Michael Corvo Articles - Page 23

LeBron James would like the referees to start backing up their words with their whistles. Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ (2-9) 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday — their ninth straight L to their Crypto.com Arena co-tenants — LeBron used his postgame media session to criticize the way he’s being officiated. It […]

As if things couldn’t get any more worrisome for the 2-9 Los Angeles Lakers, the ailments keep racking up for LeBron James. Midway through the fourth quarter of his team’s 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday — the Lakers’ ninth straight loss to the Clips — LeBron aggravated his groin injury and […]

Los Angeles Lakers billionaire superstar LeBron James has repeatedly vocalized his intentions to own an NBA franchise. A stake in an NFL team could come first. Via his partnership with Fenway Sports Group, LeBron (with his business partner Maverick Carter), has dabbled in sports ownership outside of basketball. Last year, LeBron and Carter became the […]

Through 10 games, the 2022-23 season for the Los Angeles Lakers — and the 20th season for LeBron James — has literally been a painful experience. Anthony Davis is playing through a sore back that has caused him to miss one game and parts of others. Multiple Lakers have dealt with a non-COVID illness, including […]

LeBron James has been dealing with lingering foot soreness and a non-COVID illness for over a week now. Despite the ailments, the 37-year-old has not missed a game for the 2-6 Los Angeles Lakers, though he hasn’t quite looked like himself on the court. James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in […]

After the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Utah Jazz on Friday. the postgame media session was focused on LeBron James. Not his lingering (non-COVID) virus and foot soreness, nor his 17 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists on 7-of-19 shooting, nor the uncharacteristically subpar effort by his team’s defense, which Anthony Davis and Darvin […]

The knives have been out for Los Angeles Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka. The blades only sharpened after his four-year(!) contract extension was made public before the team got off to an 0-5 start (following a 1-6 preseason). The criticism is fair. To summarize without rehashing all the plot […]

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers — and their fans — fell back in love with Russell Westbrook. The feeling seemed mutual. At least for one night. Westbrook came off the bench for the second game in a row and helped lead the Lakers to their first win of the season;  a spirited and balanced […]

Overall, Russell Westbrook played well in his debut as the Los Angeles Lakers sixth man on Friday. And while his role may have been different, the team’s result was more of the same: another loss, this one a 111-102 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Russell Westbrook has played 82 total games for the Lakers. The […]

The Los Angeles Lakers, playing without Anthony Davis, dropped to 0-5 after losing 111-102 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, there were a few encouraging signs from their defeat, including Russell Westbrook’s performance in his first game coming off the bench since his rookie season. Westbrook’s stat line won’t blow anybody away: 18 points (6-of-17 shooting, […]

The Los Angeles Lakers plan to shift Russell Westbrook to a bench role for the foreseeable future, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Assuming Anthony Davis, who is a game-time decision with back stiffness, suits up against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers will put Russ’ “realignment” into motion on Friday night. Experimenting with Westbrook off the […]

At Los Angeles Lakers Media Day, Anthony Davis stated his goal for the 2022-23 season: play 82 games. Allie Clifton: "Any personal goals for you going [into this season]?" Anthony Davis: "As much as I can, play all 82 [games], and then get back to the level of basketball that I know I'm capable of […]

The Los Angeles Lakers, now 0-4, have a litany of problems. The Russell Westbrook conundrum, the subpar roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, their historically abysmal 3-point shooting, a tough schedule and stacked Western Conference, the front office’s post-bubble losing streak, their inability to win basketball games, the vibes, man. Following a 110-99 loss […]

It’s too early to fairly judge, evaluate or eulogize the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers. It has only been three games. As Darvin Ham has accurately pointed out, each of their three losses — while discouraging and frustrating in their own ways (25-0f-118 from 3!) — have produced legitimate reasons for optimism. LeBron James and Anthony […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have listed Russell Westbrook as doubtful on the team’s injury report for Wednesday’s road game against the Denver Nuggets, citing “left hamstring soreness.” Here's the Lakers' official status report for the Nuggets game tomorrow. Russell Westbrook is doubtful with "left hamstring soreness." pic.twitter.com/DlgFCE3QYo — Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) October 25, 2022 Westbrook […]

Buoyed by another impressive defensive effort, the Los Angeles Lakers made an energizing run to take a 98-90 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then, Darvin Ham put Russell Westbrook back in the game. The move played right into the Blazers’ hands. Chauncey Billups put his hulking center, Jusuf […]

The Los Angeles Lakers want Russell Westbrook to come off the bench be an elite role player. That means tightening the screws on defense and putting forth equal effort on both ends, regardless if he’s on or off the ball. They also need him to take, and ideally make, open shots. In Thursday’s home opener […]

The Los Angeles Lakers were thoroughly outclassed by the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. They fell behind by as much as 27 and lost 123-109. The fact that these Lakers failed to hang with the defending champions isn’t newsworthy or surprising unto itself. But the ways in which they struggled — and their corresponding postgame […]

LeBron James didn’t waste any time implicitly calling out the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office. Minutes after the Lakers shot 10-of-4o from 3-point range in an ultimately non-competitive 123-109 season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center, LeBron — who effortless dropped 31 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists on 12-of-25 shooting […]

Russell Westbrook was in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night, days after leaving the preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings on Friday with a strained hamstring — which, notably, was the first game of his Lakers tenure in which the team asked him to run with the reserves. After Tuesday’s […]

