News 'n Views - Feb 2016: Lakers believe they can meld new offensive set with Kobe’s presence

lakersfreak · Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:46 pm Post subject:

Tyronn Lue remembers swatting Kobe Bryant's shot; Kobe wanting to fight
by Dave McMenamin - espn.go.com

Many years have passed since Tyronn Lue started his playing career as a teammate of Kobe Bryant's on the Los Angeles Lakers from 1998-2001. Yet you would have thought it was just yesterday that Lue and Bryant were donning the purple and gold together from the detail that Lue provided when sharing his favorite "Black Mamba" memory.

"We're playing 5-on-5 one day and it was the gold team against the white team," Lue recalled Tuesday after the Cleveland Cavaliers' practice before Bryant and the Lakers come to town Wednesday. "It was myself, Devean George, Brian Shaw, Mark Madsen and I want to say Slava Medvedenko, playing against the first unit -- against Fish (Derek Fisher), Kob', Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal).

"Long story short is, it was a game point and [Bryant] drove baseline and I was at the elbow. And he drove baseline and I went down the lane and I pinned his dunk against the glass. He tried to dunk it and I blocked it against the glass. We came down, Devean George made a layup for game and Brian Shaw went, ‘Ahhh, he blocked you!' He went crazy. Kobe wanted to fight me at first and then, second, he wanted to play one-on-one after practice.

"'We going to play one-on-one, me and you.' I said, ‘No, I'm not playing you one-on-one.' He was so mad and then, after that, it was just, every day we stepped onto the court, he just went after me every single day. It was crazy. And then, like other stories, just playing one-on-one every day, every time we acquired a new guy, he would play those guys one-on-one after every practice just to show them, like, ‘I'm the man, I'm the man.' Did the same thing with Glen Rice. Just his competitive nature, man, it was just unbelievable."

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lakersfreak · Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:46 pm Post subject:

TDIKH: February 9, 2012
by nba.com

The epitome of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol’s collection was on display, as the Lakers ground out an 88-87 overtime victory over the rival Celtics in Boston.

Bryant racked up 27 points, while Gasol went off for 25 points, 14 rebounds and a handful of clutch plays.

Bryant — who shot 11-of-24 — scored a dozen third-quarter points to put the visitors up, 67-64, heading into the final period.

The teams traded leads late, as TD Garden began chanting “Beat L.A.!” after Ray Allen knocked down a 3-pointer to put Boston up by two with a minute left.

However, Gasol tipped in a missed Bryant layup with 9.8 seconds remaining to force overtime.

Bryant hit the extra frame’s first shot and Steve Blake followed to push Los Angeles’ lead to four.

A triple from Paul Pierce gave the Celtics the lead once more, but Andrew Bynum — who had 16 points and 17 rebounds — mirrored Gasol by tipping in Bryant’s miss for an 88-87 edge.

From there, both squads held the other scoreless, as Pierce’s last-second shot rimmed out. Boston had one more chance at the buzzer, as Allen attempted to tip it back in, but Gasol was there to swat it away.

The Lakers went just 1-of-15 on 3-pointers, but Bryant shot 11-of-24 to lead L.A. to snapping its rivals’ five game winning streak.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:47 pm Post subject:

Byron Scott On Julius Randle: ‘He’s Playing Just Great Basketball’
by Nathaniel Lastrapes - lakersnation.com

The Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 17-point second half deficit against the Indiana Pacers, but they lost in the final minutes of the game despite Kobe Bryant’s heroics. One player who has played well since rejoining the starting lineup is Julius Randle, who had 15 points to along with 19 rebounds.

Randle has played really well as of late and head coach Byron Scott has taken notice. In a post-game interview after the Lakers loss in Indiana, Scott made mention of Randle’s impressive play according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:

Byron: "Julius really he’s been fantastic, if you look at his stats, besides his turnovers, he’s playing just great basketball." (on TWC)

The young Lakers core continues to develop as the season progresses and they are finally becoming accustomed to playing with one another. Randle has averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds in his last 10 games. The rest of the young players continue to develop with one another as the season is beginning to wind down and D’Angelo Russell is also expected to return to the starting lineup sometime after the All-Star break.

