MGS Chat: Mitch Kupchak

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak spoke to reporters from his office on Wednesday morning, discussing both Tuesday's draft lottery and the team's ongoing coaching search.

On receiving the seventh pick and if he thinks there is anyone in the draft who can change the face of the franchise at that spot:

I wouldn’t say it was bad luck. We were hoping to get lucky, but as you know we could have dropped down to number nine, too. We were hoping to get lucky, or at worst case, stay where we were, but it could have been worse. As far as what [Boston Celtics Executive] Danny [Ainge] said, that’s up to him. We think drafting number seven, there is going to be a good player available there. Maybe Danny is talking more about a guy that changes the face of an organization from the get-go, but you can’t really evaluate these things until years later when you look back on it. Damian Lillard is a great example. I don’t think anybody thought walking through the draft that he would turn into the player [he is] as quickly as he did, but looking back on it is a heck of a selection. We will be able to get a good player, and we are hoping that three or four years from now we can look back on it and he is even a better player than we thought.

On the impact a player selected seventh overall can make:

Well, it depends. Most of the players in the draft for the last 15 to 18 years have been young, developing players and some of them make a contribution quicker than others. There are certainly a couple of guys that played more than two years. There is a kid that played four years that might make a contribution quicker. I’m not saying he would be someone we would consider or not consider at seven. My point is, typically – and we have kind of gotten used to it over the years – you do have to work with the younger player and those are the guys that get drafted the highest, whether they are freshman or sophomore, it may take a year or two.

On if a player selected seventh can be a starter on the Lakers right now:

Right now. We only four guys under contract right now.

On how the lottery occurring affects the offseason moving forward:

It is another piece of information. It doesn’t really get us any further along in hiring a coach, but it is another piece of information. Right now, the day after the lottery, it doesn’t really affect our approach to the offseason beginning July 1st.

On when he will become more immersed in the search for a head coach:

I would say we actually – and I’m sure names will come out within the next couple of days – but we have started our process and we intend to continue the process in terms of talking to potential coaches. Whether they are informal or formal interviews, we will do both. I would not anticipate hiring a coach in the next two or three weeks, but we will interview several, more than three or four, probably.

On if the process of searching for a new coach has begun:

Yes, we have begun.

On the variables the front office is measuring in potential coaching candidates and whether they want to pursue a veteran coach or a young coach:

I think right now, our interviews will be formal in terms of sitting down and talking for a couple of hours, but at some point, we will probably have to sit down and talk a second time. I think that is where we are right now, at the beginning of the process. Whether it is a veteran coach or a rookie coach, that is not something we are prepared to comment on right now.

On the talent evaluation process at the NBA Draft Combine:

The combine has really evolved over the years, and probably the most useful information out of the combine is really the interview process and the testing and the medical/physical process. There is very limited basketball activity, and the guys that did workout, really none of them are “lottery players,” at least last week. Based on workouts going forward, maybe somebody can jump in there but right now that quality of player, and that is not to say the other guys at the combine that did work out won’t be in the NBA and won’t be drafted perhaps in the first round, but as you know most of the “lottery guys” did not play.

On if they will focus on the drafting in the seventh spot or continue to look at other options:

We started last night calling and trying to set up workouts with probably everybody on our board in the top 15 to 20. Some of those guys don’t think they are going to be there at seven so they won’t come in. There is nothing we can do about that. But some guys that are drafted later, and you may say ‘well why bring in a guy that might go 20?’ Well you never know, number one, and number two, you have the opportunity to develop a relationship with a player. Why not do it? So that started last night.

On if the NBA playoffs are a factor in the timing of a possible coaching hire:

Right now it is not a factor, but like I said I don’t see the process ending in the next two or three weeks. It depends how the process goes. We may want to open it up and consider other people.

On if other teams head coaching vacancies or hires have impacted the Lakers coaching search thus far:

No.

On if drafting at seven influences whether to keep or trade the pick:

It stands to reason that the higher the pick, the more value it has, but a six pick or a seven pick, which is where we ended up certainly has value. We will evaluate that between now, the draft and July 1st.

On if there is extra value financially in players on rookie contracts:

Well, that is one of the benefits of having draft picks, that there is a salary scale going forward. If it is a first-round pick, you can basically pencil in four years of salary. Then the fifth year, if he signs a one-year deal, you pretty much know that [the player’s salary]. So really you have salary-certainty for five years on a first-round pick. The second round is a little bit different. Yeah it [salary certainty] is a factor, but it is not really that much of a factor with us because we have only one pick this year. Yeah, we know what that pick is going to make, but we still have to field a roster of seven to eight more players.

