Lakers in the News 12/21/15 - 12/27/15: Kobe on leading All-Star voting: 'What the hell?'
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 1:15 pm    Post subject:

24 wrote:
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lakersfreak wrote:
5 Reasons Luke Walton Should Be Lakers' Next Head Coach
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Whatever it takes, the Lakers need to make Luke Walton the next head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers almost surely aren’t going to fire head coach Byron Scott before the end of the 2015-16 season. That’s incredibly unfortunate considering that, by the calculations of multiple factions of Lakers fans, Scott has been deserving of a firing for quite some time. However, all signs point to him sticking around for the remainder of the season.

However, that might not actually be the worst thing for the future of the franchise—as crazy as that may sound considering all of the negative things that Scott has done for this team. While the remainder of the 2015-16 season could be grueling for fans to suffer through, the end result of waiting out Scott until the end of this season could very well be the Lakers having the chance to hire the coach that would save the franchise and usher them into the future: Luke Walton.

Walton is currently serving as the interim head coach of the defending champion Golden State Warriors. You may have heard that they’ve had an okay start to the 2015-16 season. While the infrastructure for the Warriors was set into place by Steve Kerr last season, Walton has only run with it and helped coach Golden State to levels of success legitimately never seen before in the NBA.

With Kerr returning sometime in the future and the job almost surely still being his with the Warriors, Walton is going to be one of the hottest head-coaching candidates out there. Considering that Walton is a former Lakers player and what he could mean for the development of players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and others, the Lakers would be foolish to not hire the 35-year-old.

Not that it takes much convincing to say that someone not named Byron Scott should be head coach in Los Angeles, here are five reasons why Walton is the perfect man to take the helm of the Lakers and lead them to success with this young core of players in a post Kobe Byrant era.

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Many reasons why Luke won't be leaving the Warriors any time soon - most of them are logical and conducive to his upcoming career as a HC
Like most of life, getting hired as a basketball coach is a timing situation. Luke may have the best buzz of any guy out there right now, and this summer will likely be the time to capitalize.
Timing is indeed critical for immediate but maybe short career - as noted by the success(?) of DFish, Houghberg(?) and others.

Good assistants from title-winning teams (even from The Zen Master) will always be offered HC positions
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:55 am    Post subject:

Kobe Has ‘Zero’ Thoughts About Rethinking Retirement
by Dan Duangdao - lakersnation.com

After a poor start to his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant was heavily criticized for his shot selection and how he should take a step back for the young core of D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson.

With Kobe announcing his retirement on Nov. 30, he has regained his form and the farewell tour is in full effect. Since head coach Byron Scott began to limit the five-time champion to 30 minutes on most nights, his shot selection and efficiency has improved.

While Kobe is still shooting 34.5 percent on the season, he is shooting over 50 percent in his last four games.

Following his 31-point performance against the Denver Nuggets, Kobe was asked if he is rethinking retirement. Despite his strong play, Kobe says he has ‘zero’ thoughts according to LakersNation.com reporter Serena Winters:

Kobe was asked yet again if nights like tonight make him re-think retirement. The answer is no, "not even an inkling."

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:58 am    Post subject:

After Game Videos - Thunder @ Lakers
by lakersnation.com

D'Angelo Russell After The Lakers 35-Point Loss To The Thunder

Kobe Bryant Signs Shoes For Kevin Durant, Writes Special Message

Byron Scott On Kobe Bryant & Kevin Durant
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:02 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant exchange shoes, praise after Lakers' loss
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Durant and Kobe had some kind words for each on Wednesday night

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant have long seen each other as kindred spirits, with the elder Bryant acting as an occasional mentor (and dinner companion) to the younger superstar, and Durant having Kobe's back in the face of what he saw as an unfair amount of media criticism of Bryant's poor play earlier this season.

This friendliness did not stop Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder from running Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers off of the floor in a 120-85 blowout loss on Wednesday night. Kobe was able to turn back time in the second quarter of the contest, going 5-8 (2-14 the rest of the game) in a duel with Thunder's dynamic duo of Russell Westbrook and Durant, but the two led a 22-0 OKC run to begin the third quarter that ended any semblance of competitiveness between the teams.

