Thank You Lorenzo

by Nestor on Apr 5, 2008 7:56 PM PDT in Basketball

Update [2008-4-6 2:26:24 by Telemachus]: Nestor, hope you don't mind me adding this video tribute to LMR that I previously created and posted. Best wishes for Lorenzo's future.

Goodbye to one of my all time favorite Bruins:

Photo Credit: Malingering's photostream (flickr)

Thank you Lorenzo for everything you gave to the greatest university in the country.

Thank you for giving us four amazing years.

We love you and we will miss you.

GO BRUINS.

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Good luck Mata

Lorenzo was a great representative of our program, and a great kid to boot. Good luck at the next level Lorenzo, we will miss you.

by joeb @ Bruins Nation on Apr 5, 2008 8:04 PM PDT reply actions

Thank You, Lorenzo

Man, we will miss you a lot. What a great four years you've given us.

Go do more great things--I know you will.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Apr 5, 2008 8:09 PM PDT reply actions

Echo that. Will miss you LMR

Will always remember you as one of CBH's first real recruiting class along with AA, JF, and JS. It was the beginning of a new era in the long and illustrious history of UCLA Basketball. You helped right the ship and reestablish our dominance in the Pac 10 and the West. Thank you for three years of alot of extra basketball games.

by popopapa on Apr 5, 2008 8:11 PM PDT reply actions

Zo Mat represents the CBH warriors

This guy is the ultimate team player. I wish we could keep him forever.

That looks like DC on the far left. Who's on either side of him? JS to his left?

by shaq on Apr 5, 2008 8:12 PM PDT reply actions

DeAndre Robinson

is #5.

by Tydides on Apr 5, 2008 8:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Looks more like Westy, no?

by popopapa on Apr 5, 2008 8:16 PM PDT reply actions

Westbrook far left

Robinson in the middle is what I meant

by popopapa on Apr 6, 2008 7:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Thank you, LMR

We have been honored to watch you and your tremendous character at UCLA, Lorenzo. You are yet another reason we are all so proud to be Bruins.

greg in denver

by gbruin on Apr 5, 2008 8:18 PM PDT reply actions

Thats Robinson

Go UCLA!

by madmaxucla on Apr 5, 2008 9:21 PM PDT reply actions

Hey..

Can anyone get me one of those backpacks???

Go UCLA!

by madmaxucla on Apr 5, 2008 9:24 PM PDT reply actions

Thank you Lorenzo

You have represented UCLA with class for your entire tenure.

by Ajax on Apr 5, 2008 9:29 PM PDT reply actions

Mata Real

a great Ben Ball warrior. Thank you for all of those charges taken, those blocked shots, those tough rebounds and for gracefully stepping aside for the Freshman phenom. Best of luck.

"You don't make it to the Final Four three straight times for no reason..Obviously coaching has something to do with it." Darren Collison

by godblesstyus95 on Apr 5, 2008 9:38 PM PDT reply actions

LMR

Could he make an NBA squad? Great defender. And we all know he's a great person. By the way, I'm dead serious about LMR's backpack, where would one find that? Anyone that can get me one or let me know where, PAYPAL is on the way!

Go UCLA!

by madmaxucla on Apr 5, 2008 9:41 PM PDT reply actions

I think it's athletes only

I don't think it's available for purchase. Pretty much all student-athletes in school wear those blue adidas backpacks. Some of them have the sport and number embroidered (e.g. Football, Volleyball, etc)

by lildre on Apr 5, 2008 11:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah..

I figured as much. Thanks for the info though.

Go UCLA!

by madmaxucla on Apr 6, 2008 12:52 AM PDT up reply actions

Lorenzo we all go to the next level

We all go to the next level Lorenzo. Maybe not the NBA, but the next level; we're Bruins.

by 10amla on Apr 5, 2008 9:44 PM PDT reply actions

Never Forgotten

Lorenzo has been one of my favorite Bruins for the class that he has always showed. He plays hard and never complains.

Keep doing what you been doing.

