Kobe passes Oscar, while ‘Congo Cash’ gets bling

The locker room wasn't in the most jovial of moods (probably because of the injuries to Blake & Barnes), but DJ Mbenga seemed to light up the room, after a surprise appearance.

"Congo Cash" finally got his bling, as Staples Center gave him a loud standing ovation before the game. Too bad he was inactive.

Another former Laker, Trevor Ariza got a good reception during intros.

But back to the injuries. Steve Blake told me after the game that he feels OK, and is day-to-day. He did walk out with a slight limp though.

However, the funniest part of the night belonged to Ron Artest.

When a reporter asked him if it was nice to get over his incident with Phil Jackson, Artest told him that he had no idea what he was talking about.

"I don't remember," Artest told him. "I don't remember." Classic Ron-Ron.

For more Lakers info, including an interview with Kobe Bryant, click on the link below to watch a video recap of the Lakers 101-97 victory over New Orleans.