Pope of Basketball.

Summary

The chapter discusses the challenges faced by the Lakers during the 2007-08 season, marked by significant injuries to key players. Monta Ellis's ankle injury, which he falsely attributed to summer training, resulted from a motorized bicycle accident, sidelining him for the regular season. Starting power forward Ao Duo Mu also suffered a shoulder injury, leading to surgery and an eight-week absence. Yang Rui adjusted the lineup, giving rookie Carl Landry more playing time, who excelled in a game against the Trail Blazers. Despite injuries, including Yao Ming's season-ending knee surgery, the Lakers maintained a strong performance, finishing first in the Western Conference with a 59-23 record. Yang Rui's coaching strategies were praised, although he was controversially denied the best coach award, which went to Byron Scott. The MVP race was similarly contentious, with Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul as leading candidates. In the playoffs, the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they defeated the Spurs. However, Ellis was injured again, impacting the team's performance in the Finals, where they ultimately lost to the Celtics 2-4.

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