News 'n Views - Feb 2016: Lakers believe they can meld new offensive set with Kobe’s presence
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:26 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant says Lakers’ instability hurting free agency efforts
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

Even as he collected NBA championships and set endless records, Kobe Bryant viewed the Spurs from afar with some envy.

Though Bryant won five of his NBA championships during a three-peat (2000-2002) and back-to-back run (2009, 2010), he also experienced three missed playoff appearances and played for seven different coaches. Meanwhile, the Spurs won five NBA titles, all with Gregg Popovich coaching and Tim Duncan dominating without missing the playoffs.

Bryant traced that consistency to Popovich and the Spurs front office, which he likened to the New England Patriots.

“They’re very clear on what the identity is of this team,” Bryant said. “They’re very clear on what they stand for and represent. They’re very clear on the style of player they want to have.”

And the Lakers?

“We’ve had changes,” Bryant said. “We had Dr. Buss passing away. We’ve had Jeanie and Jim [Buss]. We had Phil [Jackson] coming and going. We had all those things going on. As a result, we had the system changing as well. There’s a lot of inconsistency.”

So much, Bryant argued, that it played a primary factor in the Lakers missing out on marquee free agents in the past three seasons, including San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge.

“I don’t need to be a genius to figure that out,” said Bryant, who has dismissed criticism about the two-year, $48.5 million extension he signed in 2013. “If you’re a player and you want to win a championship, you have to go to a place that already has those things established and already knows what they’re doing and there’s no confusion. They know the direction the ship is going.”

Still, Bryant stressed he “never had that personal rivalry” on ensuring he had more championships than Duncan. But if Bryant played amid more stable circumstances, would he have won more titles?

“I wonder that, just for fun,” Bryant said. “But I can’t sit here and complain. I’ve eaten plenty well. So I can’t complain there isn’t any dessert left.”

What if?

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:27 am    Post subject:

Jordan Clarkson On His Upcoming Free Agency
by Dan Duangdao - lakersnation.com

At the 2014 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards selected Jordan Clarkson with the 46th overall pick and traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. After not playing for the first half of his rookie season, Clarkson became a starter and earned All-Rookie First Team honors.

In his second season, Clarkson has been the team’s most consistent player and is averaging 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 50 appearances for Los Angeles. While Clarkson will be joining Kobe Bryant and D’Angelo Russell at All-Star Weekend, he will become a restricted free agent this off-season.

With the Lakers continuing their four-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs, Clarkson addressed his upcoming free agency with Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:

“I definitely want to be here in L.A. and be a part of this young group and grow,” Clarkson said. “Hopefully we can grow into something great. I love L.A.”

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:28 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: February 7, 2001
by lakersnation.com

When Phoenix tied the game with seconds remaining, the Lakers knew who to give the ball to.

Kobe Bryant splashed a 17-foot jumper with 2.7 seconds left to cap off a 32-point night and an 85-83 win.

Not only did Bryant — who shot 13-of-26 — lead Los Angeles in scoring, but also in assists (nine), rebounds (eight) and steals (four).

With Shaquille O’Neal inactive, Bryant did most of his damage in the third quarter, adding a dozen points to his total.

However the Suns weren’t done. Led by Shawn Marion (18 points, 16 rebounds), they rolled off a 24-15 fourth quarter and tied the game with 11.5 ticks left on a 3-pointer by Tom Gugliotta.

But that simply lit the scene for Bryant to add to his collection of clutch shots.

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:30 am    Post subject:

lakersfreak wrote:
Kobe Bryant says Lakers’ instability hurting free agency efforts
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

Even as he collected NBA championships and set endless records, Kobe Bryant viewed the Spurs from afar with some envy.

Though Bryant won five of his NBA championships during a three-peat (2000-2002) and back-to-back run (2009, 2010), he also experienced three missed playoff appearances and played for seven different coaches. Meanwhile, the Spurs won five NBA titles, all with Gregg Popovich coaching and Tim Duncan dominating without missing the playoffs.

Bryant traced that consistency to Popovich and the Spurs front office, which he likened to the New England Patriots.

“They’re very clear on what the identity is of this team,” Bryant said. “They’re very clear on what they stand for and represent. They’re very clear on the style of player they want to have.”

And the Lakers?

“We’ve had changes,” Bryant said. “We had Dr. Buss passing away. We’ve had Jeanie and Jim [Buss]. We had Phil [Jackson] coming and going. We had all those things going on. As a result, we had the system changing as well. There’s a lot of inconsistency.”

So much, Bryant argued, that it played a primary factor in the Lakers missing out on marquee free agents in the past three seasons, including San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge.

“I don’t need to be a genius to figure that out,” said Bryant, who has dismissed criticism about the two-year, $48.5 million extension he signed in 2013. “If you’re a player and you want to win a championship, you have to go to a place that already has those things established and already knows what they’re doing and there’s no confusion. They know the direction the ship is going.”

Still, Bryant stressed he “never had that personal rivalry” on ensuring he had more championships than Duncan. But if Bryant played amid more stable circumstances, would he have won more titles?

“I wonder that, just for fun,” Bryant said. “But I can’t sit here and complain. I’ve eaten plenty well. So I can’t complain there isn’t any dessert left.”

What if?

Continued....


Really interesting article, and funny too when Kobe and Pop talked about the AllStar game practice. Can just see Duncan's reaction and Kobe pushing that whole practice. Kobe and Pop could have won several I don't know how many with all the variables. In that organization Kobe would have had to develop personally and professionally in a different way, but every reason to think he would have done so with his obsession for winning and improvement and their commitment to winning and enjoying laying great systems in place. Kobe would have to appreciated for example their international scouting system, