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Stuck in the midst of watching him attempt to lead his Los Angeles Lakers to their third straight NBA title, it's easy to forget that Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut on Nov. 3, 1996. His first game as a pro came two days before the presidential election that resulted in Bill Clinton earning a second term in the White House, and though Bryant had just turned 18  2 1/2 months before he suited up against the Minnesota Timberwolves that night, he's really packed on the minutes since then.

He has 39,724 career minutes, as of this writing. Alongside 7,811 career playoff minutes, as well. And that pairs up with untold hours in the gym during what, to the typical NBA player, is downtime. No player of Bryant's generation (and, if we're kind, the generation that came after him) has worked harder.

So it makes sense that Kobe might be dealing with all manner of untold wear and tear injuries. And though we've known about his dodgy right knee for quite a while, the extent of his frustration isn't as

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: NBA.com. Houston's Hasheem Thabeet(notes) is heading to the D-League.
PF:RaptorBlog. Several Raptors did terrible things to rookie Ed Davis'(notes) car.
SF: FOXSportsWest.com. Phil Jackson's counterculture roots.
SG: Twitter. Dirk Nowitzki(notes) busts out the Epiphone and jams with Rhett Miller.
PG: NBA Playbook. Watch the Thunder expertly defend a pick and roll.
6th: Canis Hoopus. Timberwolves fans have had enough.
7th: Magic Basketball. Dwight Howard(notes) is a charitable man.
8th: NBA.com. David Aldridge's big NBA draft board.
9th: HoopsHype. Shane Battier(notes) on NBA management.
10th: SLAM. Elton Brand(notes) hasn't actually seen the Fab 5 documentary.

Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at KD_BDL_ED (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.

KLLeBron James was named the NBA's Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference. Makes sense, because the Heat forward averaged 29 points along with 9.5 combined assists and rebounds as the Heat worked their way to a 3-1 record.

Out West, it's a bit more of a surprise. Houston's Kyle Lowry took the honors, after leading the Rockets to a sweep through their four games, finishing the run with a triple-double against the Jazz over the weekend.

Lowry's ascension to one of the better point guards in the NBA has been a quiet one, but he's clearly fulfilling all the promise some saw in him during his injury-abbreviated rookie season in Memphis. The powerful guard got off to a slow start this season while working his way into shape, but he's averaging 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds (while making half his shots, and working up a stellar 46 percent mark from long range) during the month of March.

And though we never left the Houston Rockets for dead in the team's climb toward securing

CA

The New York Knicks take Boston on Monday night, and though the Celtics have had their fair share of injury and ennui-related troubles recently, New York will be the clear underdog. And should things go according to script, the Knicks will then finish Monday with a 7-9 record since the trade that landed the team Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. And though we should expect some orthodoxy on Monday night, that sort of record goes way, way against script.

And despite coach Mike D'Antoni's insistence on some of the more dour Knicks fans needing to "take some Prozac or something," and regardless of whether or not Carmelo Anthony thinks it will take until 2011-12 (if there is a 2011-12 season) for the team to be at full strength, the Knicks have to figure out a way to right this ship. Right now.

That's a result of the problems you create when you go "right now" instead of "whenever it's best." The Knicks did well to acquire a star scorer in Carmelo Anthony while retaining a sound point

Staples

An armed intruder stormed onto the Staples Center court just over an hour before Saturday's matinee matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Though authorities don't know what the man's intentions or motivations were, he was brandishing a knife, and was eventually brought down after a hail of rubber bullet fire from security guards and police officers after a 20-minute standoff and led into custody. No fans, authorities, or members of either organization were hurt or seriously threatened.

Police say the man did not have a ticket to the game, but rather used the threat of his knife to make his way through the employee entrance and into the stadium. The intruder ran onto the court, where Cleveland Cavaliers rookie forward Christian Eyenga was out practicing shooting drills before the road contest. The Congolese native quickly ran back into the locker room, which pleased bemused Cavs coach Byron Scott.

From the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:

"Smart man,'' Scott said of

MJPip

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: NBA.com. On April 7, the Chicago Bulls will unveil a bust of Scottie Pippen during their sold-out game against the Boston Celtics.
PF: Heat Index. What, exactly, did LeBron James mean with his postgame comments on Wednesday?
SF: SLC Dunk. Breaking down some of the NCAA tourney's top lottery prospects.
SG: Wizards Insider. Washington's Rashard Lewis is likely out for the rest of the season.
PG: Hardwood Hype. Chris Paul is back! Nobody frighten him!
6th: Depressed Fan. The Sixers are winning and defending with flawed pieces.
7th: NBA.com. John Schuhmann gets behind Lamar Odom for Sixth Man of the Year.
8th: NBA.com. Utah's Mehmet Okur is out for the season.
9th: DCist. "Ted Leonsis' little monsters."
10th: NBA Playbook. The Kings can't defend a pick and roll to save their life.

Got a

ChrisBoshStockPhoto

Chris Bosh has taken in his fair share of ridicule since becoming a member of the Miami Heat last summer, but you have to give it up to the man for interviews like this.

Obviously a chat with local radio personality Dan LeBatard isn't the most hostile situation Bosh can put himself in, but you do have to give it up to Bosh for not telling the world what it wanted to hear in the wake of coach Erik Spoelstra's admission that some unnamed Heat players were crying in the locker room after a loss to Chicago a week and a half ago.

Via Sports Radio Interviews:

"Any player who says they haven't cried over basketball, they're lying. … It's emotions. That don't make you weak. It doesn't make you weak as a man or as a player. That just shows how bad you want to win. It really doesn't matter at the end of the day."

I couldn't agree more. The Heat can't win, after they lose.

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Take the loss in stride, and they come off nonchalant and unprofessional. Take out a water cooler, punch a

TylerThough Tyler Hansbrough missed his fair share of games with injury or illness (pneumonia, in late January), most of his 2010-11 season spent under former Pacer coach Jim O'Brien was marked by inconsistent playing time. And, as a result, lots of frustration. And a clear lack of belief in the second-year big man, from the man they call "Obie."

Like, say, in the second week of December. Hansbrough put up 20 points and nine boards in a Pacers win over Denver, only to play just 18 combined minutes over the next three games, with the final notch in that trio of shame resulting in a Did Not Play-Coach's Decision. Scores of zeros under the minute ledger dot his game log under Obie, and despite Hansbrough's overactive defense at times, there was no real reason for a 25-year-old second-year forward to be treated like a flighty 19-year-old rookie.

So you can completely understand it when Hansbrough comes completely clean to RealGM.com's Andrew Perna, knocking out the difference between O'Brien