Bryant accepted the loss (with a strange analogy) after the game, and both he and Durant were in a good mood after the game, with each offering glowing praise of the other one and even exchanging shoes:

Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant exchanged shoes tonight. Kobe wrote on the pair he gave to Durant, "To KD: Be the greatest! #24"

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:03 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant Has Become Kevin Durant's Spirit Animal
by Kevin Ding - bleacherreport.com

Kevin Durant knows his Chicago Bulls-Oklahoma City Thunder game is the mere opening act before the NBA Finals rematch and Christmas showcase between LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors.

Being the snow-crunching reindeer ahead of Santa's big scene isn't all bad.

It's just not what All-Stars truly aspire to.

Durant knows Cavs-Dubs was the most-watched NBA championship series since Michael Jordan's heyday in 1998, and he certainly knows how deeply it stung him that James and Curry got to play for everything while Durant was just trying to walk normally after a third surgery on his right foot.

We know Durant knows because he tells us how he feels. The 2014 NBA MVP flat-out said he was "jealous" of 2012-13 MVP James and 2015 MVP Curry. Durant has a mind, and he speaks it.

There's realness to Kevin Durant these days. He has effectively muted what was expected to be an epic free-agent distraction by owning the discussion and authentically staying in the moment.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:24 am    Post subject:

Shaq gives special thanks to Kobe (Video)

Note: This is from Shaq's Lakers Jersey Retirement Speech a couple years back. Thought it was fitting since this is Kobe's final season.

Shaq gives special thanks to Kobe
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:51 pm    Post subject:

The road has been long and tough for Lakers, but January brings relief
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

Jordan Clarkson keeps forgetting the number of his hotel room.

It's not his fault. It's the schedule.

By the time December ends, the Lakers will have played 22 road games and only 11 at home.

There weren't many Lakers supporters when the schedule was announced in August.

"When I looked at November and December, I wasn't happy. This has been a crazy start for us," Coach Byron Scott said Tuesday after the Lakers won in Denver. "All the time that we've spent on the road has been ridiculous."

Scott was irritated by one thing in particular. As the Lakers bounce from city to city (to city), they don't practice as long or as often. When they do, it's usually in unfamiliar facilities.

The Lakers miss El Segundo more than you know.

"When you have a young team, [the schedule] took away the ability for us to have a lot of practices," Scott said. "That's the thing that we need. We need to work on our defensive rotations, we need to work on rebounding, we need to work on our offense. When you don't have the time to do that, it's going to hurt you."

The Lakers played eight road games on a 13-day trip to start December. Then they came home for two games and hit the road for two. Now they're home for two games and will finish the month at Memphis, Charlotte and Boston.

Confused? So are the Lakers.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:53 pm    Post subject:

Lou Williams benefitting from starting role without ball-handling duties
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The lineup switch sparked initial frustration between D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. The Lakers’ two prized assets understandably hoped to develop in prominent roles.

Constant hand wringing also emerged among a passionate fanbase wanting to see the Lakers prioritize playing their long-term assets.

But another development emerged after Lakers coach Byron Scott changed his starting lineup two weeks ago. The Lakers have produced more offensively with Lou Williams manning the starting shooting guard spot. He entered Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma City at Staples Center averaging 16.9 points on 50 percent shooting in six games as a starter. Meanwhile, Russell posted 11.86 points on 40.6 percent shooting through 22 games as a starter.

“It’s pretty much what I expected,” Scott said. But Williams also expected something else.

“I judge my performance on wins and losses,” said Williams, mindful of the Lakers’ ranking last in the Western Conference. “We’re a young team. Nearly nine times out of 10, it shows when it comes to finishing games.”

Hence, Williams revealed he has probably been his “most vocal I’ve had to be with a team” during his 10-year NBA career.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:54 pm    Post subject:

Lakers' Bench Reactions Becoming Thing of Legend (VIDEO)
by Eric Yee - lakeshowlife.com

Next time you flip on a Lakers game, be sure to watch for the hilarious reactions on the bench

With only five wins under their belt over a quarter of the way through the season, there is little to smile about if you play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Since announcing his pending retirement at the end of November, Kobe Bryant and boys in Purple and Gold have taken fans on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Some games they show promise, one step forward. Other games they’re godawful, two steps back. Almost every game they’re down by double-digits. But aside from Kobe Bryant‘s ongoing farewell tour, it’s actually their antics on the sideline that have made every Lakers’ game must watch TV.

Most famously noted for their reaction to Shannon Brown‘s amazing block against the Atlanta Hawks circa 2009, the Lakers’ bench hasn’t had much to cheer about in recent years.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:53 pm    Post subject:

Lakers Trying To Find Balance Between Kobe Bryant And Ball Movement
by Serena Winters - lakersnation.com

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant kept NBA fans entertained in the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers 35-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Bryant smiled when Durant’s length got the best of him, blocking a three-point attempt followed by stripping him in the paint, all in one possession. And, Durant smiled too, shaking his head, after he bit on one of Bryant’s many pump fakes, something Bryant got a kick out of after the game.

“I spent literally the entire summer, showing him my pump fake and how to draw fouls and then they both (Durant and Russell Westbrook) fell for it,” Bryant laughed, referring to the summer of 2012 when all three were members of Team USA.

But, the entertainment stopped after the first half, when the Thunder held the Lakers scoreless for nearly six minutes of action, encapsulating a 22-0 Oklahoma City run.

With this being Bryant’s final season, his last time going head to head with the biggest names in the NBA, of course the matchups become the center of attention. The story centers around appreciating his greatness, respecting one of the best to ever play the game, which also means as teammates, stepping back and allowing Bryant to do his thing one final time.

But, the Lakers also have a young core to bring along, develop, show them how to play the game the right way. So what’s the balance then of ball movement, and the ‘Kobe Show,’ so to speak?

Head coach Byron Scott is still trying to find it.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:54 pm    Post subject:

Lamar Odom Has Taken Significant Strides Forward In Recent Days, Sources Say
by Juliet Spies-Gans - huffingtonpost.com

Finally, some good news on the state of Lamar Odom has come out of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. According to sources close to the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Odom “shock[ed] his doctors” over the weekend by taking three steps on his own -- a marked sign of improvement just two months after his reported drug overdose in a Nevada brothel.

“He gets better a little bit every day,” a source told Us Weekly. “He’s supposed to go to the rehab any day now.”

His first unassisted, physical strides forward were paired with a cognitive leap in the past few days, as Odom -- who has recently been suffering from severe memory lapses -- was able to "recognize a hospital staff member," according to TMZ. This proof of mental function is especially welcome in light of last week's report that he still occasionally forgets his own name.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:58 pm    Post subject:

Kobe compares the Lakers to a barking cat when asked why he is okay with the team's losing
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Kobe with possibly the strangest quote of his career, which is quite an accomplishment

Kobe Bryant is one of the most legendary competitors the NBA has ever seen, so it's fitting that his 19-year career has been filled with mostly accomplishments and winning. Bryant has won one regular season MVP, two NBA Finals MVPs, appeared in 17 All-Star games (winning MVP of four of them), and won five championships.

This season has not seen anywhere close to that level of success, either for Bryant individually or for the Lakers as a unit. Until a recent stretch of solid play, Bryant was having inarguably the worst season of his career, and the Lakers' record sits at 5-24 as the team careens towards setting a new franchise low for wins for the third consecutive year.

All of these struggles have led many observers to wonder why the famously competitive Bryant seems so at peace with all of the Lakers' losing. Bryant explained his thought process after the Lakers' latest loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, and the answer was a doozy:

"You have to be realistic about what we're facing and where we are right now as a team and as an organization. You can train a cat all you want to bark. That damn cat is not going to bark. There's no sense in yelling at it. Simple as that.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:01 pm    Post subject:

Grant Hill: Kobe Bryant Was ‘By Far The Toughest’ Player To Guard
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

Well before Kobe Bryant was drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan, many believed the next transcendent NBA superstar would be Grant Hill.

Unfortunately, injuries robbed Hill of many of his prime years, but he was still able to have a nice career and play against many of the best the league had to offer.

In an interview with Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, Hill revealed that no one was more difficult to guard than Kobe:

“In Phoenix, why the hell I was guarding him at 36, 37, I don’t know,” Hill told Sporting News. “It was one of those things where, of all the guys I had to guard at that time, he was by far the toughest.”

Hill would expound on exactly what made Kobe so difficult to contain:

“Certain guys, even All-Stars, you can guard and you have a game plan […] But with Kobe, he was so good, you could throw all the analytics out the window, you could forget trying to play against his tendencies and all of that. Because you could do everything right. You could be on him, you could guess right on what he was going to do, you could time it perfectly, everything. And you turn around, and the ball goes in. And you go, ‘Well, OK.’ ”

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 9:38 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant's 'all-day process'
by Baxter Holmes - espn.go.com

Many years ago, when Kobe Bryant's games were filled with explosive attacking moves and windmill dunks, the work he put into stretching, ice baths, massages and the like between games was "zero," in his estimation.

Now that he is 37, with an injury history in nearly every major joint, plus a staggering 56,000-plus total NBA minutes on his resume, things could hardly be more different.

"The kid has got a lot of miles on him," says Los Angeles Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti, in his 32nd season with the team. "And they're hard miles. They're hard miles. If you've ever been to Maui, the Road to Hana? It's a rough road, man. It's beautiful when you get there, but it's a rough road."

Bryant's days are stuffed with an ever-evolving and carefully curated series of treatments designed to minimize injury and maximize performance, including submerging himself in icy water and lying on tables while an array of experts go to work. There is also physical therapy, which often involves digging at his legs with a $3,500 device resembling a small jackhammer.

The Lakers employ a large staff of physical therapists, trainers and massage therapists, some of whom say their main focus is Bryant. But Bryant consumes so much time and refined expertise, at all hours, that he has long supplemented with outside experts, including a neuromuscular therapist, two chiropractors (one in Orange County, where he lives, and another in Los Angeles), an active-release therapist from Oceanside in San Diego County, several "stretch professionals" and a personal strength-and-conditioning trainer.

If Bryant is to complete his 20th (and final) season (or to dunk again on Christmas, something he has done just twice this season), it's because all of those professionals have done their jobs well, teasing explosive potential from Bryant's aging body.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 9:46 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: December 25, 2008
by nba.com

What better Christmas gift could the Lakers give their fans than snapping the hated Boston Celtics’ franchise-record win streak?

Boston entered the game with 19 consecutive victories, but the Lakers treated a sold-out Staples Center to a 92-83 win over the team that beat them in the previous NBA Finals.

“We’ve been waiting for that opportunity for a long time, and we won,” Sasha Vujacic told the media. “I don’t like them at all. A lot of people call us softies or whatever. It doesn’t matter at all.”

Of course, Kobe Bryant was at the heart of the victory, scoring a game-high 27 points on 13-of-23 shooting, while also providing nine rebounds and five assists.

Bryant tied the game at 81 on an 18-footer, and Pau Gasol did the rest by scoring L.A.’s next seven points to lead a 13-2 game-ending run.

Boston’s stars — Paul Pierce (20 points, 10 rebounds), Kevin Garnett (22 points, 11-of-14), Ray Allen (14 points) and Rajon Rondo (12 assists) — came to play, but Bryant and Gasol were determined for victory.

Bryant opened the game with 10 points in the first quarter, while Gasol finished with 20 to hand head coach Phil Jackson the 1,000th win of his career.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 8:30 am    Post subject:

It’s Time For Lakers To Give Keys To Kids And Hope For Lotto Luck
by Trevor Lane - lakersnation.com

Five wins, twenty four losses. With over a quarter of the NBA season gone, the Los Angeles Lakers are on pace to win a whopping seventeen games, which is four less than last year’s franchise-worst team. While most expected the Lakers to struggle this season, few could have predicted that they would be this bad.

