FIRST ROUND FUN FACTS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

(1) On Linas Kleiza's MySpace page , his top friend is Carmelo Anthony. That's sweet.

(2) D.J. Mbenga's life is pretty much an excellent screenplay waiting to be written .

(3) Eduardo Najera used to be a prominent official with the Chihuahua Cactus Farming Association; cactus farming is the third largest source of revenue for his hometown of Chihuahua, Mexico.

(4) Three-time Three Point Contest champ Craig Hodges is an assistant on the Lakers (makes sense, because of the whole Phil Jackson angle). Hodges is super politicized: when the Bulls visited the White House after the 1992 NBA title, he wore a dashiki and delivered a hand-written letter to President Bush expressing his disdain for the administration's treatment of minorities. He also threw Michael Jordan under the bus (not a good idea) for not using his fame to enter the political arena, saying he "bailed out."

(5) When they were teammates on the Nets, Tim Thomas once made fun of Kenyon Martin for his eye twitching and speech impediment. Classy.

(6) In the video game NBA Ballers, there's an unlockable video called "How To Stop the Lakers" in reference to their dominance in the early part of this decade. Unlockable, eh? We know some people who can figure it out.

(7) Last year during the Nuggets' first-round loss to the Spurs, George Karl said in reference to a late-game three taken by J.R. Smith: "I have no idea what planet that came from." Later in the same press conference, he noted that the shot — designed for Iverson — "insulted the dignity of the game right in front of me." Talk about doghouse.

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