Los Angeles Lakers Articles - Page 717

When you constantly compare and tell an 18-year-old who has yet to play a single NBA game that he is the next version of one of the league’s top superstar players, you should almost expect that player to be a little more than confident. There would be no surprise to see him completely engrossed in what […]

It was a love fest all season long when Kobe Bryant played his final game in each arena, but no game was bigger or more exciting than his last time suiting up as a Los Angeles Laker at Staples Center. He miraculously scored 60 points in a win against the Utah Jazz. Up to that […]

The video below starts out promising. The slow-motion and focus on D’Angelo Russell has you thinking the young Laker is about to take Jimmy Butler to school. Then, the opposite happens. “Get that weak stuff out of here, young blood.” – Jimmy Butler, probably. D'Angelo Russell vs. Jimmy Butler Advantage: Jimmy 'No' Bucketshttps://t.co/RRaLtcilXt — Bleacher […]

The NBA saw another one of its legends retire last season in Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s career was filled with tons of epic moments and accomplishments, including his historic final game in which he dropped 60 points on the Utah Jazz. Now that Kobe is officially retired from the league, he will have ample time to […]

The most common comparison for Brandon Ingram since he became a legitimate NBA prospect has been Kevin Durant. Ingram shares the same build, which lends towards his familiar style of play. No one is putting pressure on Ingram to be exactly Durant, but if he can even become a slightly less productive version of the […]

There was actually a chance that the final memory of Kobe Bryant on a basketball court wasn’t going to be his 60-point show against the Utah Jazz in this year’s regular season finale. Team USA basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski actually consulted Kobe on the possibility of him playing in the Rio Olympics. Coach K […]

Kevin Durant didn’t just decide not to join the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, he didn’t even consider them. Durant allowed many teams to court him, from the Warriors to the Spurs, Clippers, Celtics, and the incumbent Thunder. Teams like the Lakers and the Knicks didn’t make the cut. It’s not surprising for basketball reasons. […]

In past Drew League seasons, it has been somewhat of a norm for an NBA player to bring his celebrity girlfriend to attend a game. And the players usually respond by playing really well. Just last year, Nick Young brought his now ex-girlfriend Iggy Azalea, and lit up the court. James Harden was not to be […]

A comparison that has been consistently thrown around by those assessing Brandon Ingram over the last couple of years has been to Kevin Durant. These comparisons were always going to be made, as Ingram was drafted into the NBA by the Los Angeles Lakers as a diverse scorer playing in the same position as Durant […]

D’Angelo Russell averaged 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists for the Los Angeles Lakers in the Las Vegas Summer League. Apparently, those numbers were not good enough to be named to the first or second All-Summer League teams. Russell only played in four games. By contrast, Tyus Jones of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who averaged […]

Not many NBA players have regressed as much as Roy Hibbert over the last few years. Hibbert was one of the best rim protectors in the NBA, pivotal to the Indiana Pacers’ success and run to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. But with small ball gaining more steam across the league, Hibbert […]

Jim Buss, owner and head of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t begin with the best of fortunes as he and his sister Jeanie Buss took over the team after his father, the legendary Jerry Buss, passed away years ago. A few of their moves backfired, like acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash […]

During his time with Los Angeles Lakers in 2012-13, Dwight Howard had a nightmare of a season. Aside from the much publicized chemistry issues he had with Kobe Bryant and other teammates, one more thing that troubled him then was his blood-glucose levels being “through the roof.” It was safe to say that he had a […]

Nick Young has had a tumultuous last few months. Between the initial incident with D’Angelo Russell that caused an immense amount of drama with the Lakers and his fiancé Iggy Azalea to the sort of feud that’s surfaced with Gilbert Arenas, Swaggy P has a had a lot going on that’s unrelated to basketball. But […]

In an atypical change to the common story lines of the NBA, Jose Calderon recently mentioned in an interview that he “would’ve been the backup point guard” in New York if they had someone like Derrick Rose earlier in his time there. Overall, Calderon’s general skill-level and effectiveness have decreased significantly in recent years, which […]

Apparently, wins aren’t all that matters when it comes to the value of professional sports franchises. Despite creeping near the top of the lottery the past few seasons, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers still made Forbes’ top 10 list of most valuable franchises in the world, which was released Thursday. From Stefan […]

Just when things were actually going their way, the Los Angeles Lakers received a crushing blow at the end of their 2016 Summer League mini-season. Larry Nance Jr., the high-flying second year forward from the University of Wyoming, had been one of the better players at the summer games in Las Vegas. He filled up […]

April 13th, 2016 will go down as one of the most historic days in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers. After 20 years of dominance for the only organization he ever knew, Kobe Bryant played his final game that evening. Despite the Lakers’ pitiful 16-65 record going into his final bout, the atmosphere at […]

It seems Lamar Odom just can’t catch a break. Early this morning, Odom was supposed to catch an overnight flight from LA to NY. Before the flight, Lamar was seen polishing off some beer and whiskey, easing his mind to say the least. As Odom boarded the plane and took his seat, the alcohol began to […]