They feature a deadly combination of a terrible offense AND defense, which creates a perfect storm that allows opponents to toss around terms like “career-high” and “franchise-best”. Most of the optimism that radiated from Los Angeles to start the year is long gone, and fans have hunkered down for another long winter.

However, despair isn’t necessarily warranted, especially during the holiday season. It may not be pleasant, but the Lakers mountain of losses have had the positive effect of illuminating the correct path going forward. With the team clearly out of playoff contention, Lakers management won’t be tempted by win-now moves at the trade deadline, and can instead focus on finding pieces that fit for the future.

It also has to be mentioned that the Lakers first-round draft pick next summer falls into the clutches of the Philadelphia Sixers unless it is in the top-three. At their current spot of 29th in the league, LA has only a 55 percent chance on hanging on to their precious pick, and the odds get worse should they move up in the standings. If they manage to drop to the worst record in the league, they would jump to a 65 percent chance at retaining it, but Philadelphia has a death-grip on that spot thanks to their Herculean tanking efforts.

The odds of keeping the draft pick are certainly nerve-wracking, but with the team settling comfortably into the second-worst record in the league and dreams of the playoffs long gone, they will have to roll the dice and hope that their luck in the lottery holds out. A prolonged winning streak would be detrimental to their cause, and as such veteran players will likely see their roles reduced.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 8:33 am    Post subject:

After Game Videos - Clippers @ Lakers
by lakersnation.com

Byron Scott Assesses D'Angelo Russell's Performance, 'Pretty Good But...'

D'Angelo Russell Voices His Thoughts On Not Starting

Kobe Bryant On NBA All-Star Game Voting, D'Angelo Russell
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 8:34 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: December 26, 2009
by nba.com

When Kobe Bryant lost feeling in his right elbow, it initially took him out of rhythm. After hitting it in the third quarter against Sacramento, he went to the locker room for therapy only to return and miss all four of his fourth-quarter shots.

But as the game went to overtime, he began to shine. In double overtime, he hit clutch back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Lakers to a 112-103 victory.

“My arm went numb and it spazzed up,” Bryant told the media. “My moment came for me to step up. The defense relaxed, (defender Donte Greene) put his hands down and left me open for those shots.”

The Lakers led by six at the 3:35 mark of the fourth quarter, but the offense disappeared form there, as the Kings held them scoreless the rest of the way to send it to extra periods.

L.A.’s slump continued into overtime, as Sacramento scored seven unanswered points to open the frame. But then it was the Kings’ turn to go cold, as Pau Gasol scored five of the Lakers seven countering points to force another overtime period.

From there, Sacramento hardly threatened as it was outscored 11-2 in double overtime and shot just 1-of-8, while Bryant had six points himself on that pair of 3s.

“There’s no way in the world we should have lost that game,” Sacramento rookie Tyreke Evans said. “I just though toward the end things didn’t go our way. But it was also Kobe. He just took over the game with those two 3s.”

Bryant poured in 38 points through the six periods, shooting 16-of-30, while collecting seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. He was at his best in the third, dropping 16 points.

Meanwhile, Gasol complemented Bryant with 24 points (9-of-14), 11 rebounds and six blocks, while Lamar Odom contributed 13 points and 15 rebounds.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 4:59 pm    Post subject:

Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell still don't have starting jobs back
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

The wait continues for Lakers reserves Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell.

Maybe it will end soon. Maybe it won't.

When Coach Byron Scott took away their starting jobs, he pledged to keep it that way for 10 games before reevaluating. Friday marked the last of those games.

Scott hasn't revealed much in advance. He could put one, both or neither back in the starting lineup Sunday at Memphis, he said.

"I'll take a look at the numbers and see how they play compared to the first 20 games," Scott said this week. "Sometimes the numbers don't tell the whole story when you're looking at young guys. A lot of it is going to be how I feel they've come along the last 10 games or the last couple weeks."

