Rob Pelinka Articles - Page 5

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a pickle. They have undoubtedly underperformed — the preseason favorites to win the West sit ninth in the conference and a season-worst three games below .500 after a 2-4 road trip. LeBron James (injured again), Anthony Davis (thankfully back), and Russell Westbrook (slightly rejuvenated) have only played 16 games […]

Unfortunately for Russell Westbrook, he has emerged as one of the biggest scapegoats for the Los Angeles Lakers as the team continues to struggle at this point in the season. Critics and fans alike have now taken out the pitchforks as they continue to criticize the Lakers for their decision to trade for Russ during […]

Much has been made about how Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel made the bold decision of benching Russell Westbrook in the dying minutes of LA’s January 19th loss to the Indiana Pacers. As it turns out, team general manager Rob Pelinka played a major role in the immediate aftermath of the incident as […]

The biggest news surrounding the NBA season as opening night approaches has nothing to do with basketball. Whether or not your team’s stars have had their COVID-19 vaccine administered is the question being asked all throughout NBA media day. The Los Angeles Lakers’ media day was no different. LeBron James was of course the loudest […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka sees LeBron James doing greater things this 2021-22 after his significant transformation this offseason, and the rest of the NBA should be scared. Pelinka recently shared how LeBron has become slimmer over the summer. Now, the Lakers exec said that such change in LeBron’s body should allow him […]

Most fans are buzzing about the Los Angeles Lakers’ newest addition Russell Westbrook, and for good reason. But even without him, LA was poised to win the title last season had Anthony Davis not gotten injured. With a shiny new toy in town, the spotlight has been taken away from Anthony Davis just a tad, […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have as much to work on off the court as they do on it this season. There’s no question that they have the talent to win it all. But how they’re able to communicate their roles and coax the necessary sacrifices from one another will be a vital part of their […]

We are just days away from the start of NBA training camps. For their part, the Los Angeles Lakers still have two open roster spots at the moment, and they already have a plan in the works. Rob Pelinka addressed the media in a press conference on Thursday. He revealed what the Lakers intend to […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka addressed the media on Thursday as he provided a bit of a glimpse of what to expect from LeBron James and the rest of his squad in the upcoming season. One of the topics that he covered was the Lakers’ revolutionary approach when it comes to player training […]

It’s been nearly two months since Alex Caruso parted ways with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, but there’s no denying that there are more than a few LA supporters who are still ruing the loss of the fan-favorite combo guard. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka recently opened up about the team’s failed attempt […]

Offseason transformations have become the norm for players from around the NBA this summer. As it turns out, however, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is taking a different approach. While most players have been bulking up this summer, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has revealed that LeBron has actually reduced his weight (h/t Chris […]

Once upon a time, the hiring of Rob Pelinka as the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers was seen as a bad move. There were a number of voices who were opposed to the Lakers’ Pelinka hire, for a variety of reasons. Even after LeBron James signed and the team swung a trade for […]

The Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with locker room favorite Jared Dudley this past week. While the conclusion of his time in LA was one filled with gratitude and well-wishes, Duds made sure to have the last say on his own exit. Jared Dudley spoke out to the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke on his […]

Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka firmly believes the Purple and Gold got a rare kind of a player in superstar guard Russell Westbrook. While a lot has been said about Westbrook’s impact on winning (or lack thereof) and his thing for triple-doubles, Pelinka has nothing but high praises for the 32-year-old. In fact in […]

The Los Angeles Lakers must be popping champagne and eating confetti and blasting fireworks right now with their sly deal to get Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. Well, apparently not. According to a report by CBS’ Lakers insider Bill Reiter, not every member of the Lakers brass was too happy with the Westbrook acquisition. […]

The Los Angeles Lakers may have failed to defend their championship this 2020-21 NBA season, but nobody’s salty about winning one out of three seasons in the LeBron James era. While Anthony Davis, Rob Pelinka, and James himself are obviously at the forefront of all the praise for their season of success, one unsung hero […]

It’s a done deal. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will completely be involved in the offseason moves of the Los Angeles Lakers. When we say involved, they’re gonna help decide who should stay. You reading this, Kyle Kuzma? Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka recently confirmed that LeBron and Davis will be sought […]

It has been some sort of waiting game for Dennis Schroder if he will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has hinted previously that he still has unfinished business after they fell short in the NBA playoffs in his first season with the squad. Rumors, however, have swirled that he’s on his way out. […]

Dennis Schroder had an anti-climatic end to his first stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. While he played solidly for most of the season, carving out a specific role as the team’s third scoring option, he didn’t find the same success in the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. His poor play was heavily criticized, […]

The midseason addition of Andre Drummond to the Los Angeles Lakers was interesting, to say the least. To be more succinct about it, it can be summarized using a single definitive word: Meh. Drummond suited up a total of 26 games, including the NBA Playoffs, in his first stint with the Lakers. In the regular […]

