Lakers and Rockettes: Kickin' it
Four Los Angeles Lakers took time out from basketball Tuesday to learn a few new moves.
They quickly realized that Coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense is a piece of cake compared with the Radio City Rockettes' chorus line.
"Can we make it a little more manly?" forward Brian Cook suggested when Rockette Krista Harvey asked him and teammates Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic and Javaris Crittenton to bend their wrists and knees, point their toes in front of them, and pose.
Four Rockettes in red Santa-like Christmas outfits visited the Los Angeles Lakers' training facility in El Segundo to teach the Los Angeles Lakers to high-kick and, in turn, pick up a few tips about shooting a basketball from the athletes.
Oh, and by the way, the Rockettes' Christmas production is set to open in December in Orange County. And the Los Angeles Lakers needed a little fun before reporters focus on Kobe Bryant's mood when training camp opens next week.
"They are trying to teach us how to dance," Cook said. "The other three are doing pretty well. That's not my forte."
Actually, for five minutes of lessons, the Los Angeles Lakers weren't half bad. They really weren't half-good either, but they had a fun time.
After all, they were goofing around with four young women with legs the likes of which you won't find, well, anywhere outside of Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
"Slow down," Javaris Crittenton said as Harvey explained the leg kicks.
"Make sure we're all on the same page," Radmanovich suggested to his teammates as they readied to perform their chorus line.
Javaris Crittenton, the newest Los Angeles Lakers point guard, said dancing with the Rockettes was something he didn't bargain for when the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him out of Georgia Tech in June.
"I was caught off-guard," Javaris Crittenton said. "That was fun."
Vujacic, who smiled more than anyone as Rockette Autumn Withers gave him his own private kicking lesson, said learning the dance steps wasn't easy.
"We looked like idiots," he said.
The Los Angeles Lakers showed the dancers a few tips about shooting free throws and dribbling the basketball.
Alyssa Epstein, a Rockette since 2005, graduated from the University of Illinois, the same school as Cook. She watched him play in college and was thrilled to meet him.
"To see him play in the NBA and to shoot a basketball with him was pretty cool," Epstein said.
Harvey, a Riverside resident and Rockette since 2001, said she was excited to meet the Los Angeles Lakers.
"My husband is so jealous," she said.
The Los Angeles Lakers presented the Rockettes with T-shirts and caps. The Rockettes gave each Los Angeles Lakers a Rockette Barbie doll and Christmas ornament.
"I had a blast," Cook said.
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular runs Dec. 13 to 30 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. The Los Angeles Lakers' season begins Monday with training camp in Hawaii.
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