Russell has had the better run recently, showing some scoring and passing ability, including 16 points in the Lakers' 94-84 loss against the Clippers on Friday.

Randle hasn't been as effective. He came into Friday's game shooting only 39% since the demotion, an unacceptable number for a power forward who rarely took three-point shots.

He was bothered by a sore ankle in recent days and had 11 points on three-for-11 accuracy against the Clippers.

Scott complimented each player. His actions over the next few days will be more important, however.

"I've had conversations with both those young men. They understand it's a process and it's going to take them some time," Scott said. "But the good thing about both of them — they're willing to work and continue to work to get better."

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:01 pm    Post subject:

Lakers To Have Float in Rose Parade
by Gabriel Gonzalez - lasportshub.com

On Good Day LA Wednesday morning, Jeanie Buss shared the news that the Lakers would have their own float in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

The Lakers President promoted on the morning television show with new details on the float.

The entry will be titled “Every Second is an Adventure” and will have countless homages to the Lakers championship history.

Via NBA.com, the float is set to be a celebration of the Lakers organization.

Among the features: A giant Laker logo as the centerpiece, a giant basketball hoop, 16 stars to symbolize the Lakers championships, 10 retired jerseys from past Laker greats, a running stream to represent their Minneapolis origins, a replica NBA championship trophy, fireworks, streamers, and more.

The Laker Girls will be performing alongside the float as it goes down Colorado Boulevard. Riding on the float will be Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and former Laker Girl and TV icon Paula Abdul.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:45 am    Post subject:

Kobe reveals how deeply the Lakers' 2008 Finals loss tormented him
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

It was quite the window into Kobe Bryant's soul, a late-night admission of how he tortured himself for two years after one of his biggest failings as a pro.

The Lakers lost another game Friday to the Clippers, no surprise, and Bryant continued to turn his previous 19 seasons on their ear by being refreshing and forthcoming with reporters when asked about next Wednesday's game in Boston, his last trip to the Garden.

He revealed that he listened daily to Journey's ubiquitous "Don't Stop Believin'" for two years after the Lakers were pummeled by the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. The song was played during and after every Boston victory at the Garden, including the Game 6 clincher the Celtics won by 39 points. It was the second-largest margin of victory in Finals history.

"I remember when we were losing, they played that Journey song and the whole arena started singing," Bryant said after scoring 12 points in the Lakers' 94-84 loss to the Clippers. "I hated that song for two years. I listened to the song every single day just to remind me of that feeling. Same thing with the Dropkick Murphys — I listened to the Dropkick Murphys all the time just because I wanted to remember that feeling."

Bryant was referring to another song continually played at the Garden that series — "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by a Massachusetts-born punk band.

Bryant eventually got his revenge when the Lakers beat Boston in seven games in the 2010 NBA Finals. He was stellar in the series except for a near-disastrous six-for-24 shooting effort in the finale.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:47 am    Post subject:

Lakers may benefit by matching a Jordan Clarkson offer sheet this summer
by Eric Pincus - latimes.com

The struggling Lakers (5-24) have a long list of issues to resolve before the 2016-17 season.

Among the top items will be the impending free agency of guard Jordan Clarkson, who is currently second on the team in scoring to veteran Kobe Bryant, at 14.9 points a game.

Clarkson is starting for the team at point guard, but in the long term, he will presumably slide over to shooting guard, once rookie D'Angelo Russell acclimates to the NBA.

That's assuming Clarkson does indeed return, and to that end, the Lakers hold a strategic advantage in negotiations. Clarkson will be a restricted free agent, subject to the so-called Gilbert Arenas rule.

After Clarkson's second season in the league, the Lakers will hold his early bird rights, which enable the team to spend up to $6 million, and $26.7 million over four seasons, to retain him.

That figure is presumably below Clarkson's market value, but because he is restricted and the Lakers only hold his early bird rights, the Arenas rule applies -- limiting what other teams can offer Clarkson to just $5.6 million for the 2016-17 season.