On if the coach hiring process will be different:

I think, clearly, it will be a longer process for obvious reasons. I assume you are alluding to our last hire, Mike D’Antoni, which really took less than a week. This process will be considerably longer for a bunch of different reasons. Number one: We have a lot more time. Number two: We don’t really know what our team looks like and there is no urgency right now. It will be a more deliberate process.

On if there are particular offensive and defensive philosophies the Lakers are looking for in a coaching candidate:

I wouldn’t use the word philosophy, but we have a player on our team right now who is proven in this league. Offensively, he can score and that certainly is a consideration. Obviously I’m talking about Kobe [Bryant]. He is under contract for two more years and we think he is a very integral part of this team. We have to make sure that whoever we hire as a coach will really get the most productivity out of him, whether it is scoring the ball or playmaking or the threat that he may score. That is probably a primary importance right now.

On how he thinks Kobe Bryant will be used offensively in the next two years:

We haven’t seen much of him in the last year. He has been over here working out and he looks good. Over the years his game has changed from really a game where he was pretty wild and athletic and at times out-of-control in the early part of his career. I would say for the last seven or eight years, he has become more deliberate and, of course, he has gotten a little bit older. I think you will see a lot of him posting up, I think you will see him with the ball in his hands making plays. [At the] end of games, he is going to have the ball in his hands, he is going to get a call, he is going to make free throws. The Kobe today is different than the Kobe 15 years ago, and I don’t think that’s a secret. I think Kobe knows where on the court he will be most effective, whether it is playmaking, being a decoy, or scoring the ball, and I think we know where those places are.

On if hiring a coach currently employed by another team is a possibility:

Why wouldn’t it be a possibility? We don’t have a timeline. If we had a timeline for tomorrow or Friday, or the weekend, then I would say that is remote. But I mentioned earlier, this is going to go on at least two or three weeks. I’m not anticipating what you just mentioned being a part of the process, but we will just monitor how it plays out with the teams that are out there and see what the playing field provides and make decisions accordingly.

On if a candidate for head coach will need to have previous coaching experience:

Not necessarily, but if I have to say we were leaning towards the type of a coach we would want, I would say there would be experience involved, certainly at some level, but not necessarily. It’s just too early in the process.

The Diva and Odd Travels through Japan

Okay, so where am I? 

Yes, I'm back in Tokyo wrapping up filming of my wacky and oddly-popular Japanese television show. Let me be the first to tell you that Japan is a lesson in culture shock. I mean every country has its quirks and eccentricities, but few are on par with this island when it comes to strange and unique activities. So, before I get to the 2:00 AM temperamental actress drama, let me tell you about some of the oddities I discovered.

THIGH-HIGHS

Click to enlarge.

Forget about permanent ink, the latest rage in the Japanese ad game is to have is an advertisement painted on your thighs. Oh believe it, Anime wannabees are renting out their thigh space to the highest bidders. According to the data, over three thousand women (aged 18 and older with 20+ connections on social media) have already signed up to pimp their legs out.

Some PR consultant named “Atsumi” (sorry this may be inaccurate because news stories fly at you faster than the dirty look your wife gives you when you’re “working late”) says that women’s thighs are the perfect place for a walking billboard. “Guys are eager to look at them and girls are okay with exposing their thighs.” (What a prince of a guy!)

The idea to use the human body as advertising space isn’t new. Some boxers have let their bodies do the speaking in big fights. The Legvertising guerrilla campaign by a New Zealand clothing company caused a big stir a few years ago when they used women’s legs to spread their message. It works though…everyone notices.

Note to self: Find out what the third picture means!

TOILETS

Narita Airport isn’t your standard Asian stopover … they have the best toilets. Never will a better buffet of bathroom choices be presented in a public room of rest. Seat warming, deodorization, massaging, cleansing of the buttocks -- Why are we Americans living in the dark ages of toiletry?

ROYALTY CHECKS

Back in the depths of my terrible 2012 disaster year (buy the book due in 2018 for details), I wrote and produced a TV commercial for culinary giant Lotte, a well-known purveyor of sweets and ice cream. The tasty Zacrich treat is vanilla ice cream wrapped in a crunchy cone and sealed with chocolate puff coating. The on-air talent consisted of seven gorgeous models-turned-actresses that were also known as The Zacrich Girls. (Okay, not the most innovative name, but hey, don’t blame me) and one wore sexy costumes shaped like the Zacrich ice cream. At the end of the commercial, the girls shriek” “Please take a big bite.” I never thought a lot about the work and I had imagined that most of them probably turned to thigh advertising. As it turns out, the thirty second ditty is quite popular and still running a full two years later, which begs the question: Where are my royalty checks?!

