Michael Corvo Articles - Page 14

LeBron James begins his 21st NBA season — sixth as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers — on Tuesday in Denver. LeBron is the oldest player in the league. He’s one season behind Vince Carter for the most in history. At some point in 2023-24, he’ll surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most total minutes […]

The Los Angeles Lakers believe they have the depth, talent, and continuity to contend for a title in 2023-24. On Tuesday, they’ll begin that quest with a fitting early barometer: the Denver Nuggets, shortly after the defending champs receive their rings. The Lakers are entering the regular season rife with optimism. They ran back the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took notice of the sentiments emanating from the Denver Nuggets in the aftermath of their Western Conference Finals sweep last June. Heading into a juicy opening night showdown, D’Angelo Russell, for one, believes his side is solely focused on getting the win and moving on. “Who cares?” Russell replied when asked […]

Anthony Davis is the fulcrum of the Los Angeles Lakers — in the words of another LeBron James co-star — starting…now. The Lakers rewarded Davis, 30, with a record contract extension in August. LeBron called him the face of the franchise. Darvin Ham dubbed him the “heart and soul” of the team. Behind the scenes, […]

Until Saturday, Darvin Ham was unwilling to reveal whom he intends to start at small forward when the Los Angeles Lakers begin their season against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Tuesday. Ham didn’t waste time disclosing his four other starters. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves were no-brainers. Ham declared D’Angelo Russell […]

A host of factors, including Anthony Davis and the quality of this Los Angeles Lakers team, are motivating LeBron James in his 21st NBA season. The Denver Nuggets are not one of them. James hit on numerous topics during a session with reporters after Lakers practice on Saturday — the last time he’ll take questions […]

Back in July, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham delivered a hefty proclamation about Austin Reaves, shortly after the 2020 undrafted free agent signed a $56 million contract on the heels of an ascendant second NBA campaign. “I’m putting it on record right now: Austin Reaves will be an All-Star at some point soon.” […]

The Los Angeles Lakers still haven’t named their starting small forward for opening night against the Denver Nuggets next Tuesday. Anthony Davis certainly wouldn’t oppose Taurean Prince getting the nod. Davis commended Prince for his preseason showing after Lakers’ practice on Tuesday. Since fouling out of the preseason opener in 13 minutes, the veteran 3-and-D […]

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham clarified his previously stated goal for Anthony Davis to shoot six 3-pointers per game this season. “I’ve requested to see six 3-point attempts a game,” Ham said last week. “Three per half, at least. I wouldn’t put that on him if I didn’t think he was capable.” Since […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Brooklyn Nets at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Monday. It’s safe to say the Lakers’ second warm-up contest lacked the intensity of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals (which multiple Lakers attended), but it ended up being a genuinely entertaining exhibition. LeBron James and Austin Reaves made […]

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James wants to own a slice of a potential expansion NBA franchise in Las Vegas for a simple reason: Good business. “It just makes sense,” LeBron said after his 2023-24 preseason debut at the T-Mobile Arena. The Lakers held on to beat the Brooklyn Nets, 129-126. LeBron finished with 10 […]

The 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers — sans LeBron James and Austin Reaves — began their quest for the franchise’s 18th banner against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Saturday night. Golden State won, 125-108. “Overall, I’m pleased,” said Darvin Ham. “Definitely got some things we need to clean up a little bit, […]

Two of the Los Angeles Lakers’ youngest players, Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino, have earned plaudits in the first week of training camp. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves shouted out Hood-Schifino on Tuesday. Darvin Ham called him the “MVP” of the Day 1 scrimmages. Anthony Davis joined the chorus. Austin Reaves won’t play in the […]

At Summer League, Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka revealed that he and Darvin Ham had entertained conversations with Anthony Davis about deploying more two-big lineups. Davis — who shifted between 4 and 5 with the New Orleans Pelicans and early in his Lakers tenure — exclusively played 5 in 2022-23. Davis was dominant as […]

On the third day of Los Angeles Lakers training camp, LeBron James fielded questions for the first time since Media Day (though he was the talk of camp on Wednesday). The Lakers conducted a “basketball reflex” practice, deemed head coach Darvin Ham — a toned-down, non-contact session after two days of competitive scrimmaging. (Consequently, practice […]

LeBron James has not yet officially committed to playing for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but he’s clearly invested in how the roster shapes up — a roster that now includes Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. At Lakers training camp on Thursday, LeBron reiterated his interest in chasing gold at age 39. […]

Last week, Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said LeBron James was preparing for his 21st NBA season like a “rookie.” Apparently, it only took two days of training camp for LeBron to resemble his early prime. “Without question,” Darvin Ham responded when asked if LeBron has his […]

The 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers gathered for their first official practice of training camp on Tuesday at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo. The Lakers did a “fair amount” of scrimmaging, per Darvin Ham. They conducted transition and defensive drills, and “competitive” 1-on-1 work, among other activities. Ham was pleased at the “tenacity,” […]

It was a refreshingly breezy 2023-24 Media Day for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are proceeding one day at a time, but they’ll at least open training camp as an inarguable championship contender, armed with versatile, culture-fitting players either locked into contracts or playing for new ones. The roster is fully-healthy, balanced, and cohesive […]