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SuperboyReformed · Star Player Joined: 07 Oct 2012 Posts: 4083

lakersfreak · Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 12:47 am Post subject:

Julius Randle continues on upswing as a starter
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

Someone had to try to grab all the wacky caroms off the Lakers' many misses. Julius Randle was up for it.

The 19 rebounds he took Monday in a duck-and-cover loss to Indiana were emblematic of a young career bouncing the right way lately.

He has 21 double-doubles, more than any second-year player, and is showing increased confidence in his midrange game as his accuracy improves.

"He's been pretty locked in lately and that's a great thing," Lakers Coach Byron Scott said. "He's maturing. He's really starting to understand this game and understand some of the things that he can do on a night-to-night basis. I love where he is right now."

Randle is shooting 49.1% over the last 10 games, almost 10 percentage points better than he was beforehand. It's still not where he wants, but the work on his outside touch and on using his right hand is making a difference.

Randle returned by default to the starting lineup 12 games ago because rookie Larry Nance Jr. was dealing with a sore right knee. Scott, however, isn't necessarily ready to keep Randle with the starters when Nance returns at some point after the All-Star break.

"I've got two young power forwards that I love," Scott said neutrally.

The seventh pick in the 2014 draft, Randle is averaging 13.3 points and 12.1 rebounds since regaining his starting spot.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 12:48 am Post subject:

How Kobe Bryant’s relationship with LeBron James evolved
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The two stars laughed with each other as LeBron James bantered along with Kobe Bryant by the scorer’s table. Bryant later teased James at center-court moments after he bricked an alley oop. Once the buzzer sounded, Bryant and James hugged each other and offered encouraging words.

The matchup Bryant and James shared last year at Staples Center conveyed the images of two close friends relishing both their tight bond and respect for each other’s craft.

“They were smiling at each other,” Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving recalled.

When the Lakers (11-43) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (37-14) on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, more nostalgia seems likely to emerge. After all, Bryant has savored seemingly every moment surrounding his 20th and final NBA season. James told reporters the game will become “very emotional just knowing it’s his last hurrah.”

“He’s done so much, not only for the Lakers organization, but for me as a kid,” James told reporters this week. “Growing up, I was watching Kobe and things of that nature and also competing against him.”

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lakersfreak · Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:36 pm Post subject:

We Asked 18 Journalists for Their Favorite Kobe Bryant Stories
by Serena Winters - complex.com

Broadcasters. Writers. Reporters. These are their stories about Kobe Bryant.

There’s something I’ve learned about covering Kobe Bryant over the years: There is always a story to tell.

How that tale is told primarily hinges on who is stringing the words together. Kobe Bryant has spent 20 years—the majority of his life—playing professional basketball in Los Angeles, in that time racking up more than a few legends. This particular narrative is told by those who have helped shape Kobe's story.

For me, the moment was introducing myself to someone underneath the Lakers' tunnel, and having Kobe walk by, pat my shoulder, and tell her I was “good people.”

But that’s just me. Here are 18 other journalists' favorite Kobe Bryant stories.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:37 pm Post subject:

TDIKH: February 10, 2002
by nba.com

Returning to his hometown of Philadelphia just a year after defeating the 76ers in the NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant was showered with boos at the 2002 All-Star Game.

But that didn’t stop him from dropping 31 points — the most by any player in an All-Star Game since 1988 — and being named the game’s MVP for the first time.

Bryant shot 12-of-25 with five rebounds and five assists to lead the Western Conference to a 135-120 victory.

Bryant was flanked in the West’s starting lineup by Steve Fancis, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

They faced an East team started off by Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker and Dikembe Mutombo.

Ironically for Bryant, his MVP performance came at the expense of his former teammate and future coach, Byron Scott, who was at the helm of the Eastern Conference’s best.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:39 am Post subject:

Kobe Gets Standing Ovation in Cleveland (video)
by bleacherreport.com

VIDEO

lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:40 am Post subject:

Lakers offer sympathy, humor for D’Angelo Russell taking shot to groin from LeBron James’ pass (video)
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

The bullet pass went straight toward the most sensitive spot in D’Angelo Russell’s body. It left the Lakers’ rookie point guard falling over and balled up in pain.