Relative to the calamity that was the 2021-22 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have high expectations for their 2022-23 campaign, which begins on Tuesday at the Chase Center against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. There’s a new coaching staff, fresh systems on offense and defense, and a younger supporting cast around LeBron James, Anthony […]

For the second straight season, the Los Angeles Lakers will battle the Golden State Warriors on NBA opening night. One year ago, the Dubs took down the new-look LakeShow in Los Angeles, 121-114. That game turned out to be somewhat foreshadowing. The Lakers displayed zero chemistry in contrast to the Warriors’ smooth operation, LeBron James […]

For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Lakers experienced an inauspicious preseason. In 2021-22, they lost all six warmup contests in what turned out to be a foreboding glimpse of a disastrous campaign. This time around, now under Darvin Ham, the Lakers scraped out one exhibition victory while sandwiching their 1-5 slate with 30+ […]

Russell Westbrook will be listed as “day-to-day” with left hamstring soreness, according to the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook has no structural damage in his hamstring, per Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, though his status for Tuesday’s season opener vs. the Golden State Warriors is up the air. Russell Westbrook (hamstring) and Dennis Schroder (finger) are both “day […]

On Friday morning, ESPN reported that Darvin Ham will bring Russell Westbrook off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings. Later in the day, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha said he believes Westbrook will not start on opening night on Tuesday. (The Athletic previously reported that Los Angeles was “strongly” […]

The Los Angeles Lakers will hold out Anthony Davis for the team’s preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings on Friday as the eight-time All-Star continues to deal with lower back tightness. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Davis did not make the trip to Sacramento for “precautionary reasons.” The Lakers are being […]

Russell Westbrook told his side of the story regarding clips that went viral on Thursday morning that seemed to show the nine-time All-Star opting not to join his Los Angeles Lakers teammates in huddles during their preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. If you have somehow missed the footage, Westbrook was not a part of […]

Darvin Ham has repeatedly stated that Anthony Davis is the key to success — and the ultimate ceiling-raiser — for the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers. Obviously, his health is paramount (AD’s goal is to play 82 games). On defense, Davis will be the focal point of Ham’s “centerfield” scheme, and may even start the season […]

Historically, Anthony Davis has articulated his preference to play more power forward than center, noting the physical toll manning the middle can take over the course of a season. However, he’s always been willing to slide to the five in selective spots — including crunch time and in key playoff moments — with the understanding […]

The Los Angeles Lakers made another minor transaction on Monday as they continue to tinker with their training camp roster. The team added guard Bryce Hamilton and requested waivers on guard LJ Figueroa, who was signed on Saturday, along with Shaquille Harrison. Hamilton, a Pasadena native, spent the last four years starring for UNLV. He […]

The Los Angeles Lakers awarded Rob Pelinka a contract extension on Saturday. The general manager’s deal now runs through the 2025-26 season — putting him on the same contractual timeline as their recently hired head coach, Darvin Ham. Yahoo’s Chris Haynes first reported the news, which represents a major vote of confidence for the occasionally […]

The Los Angeles Lakers made a couple of transactions before practice on Saturday. The organization signed LJ Figueroa and Shaquille Harrison and correspondingly waived Javante McCoy and Dwayne Bacon. Harrison, 29, has played 175 NBA games (23 starts) in his five-season career, averaging 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 15.2 minutes. […]

Dennis Schroder has reportedly resolved a hold-up with his worker visa and has been cleared to travel back from Germany and join the Los Angeles Lakers. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Schroder will fly to Los Angeles this weekend. Schroder signed with the Lakers on a one-year, $2.64 million contract in September. He has been overseas […]

Los Angeles Lakers billionaire superstar LeBron James has oft-stated his intention to own an NBA team. On Wednesday, he directly called dibs to commissioner Adam Silver on governing a potential expansion franchise in Las Vegas. “It was wonderful,” LeBron said about Vegas after the Lakers’ preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns (also on the market) […]

LeBron James has seen as much basketball as anyone in the universe. Even he’s never #witnessed anything quite like Victor Wembanyama. Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason game against the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas, LeBron mentioned that he was in the building on Tuesday to watch the 18-year-old Frenchman take on projected No. 2 […]

Anthony Davis was a last-minute scratch from the Los Angeles Lakers preseason contest against the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas on Wednesday due to lower back tightness. He won’t play in the second leg of their back-to-back in the desert on Thursday, head coach Darvin Ham said after the Lakers’ 119-115 loss to the Phoenix […]

The 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers and Darvin Ham made their unofficial debut on Monday — a 105-75 preseason loss against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Fair or unfair, the evening ended with the Lakers getting booed off the floor. Here we go! this is accurate https://t.co/cyTs1YIS2T — Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) October 4, 2022 The […]

The 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers have completed their first week of training camp under head coach Darvin Ham. The week in El Segundo has included culture-setting film sessions, jovial shooting contests, Kendrick Nunn playing basketball, taped rectangles on the floor, new terminology, uncertainty over Russell Westbrook’s role, and amusing Patrick Beverley soundbites. Let’s run through […]

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is trying to sort out his starting lineup around LeBron James,  Anthony Davis, and, most likely, Russell Westbrook. After practice wrapped on Friday — the fourth day of training camp — Ham provided some early insight into what he’s thinking, at least thus far. Ham told reporters that […]