Everyone that follows basketball has an opinion on Kevin Durant’s free agency decision to take his talents to the Bay Area and join the Golden State Warriors. Not only have fans been reacting to the news, but former players too. Charles Barkley, who didn’t manage to win a championship during his Hall of Fame career, […]

For the second consecutive year, Larry Nance Jr. has been one of the main attractions for the Los Angeles Lakers during their Summer League games in Las Vegas. In the summer of 2015, Nance blocked a shot from number three overall pick Jahlil Okafor so hard that he initially thought that he might’ve broken his […]

The NBA salary cap soared to historic heights this offseason, leading to players receiving insane contracts. The league has seen an increase in popularity over the past five years, which has lead to a spike in revenue at almost $1 billion. Add that to the new $24 billion TV contract, and the NBA salary cap […]

D’Angelo Russell hit the 3-point dagger with 1.8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a 70-69 win over the 76ers in last night’s Las Vegas Summer League game. Russell stole the limelight from the anticipated Ben Simmons versus Brandon Ingram rookie show with a dominant scoring performance. He was 8-of-20 from the field, […]

It wasn’t the best day for D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers and Russell could not find a way to get a lead over Philly. D’Lo was 6-18 from the field going into the last 30 seconds or so of the 4th quarter. That is when he got going. The Lakers were down two points with 10 […]

Tonight was our first chance to see this year’s top two draft picks Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram face off at the Las Vegas Summer League. The Lakers vs. 76ers game went down to the wire with D’Angelo Russell pulling out a thriller three-point buzzer beater at 1.8 seconds left to seal the Lakers 70-69 […]

The NBA released it’s list of the top merchandise sold between April and June (playoff time), and it’s no surprise who the most sold jerseys belong to. According to NBA.com, MVP Stephen Curry ranks at the top of the list at #1. Following close behind are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. […]

With NBA free agency winding down and basically every big name accounted for, this is the time for the well-traveled veterans and unknowns to start making their rounds. One such name that has attracted interest from numerous teams is big man Drew Gooden. Gooden spent his last three seasons with the Washington Wizards until they […]

With July 7th’s moratorium-ending deadline coming and passing, free agency seems to be ceasing to an end, and general managers around the league now turn to the 2017 class of superstars unsigned to their incumbent franchises. Thunder‘s Westbrook has already started making rumors, with the point guard reportedly refusing to sign an extension and risking a blockbuster […]

Jordan Clarkson couldn’t have signed his $50 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers any sooner. Not only has he found a new life financially, but he has someone special to share it with, at least for now. Clarkson is said to be causally dating Kendall Jenner. He spent the 4th of July with her […]

Nick Young came very close to ending his NBA career after he picked up a lit firework that exploded in his hand and near his face this past Monday. He was lucky that no serious damage occurred, particularly after New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul suffered serious damage last Fourth of in a similar […]

Since Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA in April, life after the Lakers has been good for the Mamba. He’s remained out of the spotlight, and declined invitations to be on national TV as an analyst in favor of working on his own company brand, Kobe, Inc. Today, he can add another cool addition to his […]

In the latest of the Dwight Howard saga, Howard opened up about this past season with the Houston Rockets. When asked on his decision to leave the Rockets and sign with his hometown, the Atlanta Hawks, Howard said last years season left a bad taste in his mouth. “I’m really (ticked) off about last season,” […]

There has been no shortage of reaction to the news of Kevin Durant‘s decision to join the Golden State Warriors. While some applaud the decision, others see it as an easy way out. After all, Durant is joining an already stacked championship team. Also, it’s the same team that beat him and the Oklahoma City […]

Only a year after graduating from high school and a few months out of his one-year stint with the Duke Blue Devils, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram already has very big shoes to fill. Not only are the Lakers coming off their worst season ever, their franchise player and most prolific scorer ever, Kobe […]

Jerry West brings improvement and victories to wherever he goes. As an executive with the Lakers, Grizzlies and now the Warriors, it’s tough not to recognize his eye for basketball and his passion for winning. It was reported that one of the biggest influences on Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Warriors was a phone call […]

When Kobe Bryant retired, he took numerous things with him: Laker fans’ hearts, 5 championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs, 18-time NBA All-Star Appearances, 4-time NBA All-Star Game MVPs among other things. But one thing he couldn’t take was his locker. With legends such as Kobe and possibly with Tim Duncan retiring, a generation of players are disappearing […]

The off court drama for Lakers guard Nick Young continues. A TMZ video shows ‘Swaggy P’ picking up a lit firework which then explodes in his hand during a Fourth of July celebration. This video comes one year after New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre Paul blew off pieces of three fingers during a […]

Free agent center Roy Hibbert has reportedly agreed to join the Charlotte Hornets for one year at $5 million. Last season, he struggled to regain his all-star form, in his lone season with the Lakers. He will try to resurrect his career in Charlotte under coach Steve Clifford and his assistant, Hibbert’s fellow Georgetown alumni, […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy during the first few days of free agency. They’ve brought in newcomers Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng, and now they’ve reached a new deal with Tarik Black. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, Black has agreed to re-sign a two-year, $12.85 million contract with Los Angeles. The […]