Parada Resolves to Make the Team

OC Register

EL SEGUNDO ? Adam Parada's agent sent him a contract for the NBA Developmental League, asking him to sign on for another year. Just in case this stint with the Lakers doesn't pan out.

Parada still has the contract - unsigned - sitting at home.

"My agent told me to sign it and send it back to him," Parada said after Sunday's 21/2-hour practice. "I said no, I'm not signing it, I'm not leaving this team."

Whether the former UC Irvine center stays or goes will be up to Coach Phil Jackson and management. But Parada, who previously played with Huntsville of the D-League, has resolved to earn a spot on the Lakers - although his chances appear slim.

The Lakers have Chris Mihm and rookie Andrew Bynum. Newcomer Kwame Brown and veteran Slava Medvedenko are two other post players who are expected to help out significantly.

Last season, Parada was on the Sacramento Kings preseason roster until the final week before being cut. "This is a different situation for me here because I'm the only center here that's unsigned," Parada said. "Whereas last year, there were two or three other centers I was competing against. Here there (is) no other center I'm competing against who doesn't have a contract. Everyone else is signed."

Parada, who scored five points (all on free throws), handed out five assists and grabbed five rebounds in the Lakers' second exhibition game, said he has received positive reinforcement from assistant coach Kurt Rambis and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is working with the Lakers as a special assistant.

"Kurt told me that I hadn't done anything that would have hurt myself," Parada said. "But you never know."

Parada, who scored 1,320 points during his four years at UCI, said the hardest part about playing at this level is the unknown.

"It's not knowing if you're going to be here tomorrow or in China, be in the NBA or the D-league (developmental league)," he said.

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