The irony of it all.

IRONY

Back in March, I smirked at the Dolby Theatre during setup days at the 2014 Oscars. I noted on my Flickr account that the Japanese actress on the left did her darnedest to gain attention with a press entourage of 50+. It was quite funny. The irony? She wound up working on my show.

THE 2:00 AM TEMPERAMENTAL DIVA

As the last hour of a party is very dangerous, the day before shooting a big scene carries the same peril. After all, that’s when the really dubious choices get made. Sure, have another drink. Take those mystery sugar cubes being offered by a stranger. Go home with an obviously bad idea. Visit your favorite screenwriter at his hotel room at two in the morning when your call time is six. Yes, there’s a small window when everything seems possible, between when the good times arc and when you wake up in a bear trap. The sense of possibility is thrilling, but it’s always a crap shoot how the day following those spontaneous choices will roll out: jubilation, lament, or all of the above?

Take my favorite diva (pictured in from my Instagram post) Izumi. She is a scintillating private actress in Asia. And no no, no that isn't "Hollywood Speak" for "adult actress." She does private one-woman shows for the affluent businessmen there. She is the toast of the aristocratic Asian CEO Party set. When she feared at twenty-nine that her youthful radiance was waning, because she wasn't getting the plum lead roles of Japanese television and cinema, she bullied her way into my show using her connections to elite Western European producers. Turns out that her part had a some juicy bits, including content that FX and AMC might be forced to run the traditional "Due to sexual content, viewer discretion is advised" placard before rolling the scene.

2:00 A.M is no time to pout.

The drama-filled rehearsals moved the dynamic and oft imperious personality of Izumi -- demanding, insisting, daring, improvising, brushing aside protocol, refusing to be dominated for long stretches. She was difficult, but talented.

Filming was set to begin only hours away when a pounding emanated from the thick door of my hotel suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I opened the door without checking and in burst Izumi in her mini-mini skirt that barely covered her toned, long legs. Steam was surging from both of her ears.

She proceeded to park herself on my couch and demand a rewrite on her upcoming scenes because her co-star smelled so bad. It's easy to imagine the pent-up fury she felt when, after waiting years for a role she felt worthy of, she was stuck with this minor part and a co-star whom was scorning her pleas to bathe. I offered to call his people and request that he practice some basic hygiene but she was hell bent on getting the entire part redone, right then, right there. I told her I was going to sleep.

Wouldn't you know it? She started singing some K-Pop song and promised to keep going until the morning call time. The agony of listening to this madness drove me to call the show's producer. When I connected, he was none too happy and wanted an "immediate 20-word explanation." I explained and he said to call Izumi over and put her on the speakerphone. His terse thirty-second lecture sounded something like this:

When he was done with her, she picked up the phone's receiver and handed it to me. He informed me that she would not be bothering me anymore and wished be a good rest of the evening, assuring me I did the right thing, and hung up. The follow-up conversation went something like this:

ME: What did he tell you?
IZUMI: He said that if I bothered you again you would kill me.
ME: Kill you? You mean for real?
IZUMI: No. He said you would kill my character after I did the scene with the smelly guy.

EPILOGUE...The smelly guy wound up having to bathe and his character was killed by the end of the season.

BOWING

Bowing in Japan may be used as a greeting, introduction, show of respect or apology. There are several types of Japanese bow that are useful to know. But, let’s just say you want to avoid doing the Larry David S**T Bow:

I found this handy guide to bowing (note that the last five are apology bows because apparently you say sorry a whole lot if you live in Japan).

