<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>First of all, let's set the ground work for how this all came about. This trip is a tribute to the cliché that you don't know unless you ask or in more sporting terms, you can't score if you don't shoot or as some might say, if you see the hot girl in the bar, you can either talk to her or walk away. We are sitting on this plane because we (the Lakers.com we) decided to go ahead and ask. What the surprise was, was that we got the green light and even some "good idea's". I suppose we have the other teams that have gone down the path of the all access road trip before to thank. So now we are going on the famed Texas two-step, a rite for many NBA teams. This time we have drawn San Antonio and Dallas, both only slightly behind the Lakers in the Western Conference and both looking more vulnerable than in past seasons. If not for Andrew Bynum's injury, we might be on the high-flyingest ride in the whole league (current 20000 foot altitude aside), but as it stands, the team played well against Denver and now they get another litmus test. Our goal on the road trip is going to be to show what life is like on the road, talk to the people that make it happen (let's just say it isn't magic that gets those uniforms hanging in the lockers) and have some fun too. Let's face it, we have lucked into an experience that few get undertake, and since we are just doing it once and for 4 days, going from plane to hotel to arena to plane will feel more like a giddy thrill than the worst part of the job. The first stop is naturally planning for departure. Our plan is to arrive early, scope out the situation and then capture the arrivals. And then jump on the plane before someone realizes that leaving now can ditch the newbies. As is likely with every team, the Lakers leave from a special charter terminal. It's LA, so it's all outside, but you get to park right there, you get ample wand time instead of the normal security "doorway" and no one reminds you every 5 seconds about leaving your liquids in a clear 1 quart bag. There's still security hoops to jump through, but personal service has its perks. The plane is a full size plane, think Los Angeles to Las Vegas or Phoenix size, not 747 size, and we get the rear staircase. It occurs to me that I haven't ever had the pleasure of the full size plane staircase, plenty of puddle jumpers, but not a full size plane. The cabin is divided into thirds, players at the front, coaches in the middle and then broadcast media and staff in the back. The players' section has the normal pairs of seats, but that's end the similarities to what most of us have experienced, even to normal first class comfort. I think I could lay down between seats and since I am more than 31 inches tall, that means there is a lot more leg room than you'd normally see. Of course, the plane has to accommodate sleeping 7 footers, so not much of a surprise. There is also a table in the player section so they can just chill with each other for day flights like this. I would imagine that the flight home on Friday will be an "everyone in their seat conked out" affair. As it is, the players practiced this morning after last night's game, so they might be a bit tired already. The rest of us get to turn off the TV once the game ends, but the players have to shower, address the media, take care of injuries and then they get to bed. The next morning doesn't come much later either. The coaches get more seats facing each other. That makes sense, they'll be using the time to prepare for the next game. I've already seen one call for some footage. The media/staff cabin is just like first class. It seems mundane after the other cabins, but since I've never had the pleasure of flying first class, it still seems pretty cool. I can see why those with means fall for its seduction, even for just the hour long flights. And oh yes, the pillows, not the mutant half pillow, but 80% size. Like we're humans. Media in this case is just broadcast media. Print media finds their own way, but the TV and radio folks get to share in the creature comforts. Each cabin has its pecking order, some hierarchy, but as much as anything, it's like any situation where people have a regular pattern, think choosing desks in a class room or your parking spot at work. And of course, there's some differences based on pure utility, some people just need a specific seat to do their job. After scoping out the plane, we are joined by the early arrivers, in this case Joel Meyers. My only thought from Joel's conversation is that he's quite the gourmand. He's just running through food options in LA and he gets a twinkle in his eye when he talks about the options in Dallas and San Antonio. You can understand that a good restaurant can change the quality of the trip. Given that Joel's last gig was with San Antonio, he is uncommonly knowledgeable about the territory we'll be entering. As the players arrive at the plane they drop off their bags and trudge on. Some have carry-ons, others just some comfy clothes. Players aren't required to dress up (since normally no media is present or at least no actively reporting media), but Sasha is still rocking the leather jacket. Of course, he's a man who knows how to deal with a cold grey day. And he'll thank himself when he reaches San Antonio. The flight is uneventful, in the end it's a plane trip, but there is quality food (you get to choose main course and side dish, oh sweet freedom), lots of DVD players and computers and milk and cookies and warm towels toward the end. If there is such thing as an easy way to fly, we're getting awfully close. As the buses arrive at the hotel, some media have already gathered and a few fans. Predictably, the throng turns as Kobe walks by, no one else gets much attention. Some of the players and staff will go out, the regulars have been going to San Antonio twice a year for a while, so they have their favored haunts, others will just chill out and wait for game tomorrow.</div> http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/ontheroad_080122.html Click the link to see a video of the Lakers getting ready to take off. I wish they could've made the video longer though, I would love to see the guys interacting during the flight. lol Btw, what happened to Lakers.com? That place used to be crap, but now they've updated it and actually resembles a good site!
Bump You guys should really check out Lakers.com. They have a bunch of cool articles and stuff about what goes on behind the scenes. They also have videos of the players behind the scenes too. It's pretty cool