Russell lay motionless on the floor after Cleveland forward LeBron James accidentally humbled him in the most embarrassing way imaginable in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 120-111 loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena. Russell eventually stood up. He then winced some more. Russell then played the rest of the game.

“I’m all right,” Russell said nearly an hour later. “It was unexpected. I know if I expected it, it would’ve hurt more than it did. It was tough. Every guy knows the feeling.”

But Russell also offered a different feeling. He admitted he had watched the replay and laughed over the sequence. So much that Russell smiled when he compared the incident toward what a referee experienced in the movie, “The Longest Yard.”

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:42 am Post subject:

Kobe Bryant Signs Game-Worn Shoes for LeBron James After Final Game in Cleveland (pics)
by Kyle Newport - bleacherreport.com

After playing his final game in Cleveland on Wednesday night, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant gave the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James something to remember the occasion.

His game-worn shoes, complete with a message and an autograph.

Bryant and James have had their fair share of battles ever since the Cavaliers superstar entered the league back in 2003. Unfortunately, we never got to see the Kobe-LeBron NBA Finals that everyone, including the two future Hall of Famers, wanted to see despite the fact they have combined to play in the past nine Finals.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:43 am Post subject:

Kobe Bryant On Not Facing LeBron James In NBA Finals
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are two of the best players of this generation. Unfortunately, there has never really been a rivalry between the two as they never met in the playoffs.

Though Kobe has made seven Finals appearances and LeBron has made six, the two never overlapped much to the disappointment of many fans.

Kobe, however, doesn’t really care about never facing him, saying he just wanted to win the championship according to Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell:

Kobe on not facing LeBron in the Finals: “I just wanted to win the championship … I didn’t care who we played."

Kobe and LeBron meeting in the NBA Finals would have likely been a ratings dream for the NBA had it happened. Two of the biggest stars in NBA history going head-to-head would have been huge, but the two sides just missed each other.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:43 am Post subject:

TDIKH: February 11, 2003
by nba.com

Kobe Bryant was so dominant through three quarters that he didn’t need to play the fourth, dropping 42 points in only 31 minutes.

“He’s my choice for the MVP right now,” Shaquille O’Neal told reporters after the Lakers’ 121-93 win over Denver. “He’s playing at a very high level, shooting the ball well and everybody’s following his league.”

Bryant scored 13 in the first quarter to push Los Angeles to a 10-point lead heading into the second frame.

After a back-and-forth end to the first half, the Lakers poured it on by doubling Denver’s 21 third-quarter points.

Bryant scored 19 in that third period and keyed a 13-2 run by the purple and gold by providing 11 during that stretch.

He shot 12-of-20 from the field and 17-of-21 at the foul line, while recording four steals and only one turnover.

O’Neal added 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, but Bryant was the clear focal point in L.A.’s six-game winning streak, in which he scored 35-plus in each contest.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:52 pm Post subject:

The Lakers are so bad there's a Ben Simmons tanking anthem
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

"Talkin' 'bout that Laaaakeshow Life...."

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their 43rd game of the season Wednesday night, and the team appears well on track to finish with one of the worst records in the NBA. While that may not be very much fun in the moment, the upside is that the Lakers may get to keep their first round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, which is conveyed to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls outside of the top three selections.

If the season ended today, the Lakers would have a 19.9% chance at the first overall pick in the draft, in which the consensus top pick is widely considered to be LSU point-forward Ben Simmons. The likely one-and-done freshman phenom is currently averaging 19.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 1.9 steals, and 56.7% shooting from the field during his NCAA debut. According to Nick Angstadt, maker of the famous "Byron Scott Hotline Bling" parody, Simmons ending up in Los Angeles is predetermined (basically), so he he wrote a song about it.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:53 pm Post subject:

Byron Scott calls Kyrie Irving more mature & offensively developed than D’Angelo Russell during rookie season
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The nostalgia swept over Lakers coach Byron Scott as he reflected on coaching Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving during his first two NBA seasons.

“He was the most talented point guard I had,” Scott said. “He didn’t have any weaknesses offensively.”

The realism hit Scott as he evaluated Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell with 30 games left in his rookie season.