1. Greetings: It's common to give a little 10° nod of the head and shoulders to greet a friend. A similar gesture can be used to say goodbye. 
2. Introductions: In both formal and casual introductions it's expected to bow 30° with your upper body. It's important to keep your head and shoulders straight and hands to the side.  After exchanging meishi do a bow and hold for 1 second or so. There's no reason to keep eye contact during a bow (in fact it's considered bad form). Keep a distance to avoid bumping heads (it happens). If the person you're meeting is very important bow 45°. Never bow and shake hands at the same time. 
3. Bows of Respect: A bow is an expression of humility. It always indicates respect. 
4. Sports Bow: Another bow of respect is the bow between opponents before a sports match. This is often a shallow bow of 20°. 
5. Religious Bow: It's also common to bow to the gods at a Shinto shrine. This is often a shallow bow of the upper body. 
6. Martial Arts Bows: Japanese martial arts have their own conventions of bowing. Great respect is paid to your sensei (teacher). It's also important to show respect to your opponent. 
7. Bowing to Customers: In Japan, customers are considered gods (of sorts). It's common for staff to bow to customers. This is usually a bow of the upper body of around 20°. 
8. Bows of Thanks: If someone lets you ahead of them in line it's common to give a shallow bow of the head in thanks. It's even common for automobile drivers to bow to each other for small courtesies. 
9. Performance Bow: As in the West, it's common for performers to bow in response to applause. This is usually a shallow bow. Here Geisha perform a very deep bow. 
10. Mild Apology: A mild apology involves a bow with the head of 10°. This can be used if you bump into a stranger or cause a minor inconvenience to someone. For example, if someone holds the elevator doors for you. Say sumimasen (excuse me or I'm sorry). 
11. Regular Apology: If your boss is mad at you — a 45° bow of the upper body is in order. Hold the bow for 5 seconds. Say sumimasen deshita (I'm sorry for what I did). 
12. Serious Apology: Let's say you're a company CEO and your company releases a defective product. At the press conference you may apologize with a long 45° bow of the upper body. It may be appropriate to hold the bowing position for 15 or 20 seconds. Say moushiwake gozaimasen deshita (I'm very sorry for what I did). 
13. Panic Apology: Let's say you're a waiter and you spill hot coffee all over a customer. You may do a 45° bow over and over again to indicate how sorry you are. Repeat moushiwake gozaimasen (I'm very sorry) with each bow. 
14. Very Serious Apology: Let's say you've committed a serious crime and you're apologizing to the victims. You would bow from a kneeling position. Say makoto ni moushiwake gozaimasen deshita (I sincerely apologize for what I did).

OTHER ODDITIES

Faux surgical masks are standard faire for plan rides and public transportation.

Lloyd's brand microphones are still the rage for many press conferences.

The Zacrich Girls take a big bite!

Apparently Tommy Lee Jones doesn't smile in Japan either...

...whatever you do, don't miss highlights from the previous season...

...people sit behind ice blocks at Icebar Tokyo and after paying an entrance fee of 3500 Yen (which includes one drink), customers can borrow a coat upon entry. Everything in the bar including the counter, the wall, table, glasses, chairs are made from blocks of ice cut from Sweden's Torne river...

Note: Some pictures were contributed.

HOLY MEDIA CONGLOMERATE!

From gloomy beginnings in a six-page comic to the transmedia anchor of Time Warner, he has cast his shadow across many forms. Moody, innovative and mysterious...what’s NOT to love about the king of all superheroes: the Dark Knight?

Ben Affleck in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman Flick

This year Batman, i.e. the Dark Knight, celebrates his 75th birthday and truly rules the media. Using Google Analytics, YouTube says he's the most popular superhero in the world, registering a mere three billion plus views from over 70,000 available hours of video. "Big deal" you say? How about this?: He's a billion views ahead Mr. Second Place, Thor (are you kidding me? Thor!) By the way, Superman is third with about 1.7 billion views and counting. (Iron Man, the Avengers, and Wolverine round out the top six.)

Plus he has the best sidekick ever! Holy Billion Views Batman!

But let's take a deeper look into the stranglehold the Caped Crusader has on all things media...

PRINT

When Superman lifted a carload of criminals above his head on the cover of Action Comics #1 in 1938, the nascent American comic book industry found its defining genre. Young artist Bob Kane hoped to create the next soaring star – with the red unitard and domino mask-wearing Bird-Man. Once his color scheme shifted to black and his domino mask morphed into a cowl with pointed ears in 1939, he never looked back.

But consistent publication does not mean consistent quality. To compete with new comic book genres following the second world war, Batman comics became an increasingly surreal mix of sensational covers, sci-fi cliché and imaginary tales. There were lurid storylines, such as The Rainbow Batman (Detective Comics #241, March 1953), in which the once Dark Knight donned a series of multi-color costumes.

Nonetheless, Batman enjoyed more creative peaks than other long-standing comic characters, with some of the best standalone stories reflecting on the character’s rich legacy.

In The Batman Nobody Knows! (Batman #250, July 1973) Bruce Wayne takes some “ghetto hardened kids” on a camping trip. While swapping campfire stories each child offers their own interpretation of the “real” Batman, ranging from a ten-foot monster to a “down to Earth hip-dude”. Despite its dated dialogue, The Batman Nobody Knows! is one of the first stories to recognize that this mythic hero defies any fixed identity, and is always open to reinterpretation.