You will be missed.

by DaBruins3411 on Apr 5, 2008 9:48 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks for doing this

You beat me to a diary idea I was thinking about earlier; to wit: what our your favorite memories about this team? For me, it's a compilation of moments about Lorenzo. The guy's the consummate team player and someone I've really grown to appreciate and respect (after admittedly, now shamefully, having doubts years ago). Good luck,

by Menelaus on Apr 5, 2008 10:37 PM PDT reply actions

Lorenzo Mata Real

LRM is the epitome of the class which Coach Howland has revived in UCLA basketball. One of the highlights (among many) in the BN posts this year was the video showing LRM's introduction on senior day. With all the other achievements in this year's team (and there were many), the one which stands out most for me was when the announcer said that LRM was the first member of his family to be a college graduate.

Way to go, LRM. He will be a success in whatever he chooses in the future. And hats off again to Coach Howland for running a program which features development on and off the court.

by islandbruin on Apr 5, 2008 11:00 PM PDT reply actions

the original class

of Farmar, Afflalo, Shipp, and Mata will always be my favorite .... it will be sad when shipp graduates and they are all gone ...

by Dante on Apr 5, 2008 11:47 PM PDT reply actions

If Bruins Nation had..

an Axis of Evil, would Coach Cal be in it...not to take away from his players performance but I just don't like the guy. He said in a post game interview they stepped their game up because he "found out Digger picked them, and Digger's a good man, and then found out Coach Knight picked them, and hes the greatest of all time.."

He's entitled to his own opinion of who he thinks the greatest of all time is, but something makes me think he'd have trouble saying the Wizard was the greatest in the game's history. I understand its wrong to dislike someone for their opinions, but the guy has already given me enough reasons to dislike him, and this just bugged me...

hes a slime ball

O.A.

by Ollie on Apr 5, 2008 11:53 PM PDT reply actions

And I know

Fox, 66, or Meriones are probably going to tell me something along the lines of "anger leads to hate, hate leads to the darkside" but sorry, I need to pin a little frustration on someone hah

O.A.

by Ollie on Apr 5, 2008 11:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't really like him

his constant whining about respect and his need to respond to anything negative about his team bugs me. My dislike for him isn't especially strong, but he's just not my favorite coach out there. That said, he put together a good gameplan and he took Howland to school tonight. He deserved the W.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Apr 6, 2008 12:00 AM PDT up reply actions

I wouldn't say...

he took Howland to school. Memphis' players were just bigger, faster, and stronger. The perfect gameplan would've still struggled against a team that was just on fire tonight. As a student who lived through the Lavin reign of terror, I have too much respect for CBH and can't get myself to say anything negative about him (note: Plaschke's new article bashed on Howland today so I'm feeling a bit defensive right now).

That being said, Calipari did an excellent job.

But back to the original topic, I do find this guy incredibly annoying for the same reasons as ryebread...always whining about respect. I can just imagine his speech after winning the title will be all about how the team proved the nation wrong...

by brewin05 on Apr 6, 2008 2:13 AM PDT up reply actions

Sorry...

Got way off topic. Best wishes Lorenzo. Definitely my favorite player on the team.

by brewin05 on Apr 6, 2008 2:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Long live the Ben Ball Warrior

We will miss you Lorenzo. Thanks for all the great memories.

by OutOThsWrld on Apr 6, 2008 11:00 AM PDT reply actions

A favor

I don't know if anyone has seen or has a pic of this but it's worth asking. Does anyone have a pic of all 4 of that wonderful first class of Ben Howland's - AA, JF, JS and LMR? I've seen a pic of AA, JF and JS from their freshman year but that's the best I've gotten.

by Raisin on Apr 6, 2008 7:09 PM PDT reply actions

One more year!

Oh wait, no more eligibility.

This guy is a class act, his on the court demeanor is just perfect. He's confident, but never show boats or disrespects anyone. This guy is as tough as they come and as selfless as they come. For him it's give everything, the epitomy of CBH blue-collar style. I have to say Zo Mat and AA are the 2 guys that truly are Ben Ballers to the core. I will miss the block shots, charges, dunks, and most of all, your heart as I know you gave it your all everytime you were in that sacred UCLA jersey - for that alone you will be one of my most repected Bruins of all time. We will miss you, and the team will too.

by shaq on Apr 6, 2008 9:56 PM PDT reply actions

lorenzo t-shirt

there was a link here a while back to some non-official UCLA t-shirts (Howland is my homey, etc.). was there a Lorenzo shirt? does anyone have the links to buy those other shirts?

by Mo Bruin 95 on Apr 7, 2008 8:55 AM PDT reply actions