“He still has a whole lot to room to learn about this league and about playing that position,” Scott said. “But the thing I like about him is he’s willing to learn and willing to accept the criticism to try to get better.”

In the Lakers’ 120-111 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, Irving and Russell symbolized how Scott viewed them differently during their rookie seasons. Irving posted a team-high 35 points on 15-of-24 shooting and seven assists while Russell had 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting and three assists.

“He was a little bit more business-like at practice and games,” Scott said of Irving. “D’Angelo still has a playfulness about him. Sometimes in practice he’s joking around and losing a little bit of focus.”

The majority of Lakers practices are closed to the media. But Russell spends the tail-end of practice often working on his shot as well as various ball-handling and shooting drills with Lakers assistants Thomas Scott and Larry Lewis. Russell will do the same thing about 2 1/2 hours before each game. But Russell has often concluded his sessions by attempting half-court heaves or one-handed 3-pointers.

“There’s always a time to be serious and there’s always a time to joke around,” Scott said. “So I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m saying he’s 19.”

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:54 pm Post subject:

The fit issues Ben Simmons and other top prospects present for the Lakers' young core
by Ben Rosales - silverscreenandroll.com

As the Lakers continue to flounder in year two of Byron Scott's tenure, the team must consider the possibility that they will end up keeping their first rounder this year and the roster issues that might come about as a result.

At the beginning of this season, a good portion of Los Angeles Lakers fans no doubt disavowed their interest in tanking, preparing themselves for a difficult yet entertaining season in which we could measure the growth of the Lakers' future franchise cornerstones. The team was certainly nowhere near contending for a playoff spot, but the thought was that they would at least be competitive on most nights, Byron Scott or no, thus rendering any hope of keeping their 2016 first-round pick mostly a shot in the dark. Lo and behold, the Lakers are somehow worse than last season, sporting unconscionably awful marks of 29th in offensive efficiency and 30th in defensive efficiency as well as, amazingly, an inferior record as well. Whatever their intention at the start of the season, the Lakers are firmly in position to have a slightly-better-than-a-coin-flip chance of keeping their pick, leading us to our current discussion.

No small amount of (digital) ink has been spilled over the top two prospects in the draft, LSU's Ben Simmons and Duke's Brandon Ingram, and we'll have no shortage of opportunity to discuss their relative merits against each other at some point in the future. But in this context, there is no argument that the better fit of the two for LA is Ingram, who slides seamlessly into the team's vast, gaping hole on the wing and offers a versatile offensive presence who can shoot (see shot chart below), handle the rock, and in general, complement the current core quite well. Especially germane here is the last note, as there's no existing prospect on the roster that Ingram outright displaces from their current role.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:55 pm Post subject:

D-Fenders Well-Represented Among NBA D-League All-Stars
by Shereen Rayan - lakeshowlife.com

The Lakers presence will be felt in the NBA D-League All-Star Game with a handful of D-Fenders earning the honor

Los Angeles D-Fenders star shooting guard Vander Blue and power forward Justin Harper found out about a week ago that they were going to take a trip without their teammates as they both earned spots on the NBA D-League All-Star team.

A couple of days later, D-Fenders shooting guard Andre Ingram found out he was taking the trip too. Ingram was selected to participate in the D-League’s 3-Point Contest. He ranks No. 2 in the league in three-point shooting completion, making 50.7 percent of the attempts he’s taken.

Eight NBA players are included on the list of 24 All-star players, six on the East and two on the West, and none of them are Lakers. Of the 16 players left, eight have NBA experience and eight do not. The D-Fenders Harper and Blue are two that have tasted what it feels like to play in the big leagues.

The difference between the D-League All-Star Game and the NBA All-Star team is simple: The NBA All-Star starters are determined by popularity and the reserves by merit whereas the D-League All-Stars are all based on performance. These three D-Fenders players should be proud.

We had a chance to talk to all three D-Fenders stars to get their reaction to Saturday’s win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, earning D-League All-Star honors, and being acknowledged for their effort by the league, their coach, and their teammates.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:10 am Post subject:

Following Kobe is like following the Pope (video)
by espn.go.com

Video

lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:12 am Post subject:

Chris Webber calls Kobe Bryant 'one of the greatest competitors ever'
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

One of the Shaq-Kobe Lakers' biggest rivals still can appreciate Bryant's game.

