Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Team

Not much new in Lamar Odom's life, other than a reality-TV star wife, a $33-million contract extension and daily games of hide-and-seek with the ever-present paparazzi. A year ago, Odom was angry when Coach Phil Jackson said the Lakers forward would be a backup instead of a starter. That's the least of his concerns now. He still has reserve status, but no longer single status after marrying Khloe Kardashian about two weeks ago, a move that shifted him from the inside pages of sports magazines to the covers of supermarket tabloids across the country.

Make it seven. No matter the time, date, weather and roster, the Lakers come up to the Rose Garden, run around for a few hours, and leave with a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. It's become as predictable as the precipitation in Portland, the Lakers now losers in their last seven trips here, the latest a 111-94 embarrassment Monday -- the Lakers' most one-sided loss this season. Furthermore, a scuffle late in the third quarter could cost them in future games, notably Wednesday in Houston.

Adam Morrison has made his peace with the player he is and the one he believes he still can become. Others have heaped criticism on Morrison, 24, for not living up to the immense expectations placed on him when Charlotte Bobcats co-owner Michael Jordan selected him as the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. Not long ago, Morrison was one of the biggest stars in college, leading the nation in scoring with 28.1 points a game for Gonzaga.

Lakers fans aren't letting the recession rein in their parade. Los Angeles sports retailers are reporting record sales as adoring fans snap up championship T-shirts, hats and flags. The outpouring of pride is more than welcome for business owners, who have been fighting a down economy for months. "Winning a championship seems to be curing a lot of people's blues," said Sean Ryan, vice president of merchandise for Anschutz Entertainment Group, owner and operator of Staples Center.

The Lakers had a near-perfect June, breezing through the NBA Finals in five games and capping it off with a victory parade and championship rally under sunny Southern California skies. The first day of July, however, wasn't as picturesque. The Lakers remained far apart on negotiations Wednesday with their two main free-agent pieces, forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. In particular, Ariza and his agent weren't thrilled by the Lakers' annual offer of $5.

This is the fourth year Adam Morrison has been in the NBA and it's looming as the biggest of his career. He's in the last year of a contract that pays him $5.2 million and he's on a loaded Lakers team that has left him as the third-string small forward behind Ron Artest and Luke Walton. What the future holds for Morrison is murky. "It's definitely a big year for me personally, as far as contract years always are," Morrison said after the Lakers' practice Tuesday. The Lakers acquired Morrison and Shannon Brown last season from the Charlotte Bobcats.

Less than three weeks after the parade, the NBA champion Lakers have already met the biggest threat to their throne. Themselves. What are they thinking? What are they doing? They just won a title that would not have been possible without the strong defense and stunning shooting of a 24-year-old kid with a limitless ceiling. Yet they send the kid packing for an aging nut whose greatest hits have occurred on the heads of fans.

The facility might not be entirely cooperative, but tonight could still shape up to be Fabulous. The Lakers return to the Forum in Inglewood for an exhibition game against Golden State, a blast from the past in a season that holds a promising future. The Lakers haven't played there since leaving for Staples Center in 1999, but owner Jerry Buss has wanted to return to the Forum for years. Now seemed like a good time, the franchise's 50th year in Los Angeles. The Lakers have had to work overtime to get the building in game shape.

The Lakers are planning a big celebration for their ring ceremony on opening night, but one person's appearance might mean the most. Longtime Lakers consultant Tex Winter is planning to attend. Winter, 87, spent most of the summer in an assisted-living apartment in Oregon after suffering a stroke in late April while attending a basketball reunion in Manhattan, Kan. The modern-day architect of the triangle offense has slowly been recovering, demonstrating good comprehension and an ability to say specific words, though he still has trouble formulating sentences.

Lamar Odom sounded frustrated and hopeful at the same time. He sounded frustrated he hasn't been able to come to terms with the Lakers on a contract. But he sounded hopeful he and the Lakers will get a deal done. At the end of the day, Odom was asked, does he expect to be back playing for the Lakers next season? "I don't know," Odom told The Times in a phone interview. "That's why there are negotiations. I don't know. Of course I hope they can get it done. "It's negotiations.