark Madsen F 6-9 245 1/28/76 Stanford ‘00 2 14 Slava Medvedenko F/C 6-10 250 4/4/79 BC Kiev 2 34 Shaquille O’Neal C 7-1 338 3/6/72 Louisiana State ‘92 10 12 Jannero Pargo G 6-1 175 9/22/79 Arkansas ‘02 R 21 Kareem Rush G 6-6 215 10/30/80 Missouri ‘03 R 20 Brian Shaw G/F 6-6 205 3/22/66 UCSB ‘88 13 52 Samaki Walker F 6-9 255 2/25/76 Louisville ‘98 6 Los AngelesHEAD COACH Phil Jackson (North Dakota ‘67) ASSISTANT COACHES Primar y Busi ness Address Your A ddress Li ne 2 Your A ddress Li ne 3 Jim Cleamons (Ohio St. ‘71), Frank Hamblen (Syracuse ‘69),Your A ddress Li ne 4 Kurt Rambis (Santa Clara ‘80), Tex Winter (USC ‘47) Lakers ATHLETIC TRAINER Gary Vitti (Southern Connecticut State ‘76, Utah ‘82) NUMERICAL ROSTER 2 Derek Fisher 12 Jannero Pargo 21 Kareem Rush 3 Devean George 14 Slava Medvedenko 34 Shaquille O’Neal 5 Robert Horry 17 Rick Fox 35 Mark Madsen 8 Kobe Bryant 20 Brian Shaw 52 Samaki Walker Phone: 555-555-5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 Email: xyz@ micr os oft .com 3 MITCH KUPCHAK GENERAL MANAGER If the sports maxim that a player’s true greatness is judged by the number of championships won can also be ap- plied to members of team management, Mitch Kupchak’s tenure as the General Manager and head of the Lakers basketball operations looks to be off to a remarkable start. Kupchak has filled in admirably as the successor to Jerry West, as the Lakers have been crowned NBA Champions in each of the first two years of his stewardship.