Eight-game road swing could lift up Lakers -- again

Kobe Bryant (left) and Lamar Odom will squeeze a visit to the White House into their trip.

They depart Wednesday for what is sure to be an eventful trip, eight games in length and potentially forever in meaning (if last season is any indication), very international yet true USA, involving brothers and the City of Brotherly Love, old homes and possible new ones.

Not that the Lakers do typical anyway, but the 14-day North American tour that doesn't conclude until a scheduled early morning return to Los Angeles on Feb. 2 really could be their everything. It could be, of all things, a turning point. Even if they officially do not need one.

There is symmetry. Last season, they jetted off Jan. 29 at 35-9 after a mini-stumble of three losses in seven games, with an itinerary of Minnesota, Memphis, New York, Toronto, Boston and Cleveland. It all seems so familiar. This time, the charter leaves Jan. 20 with the Lakers at 32-9, with three losses in seven games (though most recently a quality win over the Magic) and swerves through Cleveland, New York, Toronto, Washington, Indiana, Philadelphia, Boston and Memphis. And the White House.

Getting the presidential treatment is about what they did in the past. And so is this trip. No less an expert than the intrepid explorers themselves have January 2009 in mind as they set out on this eight-gamer, aware that the success then helped set the course for the championship that would come.

"Last year, we were able to go out on the road trip and kind of make our season," coach Phil Jackson said. "This year, we're hopeful that we can go out there and win a majority of these games on the road. I think that's as good as you can expect to go out on a nine-game trip like this, win five out of the nine. So I'm setting a real low bar for this team. I know they'll respond."

Eight-game trip, nine-game trip, same difference. Long is long. Travel plans can get blurry sometimes.

Thursday at Cleveland -- Kobe Bryant-LeBron James, continued. The Cavaliers won 102-87 on Christmas Day as part of the surge that has turned them into the league's best team at the moment. Both teams will be rested. It's not a holiday showcase, but it is a possible Finals preview.

Friday at New York -- Probably not a Finals preview. But it is the second night of a back-to-back. And it is Madison Square Garden. Bryant had 61 points there 50 weeks ago. That may get mentioned once or twice in the buildup.

Sunday at Toronto -- The lone Canada appearance of the season with the backdrop of those Chris Bosh-Andrew Bynum trade rumors, which don't have to be true to be at the forefront of the weekend.

Monday in Washington -- The traditional post-championship White House visit, long delayed for scheduling purposes. The real story goes down behind the scenes with the greatest test ever for Bryant and his instincts to go for the jugular: Does he posterize the president/First Hoops Fan if they get in a game?

Tuesday at Washington -- The more-traditional part of the job in D.C. The Lakers haven't lost to the Wizards since Dec. 17, 2006, and haven't lost in the District since Dec. 26, 2005.

Jan. 27 at Indiana -- The fifth outing in seven nights as the games, the days and the flights start to add up. The absence of much long travel within the trip, though, is the one break. These are mostly short hops.

Jan. 29 at Philadelphia -- After the LeBron game, and the game when hitting the Knicks for 50 would constitute a Madison Square Garden slump, Philly native Bryant gets the homecoming game.

Jan. 31 at Boston -- Lakers-Celtics on a Sunday afternoon on national TV.

Feb. 1 at Memphis -- Once, this would have been important only as the getaway game, underlined because it is the final stop for the travelling circus and the second night of a back-to-back at the end of what would be a taxing schedule anyway. Now, the improving Grizzlies are an intriguing bunch and Marc Gasol has made his own impressive strides. It will be impact Gasol (Pau) against impact Gasol (Marc) in a shining moment for the family and for Spain.

And then -- at last, finally, amen, once and for all, exhaustively -- home.

"We have something to reference, to look back on, that we can do it, that we're capable of it," said Jordan Farmar. "We can always bring our old tapes and see the way we played and the things that were working for us. It'll give us something to look back on."

Maybe even look ahead to.