Kobe Bryant will retire this season upon the conclusion of his 20th NBA campaign, and he's made his fair share of rivals throughout his time in the league. Arguably most memorable of Bryant's Lakers' foes were the Sacramento Kings of the early 2000's that the Lakers had numerous hard fought battles with, culminating in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, in which the two-time defending champion Lakers knocking off the Kings in a game seven that went to overtime.

Chris Webber was the leader of those Kings teams, and while he acknowledges that he was likely denied a championship because of the existence of those Lakers teams starring Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, it has not kept him from appreciating Kobe's legendary career.

Webber was one of several of Bryant's contemporaries to speak with Sam Amick of USA Todayabout Bryant before he heads to his final All-Star game in Toronto, and the former Kings forward said he was most impressed by Kobe's zeal for competition:

"I saw the competitiveness. I saw him get better every year. I saw him work on things differently every year. So to me, I just think it's a great moment to celebrate the legacy of a player that gave his all on the court. ...It was an honor to battle against him. One of the best ever. One of the greatest competitors ever."

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:12 am Post subject:

TDIKH: February 12, 2002
by nba.com

Facing his childhood idol, Kobe Bryant put his full arsenal of skills on display by reaching his third career-triple double to rally the Lakers past Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards.

Through Los Angeles trailed by as many as 20, Bryant racked up 23 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds to key his team’s 103-94 win.

With Shaquille O’Neal out due to a toe injury, the recently un-retired Jordan pushed the Wizards to a 13-point halftime lead while Bryant struggled to only five points.

However, Bryant scored a dozen in the third period — in which L.A. exploded for 42 points — to take a lead that the Lakers would never surrender in halting Washington’s five-game win streak.

“We’re not quite in their league yet,” Jordan told the media. “We folded under their pressure, and that’s what championship teams do to you.”
Despite Jordan leading the Wizards with 22 points and six assists, his former coach, Phil Jackson, exited with the victory in the pair’s first head-to-head meeting.

Jackson had coached Jordan to six championships in the 1990s and was on his way to his third of five with Bryant and the Lakers in the 2000s.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:00 pm Post subject:

D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson embracing NBA All-Star weekend
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

Plenty of their teammates will rest. Their head coach will vacation in Mexico. But for Kobe Bryant, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, the NBA All-Star break actually just means more work.

Russell and Clarkson will play in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday at Air Canada Centre, a game that will feature 10 American rookie and sophomore players competing against 10 foreign rookies and sophomore players.

Bryant has been selected for his 18th and final starting appearance in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. In between events, Clarkson will spend his Saturday judging the Development League dunk contest and compete in the Skills Challenge, an event that entails shooting, passing and dribbling drills in an obstacle course.

“It’s always good to break up the first year, especially for the young guys where you have that moment where you get away from everything,” Bryant said. “You’re around your peers and you get a chance to kind of compare stories and lean on each other.”

Lakers coach Byron Scott hoped that will spur Russell and Clarkson to grow eventually into All-Star players.

If you’re there and not aspiring to be one, to me, there’s no reason to be playing,” Scott said. “You want to be an All-Star and you want to be great. Some guys get there and some guys don’t. But at least you want to do everything in your power to give yourself an opportunity.”

But Bryant, Russell and Clarkson all dismissed that such a weekend could strengthen the trio’s bond. The skepticism mostly stems from practical reasons.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:02 pm Post subject:

It's a love fest for Kobe Bryant at All-Star media day
by Ben Bolch - latimes.com

Kobe Bryant had entertained four questions, including two in Italian, from the mass of about 150 media members crammed around him inside a hotel ballroom when a reporter from a Toronto radio station placed a shiny red bag on the table in front of the Lakers star and slid it toward him.

Inside was a bottle of Brio, an Italian soda made in Canada.

It was one of three gifts the media presented to Bryant on Friday in advance of his final All-Star game on Sunday at the Air Canada Centre. The others were a picture of different Nikes that Bryant had worn in his career and artwork of Bryant as a sword-wielding samurai dressed in a deep purple kimono.

Bryant was receptive to the offerings as well as a host of inane questions from media members whom he had verbally sparred with for much of his 20-year career before softening considerably in recent seasons.

