Tuesday, March 10, 2009

You always have to be ready, no matter what the circumstances

Lakers beat writer Jeff Eisenberg posts about a radio interview he heard with Jordan Farmar in which Farmar told a story about "scarfing down a burger at halftime" of a mid-season game against Seattle in his rookie season.

Besides being hungry, Farmar figured that because "he hadn't played in weeks" it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Coach Phil Jackson caught him eating the burger and used that moment as a teaching tool, not only fining him but also inserting him into the game in the second half to show the dangers of expecting not to play.

"He put me in and said, 'I hope you throw up," Farmar said. "It was just to show that you have to always be ready. No matter what the situation, no matter what the circumstances."