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson sent a message to the franchise’s General Manager Rob Pelinka after their early playoff ouster. But this isn’t just a team’s icon venting frustration, as these two have a history. Magic called out the underperformance of several Lakers on the roster, one constructed specifically by Pelinka himself. LA was […]

It’s going to be a very interesting offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers. On Thursday, the defending champs saw their season come to an abrupt end after bowing out to the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of their first-round matchup. There’s no denying that this was an utterly disappointing campaign for the Lakers, and at […]

After weeks of speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers have finally acquired big man Andre Drummond. Rob Pelinka, the mastermind behind the move, had some words to say on the latest addition to the already-beefy Lakers roster. Per Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, Pelinka praised Drummond’s two-way capabilities. The addition, as always, is to solidify the roster […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made sure he didn’t forget his late friend Kobe Bryant during the team’s championship ring ceremony at Staples Center on Tuesday. Right before the Lakers’ opening night tip-off against the Los Angeles Clippers, the reigning champions received some well-deserved jewelry for winning the 2020 Larry O’Brien trophy. Pelinka […]

The late Los Angeles Lakers icon in Kobe Bryant was known for mentoring select up-and-coming players after his retirement from a decorated 20-year playing career back in 2016. One of them was Anthony Davis, who worked out together with the Lakers legend back in the summer of 2018. After the training session, Davis’ game on […]

While the Los Angeles Lakers were able to land Dennis Schroder in a successful trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers front office has always had their eyes on the 27-year-old guard according to vice president Rob Pelinka. Pelinka spoke on Thursday in regards to how the Lakers had always been in pursuit of […]

There’s been a lot of speculation into how much Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will be on the floor in the 2020-21 season. The NBA along with the NBPA agreed on a Dec. 22 start date, which gave teams that made a deep run in the 2020 playoffs a smaller window of recovery from […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have been immersed in offseason business in the past week, acquiring Dennis Schroder  in a trade and setting up the roster for free agency. Kyle Kuzma’s name has come up in plenty of trade rumors of late, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka addressed Kuz’s status with the franchise on Thursday: […]

The Los Angeles Lakers won’t have a championship parade to celebrate the franchise’s 17th NBA title in front of their fans. Still, to anyone who’s placing an asterisk on the Lakers’ title won inside the Orlando bubble, L.A.’s executive vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka has an apt response: “I spend a lot of […]

Kobe and Gianna Bryant were tragically unable to witness the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers win the franchise’s 17th championship, but both basketball stars may have foreseen it. During an appearance on ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski’s “The Woj Pod,” Lakers executive vice president and general manger Rob Pelinka—who was one of Kobe’s closest friends, former agent, and […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka believes the team has “flexibility” cap-wise to build around LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the long-haul. Pelinka says the Lakers’ goal is to add another talented young player next to James and Davis. “We hope we can have another championship run, build pieces around LeBron and AD,” […]

The entire Laker nation was in ecstasy after the Los Angeles Lakers clinched championship number 17 for the franchise on Sunday, following their Game 6 victory over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. This, of course, included Vanessa Bryant, who herself commemorated the title win by getting a new tattoo in honor of her […]

Not too long ago, Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson had tumultuous fallout after the latter resigned as the Los Angeles Lakers’ president of basketball operations.  It didn’t take a while for the two to patch things up. In fact, after the Lakers snagged the 2020 NBA title, the two have already talked about repeating as […]

The late Los Angeles Lakers legend in Kobe Bryant had an invaluable impact on the current Vice President of Operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, who served as Bryant’s agent during his playing years. With the former Lakers superstar now gone, Pelinka said he often heard Bryant’s voice in his head telling him to “stay […]

Not long after the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the championship on Sunday against the Miami Heat, team general manager Rob Pelinka gave his former colleague, Magic Johnson, a call. It was a gesture that acknowledged Johnson’s contributions towards this championship, despite the fact that the Hall of Famer is no longer with the team. Magic […]

Vannessa Bryant was among the millions who rejoiced around the world following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship-winning game against the Miami Heat on Sunday. Vanessa, the widow of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, was quick to congratulate the team and its general manager Rob Pelinka. Pelinka, of course, is a close family friend of […]

Once again, the Los Angeles Lakers were snubbed by the voters in the end-of-season awards. While this might be an issue for Purple and Gold fans, big man Anthony Davis isn’t surprised that Rob Pelinka didn’t win Executive of the Year. Per Harrison Faigen of SB Nation, Davis seemingly downplayed the Pelinka snub for the […]

LeBron James once again took the subtle route with how the Los Angeles Lakers have apparently been slighted in most awards this year. The future Hall of Famer kept it simple when asked about Lakers vice president Rob Pelinka finishing in seventh place in Executive of the Year voting. https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1314281305970884608 https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1314290303046545408 To make matters worse […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the NBA Finals after a decade, and one of the people who is rightfully getting credit for it is General Manager Rob Pelinka. Pelinka was responsible for putting together a team surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a team that is now just four wins away from the […]