While another franchise can pay him up to $5.9 million in the second year, his salary for the third and fourth seasons could jump significantly to $22.7 million and $23.6 million for a total of $57.8 million -- or $14.5 million on average.

The Lakers would have the right to match such an offer, which would result in Clarkson back at a sizable discount in the first two years, followed by a pair at a massive maximum salary.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:49 am    Post subject:

How LA Can Help Roy Hibbert Return to Form
by Eric Yee - lakeshowlife.com

Just three seasons ago, Lakers center, Roy Hibbert, was regarded as one of the best rim protectors in the league

Drafted in 2008, current Lakers’ big man Roy Hibbert is an outlier in the modern NBA. Unlike most, Hibbert completed four years of college before making the jump to the pros.

With that in mind, it was not long ago that Roy Hibbert was an NBA All Star who, alongside Paul George and David West, led the Indiana Pacers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Heck, the league even had to reopen the rule book to justify Hibbert’s style of defense, dubbed the verticality rule.

So the question must be asked, what is responsible for Hibbert’s fall from grace?

Though the cop out answer is that the league truly has embraced the idea of “small-ball,” with the Golden State Warriors being the prime example, this doesn’t excuse Hibbert’s recent ineffectiveness. For example, Andrew Bogut is a seven footer who has adapted to the ever changing NBA and is as productive as ever.

Again, using Bogut as an example, one of the reasons he is so effective is, not only that he properly rotates on defense, but more so that he can rely on his teammates to rotate over behind him without fear.

With hardly any players capable of defending the perimeter, the same cannot be said about Lakers’ center Roy Hibbert who is consistently forced to over help with little, if any, help defense coming from behind.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 5:07 pm    Post subject:

Kobe on leading All-Star voting: 'What the hell?'
by James Herbert - cbssports.com

If you were surprised to see Kobe Bryant leading all players in the first All-Star voting returns on Christmas Day, you weren't the only one. The Los Angeles Lakers guard himself couldn't believe it.

From ESPN's Baxter Holmes:

"Listen, I was making a little coffee run this morning, got some gas and decided to just go on Instagram and peruse," he said, "and [I] saw the damn votes, and I was like, 'What the hell?' Shocked doesn't do it justice."

He added, "It's exciting. What can I say? Just thankful."



Some players look forward to having the All-Star break to recharge, but not Bryant, who said he is interested in playing.

"I'll have plenty of time off coming up," he said with a laugh. "I enjoy trying to play as much as I can. If physically I can't play, if I'm not able to play, [then] I physically just can't. But if I'm able, I'm all for it. It would be fun to go out there and play with the guys and kind of hang around with them one more time."


While Bryant's prodution has improved in the last few weeks, the votes are obviously not about this season, in which he's averaging 17.2 points on 17.2 field goal attempts, shooting 34.5 percent. As Los Angeles Clippers forwad Blake Griffin told reporters, "It's just a legacy thing." He added that, if he was left off the team because of Bryant, he'd understand.

Bryant has been one of the biggest names in basketball since being voted in as a starter in his second season when he was still coming off the bench for the Lakers. He was just 19 years old then, the youngest All-Star starter ever, and he has been voted in every time since.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 5:09 pm    Post subject:

D’Angelo Russell Discusses Bench Role Giving Him An ‘Edge’
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

When Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott announced that rookie D’Angelo Russell would be coming off the bench, many people were unhappy, most notably Russell himself.

Though Russell has embraced his bench role, his desire to return to the starting lineup is no secret to anyone.

One thing moving to the bench has given Russel is extra motivation and according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, Russell does believe this role has given him an ‘edge’ that could go away if he starts:

D'Angelo:"You obviously don't want to stay a reserve, no disrespect, but you just wanna keep that edge, like feeling you should be starting"

Russell further explained his thought process of his mindset when coming off the bench, via Winters:

D'Angelo continued: "Not saying that you're better than the next guy, but just playing like I deserve to be out there starting this game."

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