The 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers gather for Media Day on Monday, with training camp set to get underway on Tuesday. For the first time in years, the Lakers are entering camp with an exciting, deep squad with established chemistry — and utterly devoid of drama. Expectations are as high as they’ve been in LeBron’s six […]

Four years ago, Magic Johnson went on national TV and called Rob Pelinka a backstabber. Now, he’s publicly heaping praise on the Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager for constructing an undeniable contender around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published on Friday, […]

Ahead of training camp, which begins with Media Day on Monday, Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham addressed the media at the team’s practice facility on Thursday. Over the course of an hour, Pelinka and Ham hit on a bevy of topics, including […]

When Anthony Davis is consistently making jumpers, he — and the Los Angeles Lakers — are virtually unstoppable. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened since the bubble, resulting (among other factors) in mid-tier halfcourt offenses over the past few seasons and up-and-down offensive box scores from AD. Austin Reaves, however, is optimistic. During a podcast appearance with […]

When reports surfaced on Wednesday that Indiana Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield is seeking a trade, I assume I wasn’t the only person invested in the Los Angeles Lakers to hear The Rock in my head. After all, Hield — a former Rob Pelinka client — has been linked to the Lakers for years (as was […]

ClutchPoints’ Lakers reporter Michael Corvo recently spoke with Austin Reaves’ older brother, Spencer, about Austin’s basketball journey, his experience with the Lakers and Team USA, LeBron James’ generosity, golf, and more. Here’s that conversation (edited and condensed for clarity). CP: You look more like Austin than I realized. It’s the hair, I guess. SR: Yeah, […]

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty will not be renewed for a third season, showrunner Max Borenstein confirmed shortly after the Season 2 finale aired. “Not the ending that we had in mind. But nothing but gratitude and love,” Borenstein wrote on X. “When you give it everything you’ve got, you can have […]

The creative team behind Season 2 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty compiled a companion guide outlining the historical accuracy of each episode, which was provided to ClutchPoints’ Lakers reporter. “We felt it important to show our work out of respect for the many living characters depicted,” the creators wrote. (Episodes begin with […]

On Friday morning, the Los Angeles Lakers and Jarred Vanderbilt agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year, $48 million contract extension, according to various sources, via Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul. Vanderbilt, who made $4.3 million in 2023-24, became extension-eligible this week. The Lakers already picked up Vando’s $4.7 million option for this season, so the […]

In its revamped efforts to prevent marquee players from sitting out regular season games, the NBA has introduced a new player participation policy (PPP). Here’s how the policy, which is set to go into effect for the 2023-24 season, may affect LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron and AD are the […]

Idan Ravin is a prolific basketball trainer who has worked with the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Carmelo Anthony. As the basketball producer on “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”, he’s tasked with transforming the cast into believable Lakers greats and advising on all basketball-related matters. Ahead of the Season 2 finale, […]

The creative team behind Season 2 of “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” compiled a companion guide outlining the historical accuracy of each episode, which they provided to ClutchPoints’ Lakers reporter. “We felt it important to show our work out of respect for the many living characters depicted,” the creators wrote. (Episodes begin with […]

After two months of consideration, conversations, and background checks, the Los Angeles Lakers finally came to terms with free-agent center Christian Wood. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers and Wood agreed to a two-year, $5.7 million veteran minimum contract with the second year as a player option. He’ll earn about $2.71 million in 2023-24. […]

The creative team behind Season 2 of “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” compiled a companion guide outlining the historical accuracy of each episode, which they provided to ClutchPoints’ Lakers reporter. “We felt it important to show our work out of respect for the many living characters depicted,” the creators wrote. (Episodes begin with […]

It’s 1982, and tensions are boiling up and down the Los Angeles Lakers organization in season two of ‘Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty‘. In season one, Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the ballclub, drafted Magic Johnson, hired Paul Westhead as head coach (and Pat Riley as his assistant), and the Lakers — captained by […]

Austin Reaves didn’t have his offensive A-game on Friday in Manila, but the Los Angeles Lakers guard still played an integral role in Team USA’s tightly contested 85-73 win vs. Montenegro at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Reaves came off the bench and played the second-most minutes on the team (24:56), behind Anthony Edwards. Once […]

Once again, Los Angeles Lakers rising star Austin Reaves stole the show in Team USA’s rousing 109-81 victory over an experienced Greece squad. In 17 minutes, Reaves dropped 15 points (team high), six assists, five rebounds, and two steals on his way to Player of the Game honors. In doing so, Reaves became the first […]

The creative team behind Season 2 of “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” compiled a companion guide outlining the historical accuracy of each episode, which they provided to ClutchPoints’ Lakers reporter. “We felt it important to show our work out of respect for the many living characters depicted,” the creators wrote. (Episodes begin with […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard (star?) Austin Reaves stole the show in Team USA’s first game at the 2023 FIBA World Cup — a smooth 99-72 win over New Zealand in Manila. Reaves — whose overall rapid ascendency has been encapsulated by his increasingly integral role on this Team USA squad full of young NBA stars […]

At 8:24 a.m. PT on 8/24 — Kobe Bryant Day, aka Mamba Day — the Los Angeles Lakers announced that the long-awaited Kobe statue would be unveiled on Feb. 8, 2024, in a ceremony outside Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets that evening. “As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA […]