But that was then, and this is now and that means (from what little we’ve seen so far) a new and improved Lakers. Kobe got a gold medal, Bynum and Ariza are both looking healthy in training camp, Chris Mihm is back, and Phil Jackson shaved the goatee. Does this mean the dream rematch against Boston next year in the finals? Seeing as the season hasn’t even started yet, it’s probably a little early to tell. But a guy can dream, right?

Shepard Fairey’s latest. You can also see a giant version on the side of the Henry Fonda theater in Hollywood. Too bad I’ll never be able to afford one of the prints. Or more accurately want to buy one, at over 500 a pop. That’s why I took matters into my own hands and… just redrew it in Illustrator. Sketchy, yeah I know. But hey, Fairey can’t get too mad at me; seeing as his career solely exists from his “referencing” of other people’s work. Slightly larger version here.