The longest-standing current Los Angeles Laker aside from Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol had just been traded right out of his purple-and-gold warm-up gear about an hour before tipoff against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
Just like that, Blake is on his seventh NBA franchise in his 11-year career. The Lakers traded Blake to the Golden State Warriors for two marginal prospects (Kent Bazemore, MarShon Brooks) who might not be Lakers beyond season’s end—and for obvious money-saving reasons.
Blake probably wasn’t going to be a Laker beyond the rest of the season either, but he and his wife, Kristen, had settled into a comfortable real life in Manhattan Beach. They hosted a Super Bowl party for other teammates living nearby with kids, including Steve Nash and his three children—plus rookie Ryan Kelly and his fiancee, who sort of qualified as kids.
Blake’s initial concern right after the trade went down was the tears that would be shed at home—a home they rent, not own, for reasons beyond his income level.
Kristen Blake, whose Twitter account (@kristenblake2) became a popular follow for Lakers fans, had already expressed her desire for her husband to re-sign with the Lakers this offseason on Twitter. She also shared some of her sadness on Twitter as the trade went down Wednesday night:
As tremendously exciting as the NBA’s trade deadline is for fans who get swept up in the action, there are real lives at stake here. And even if the players are viewed as just names and numbers with salaries attached, there are often families behind them, as is the case with the Blakes, who have three sons: Nicholas (7), Jamison (5) and Zachary (3).
Kristen and the boys will stay behind in L.A., while Steve begins his Wa...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