It might have helped that there was applause from a handful of reporters when Bryant arrived and concluded the 25-minute session. One media member even wore a Bryant Lakers shirt as a tribute to the 18-time All-Star.

Bryant was asked which version of Michael Jordan was better, the one with the Chicago Bulls when Bryant was a rookie with the Lakers or the one who retired with the Washington Wizards.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:03 pm Post subject:

Karl-Anthony Towns Predicts D’Angelo Russell Will Be An All-Star
by Ryan Ward - lakersnation.com

Heading into the 2015 NBA Draft last summer, Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns was a lock to be drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the number one overall pick. After Towns was off the board, the Los Angeles Lakers were on the clock with no one knowing which direction the storied NBA franchise was leaning.

Ultimately, the Lakers brass surprised everyone by selecting D’Angelo Russell out of Ohio State. The safe bet was to go with Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, but Russell impressed the team’s front office enough to make the bold move.

At the halfway point of his first season with the Lakers, Russell will play in the Rising Stars Challenge. Russell will play alongside Towns, and the Timberwolves star talked about his friend’s progression and how he expects the former Buckeye to be an All-Star in the future via Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com:

“He’s playing at a higher level right now,” Towns said. “He’s playing so smart. He’s hitting a lot of shots. He’s doing a great job. He’s growing into a player that I can’t wait to see when he’s an All-Star.”

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:04 pm Post subject:

Rising Stars Challenge Preview
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Lakers guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson will have the chance to shine at NBA All-Star Weekend in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge

NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 kicks off on Friday night with the Celebrity Game and then the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge. Formerly the Rookie-Sophomore Game, some of the best young players in the league will take the stage in a USA vs. World format, including the young backcourt duo for the Los Angeles Lakers in rookie D’Angelo Russell and sophomore Jordan Clarkson.

Both Lakers guards will lace up their shoes for the U.S. Team on Friday night and, quite frankly, there’s plenty of reason for Lakers fans to be excited about what they could see from the duo. Sure, it’d be nice if the NBA had made it a trio by adding Julius Randle, but that doesn’t mean that fans shouldn’t be anxious to see what Russell and Clarkson can do in this environment (re: uninhibited by Byron Scott).

While Clarkson should be able to show off the scoring ability that he’s shown over his first season and a half in the league in a game where defense isn’t played at a high level. However, what should be more enticing for Lakers fans is watching Russell assumedly have free reign in an offense and, even more so, working in the pick-and-roll with a player as talented as Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns.

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lakersfreak · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:05 pm Post subject:

Shaq Named Finalist for Basketball Hall of Fame
by Joey Ramirez - nba.com

It’s been a pretty good couple of weeks for Shaquille O’Neal. The NBA and Lakers legend learned he’d be receiving a statue outside of Staples Center on Jan. 27 and, on Feb. 12, was named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016.

O’Neal — who spent eight of his 19 years in the NBA as a Laker — was a 15-time All-Star and ranks in the league’s all-time top 10 for points (18,596; seventh), blocks (2,732; eighth) and field goal percentage (58.2; third).

O’Neal put his trademark humor on display during a speech he gave after the announcement during All-Star Weekend at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.

He turned the press conference into a roast by calling out current Hall of Famers in attendance, like Rick Barry — who told him to shoot free throws underhanded — and former referee Dick Bavetta — who O’Neal cited for 10 of his technical fouls and a pair of ejections.

But in between quips, the 2000 MVP took a moment to reflect on his relationship with his stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison, who died in September 2013.

“I started playing basketball at 9 years old,” O’Neal said. “My father had a high school education and was an Army drill sergeant. I wish he was here for this day, because he told me this day would happen and I never believed him.”

This year’s other finalists are Allen Iverson, Kevin Johnson, Tom Izzo, Sheryl Swoopes, Darell Garretson, John McLendon, Charles “Lefty” Driesell, Leta Andrews, Robert Hughes, Muffet McGraw, Bo Ryan, Edie Sutton and the 1954-58 Wayland Baptist University women's basketball team.

The Class of 2016 will be announced before the NCAA men’s championship game on April 4, and then enshrined at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. on Sept. 9.

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