The term “graphic novel” emerged in the late 1970s to describe comics with complete stories, quality printing, and high-minded intentions. Although these books sought to distinguish themselves from serialized power fantasies, mainstream publishers soon gravitated to this bookstore friendly format.

While other heroes enjoyed a smattering of graphic novel success, Batman flourished, with early hits including writer/artist Frank Miller’s dystrophic Dark Knight Returns, in which a middle-aged Batman slips back on the cowl. Miller also revisited the hero’s origin in Batman: Year One, establishing the template for future interpretations, including Batman Begins.

TELEVISION

With high production values, committed leads and A-list villains, Batman, the television series, was a sensation when it premiered in 1966.

Although the series brought the hero unprecedented popularity, comic fans were quick to dismiss it as Technicolor prevision of the Dark Knight. Strident fans often fail to recognise that without Adam West’s deadpan delivery, Burt Ward’s spirited puns, and the show’s mantra-like theme song, Batman would not be the potent pop culture force he is today.

For cultural impact it is hard to dispute the legacy of West’s Batman, but as perhaps the purest distillation of the Dark Knight in any form, Batman: The Animated Series remains a towering achievement. First airing in 1992, the series’ complex storylines, Art Deco style, and reverence for the source material set a new standard for television animation and Batman’s screen adventures.

This year will see the launch of Gotham, a new television series in which Bruce Wayne is a recently orphaned teen. It remains to be seen if Gotham can match the success of similar young superhero series Smallville and Arrow, but should it survive the competitive primetime TV schedule it will still be measured against the two most successful Dark Knight series: the camp classic starring Adam West, and the noir-fuelled triumph of Batman: The Animated Series.

CINEMA

In the 1960s, pop art aficionados began hosting ironic screenings of this early adaptation, inspiring the development of the Batman television series. While the show enjoyed a spin-off feature, Batman was curiously absent from cinema screens until 1989, when Beetlejuice director Tim Burton brought his gothic sensibility to Batman and its superior sequel Batman Returns.

These blockbusters ushered in a wave of Batmania, and a darker knight managed to banish memories of Adam West’s Technicolor pratfalls. But this work was undone with director Joel Schumacher’s follow-ups. In particular the pun-laden dialogue and day-glo aesthetic of Batman & Robin (1997) was seen by many as a return to the camp crusader, and fans, recently empowered by the web, vilified the film and its director.

It took director Christopher Nolan’s realist approach to wake Batman from a eight-year cinematic hibernation. Batman Begins (2005) inaugurated a blockbusting trilogy that closed with the satisfying The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. But the crowning achievement of this series and Batman’s cinematic career is undoubtedly The Dark Knight. Brimming with post-9/11 anxiety the film reintroduces the Joker as a scarred anarchist played to baroque perfection by Heath Ledger in his last major role. More restrained, but no less impressive, is Christian Bale’s compromised Batman who frequently questions the morality of his actions. Filled with now iconic moments, the film raised the bar for the entire comic-book movie genre.

MERCHANDISE

With their recognizable imagery and built-in fan base, superheroes have long been used to distinguish consumer products, and Batman, with his logo/brand emblazoned across his chest, is no exception. Not long

after his first appearance, the caped crusader joined Superman at the New York World’s Fair where action figures were given away as carnival prizes. Today, the iconic bat-logo is liberally applied to an endless array of merchandise, yet the most successful tie-ins are often those that provide the experience of being Batman.

Most agree that Batman’s appeal stems from his mortal status. He has no alien ancestry, magic rings, or radioactive gifts, he is an ordinary man committed to a single goal. Thus, the gap between fan and hero seems more surmountable. Accordingly, many tie-in products play on this wish fulfilment, whether it is navigating the Dark Knight through the immersive world of the best-selling Arkham videogames, or a Lego Batman scaling the heights of a miniature Gotham.

Nonetheless, the most potent piece of Bat-merchandise is the costume. As early as 1943 the Philadelphia Record gave away a flimsy Batman mask – and today fans can get detailed costumes that would not look out of place on a Hollywood soundstage.

Happy 75th Batman!

Ponderings...

"Advertising is what you do when you can't go see somebody."- Fairfax Cone

 In real life, when you go see someone, you're usually not going to get something from them. Maybe you are. But more likely you're going to share something with them. A story. A meal. Your thoughts on the latest Game of Thrones. Something.

But for some reason, advertising likes to show up on your doorstep both uninvited and asking for something. A bad combination. Generally when that happens in real life, people slam the door.

The moral of the story: don't demand attention until you've got something good to share. The rest takes care of itself.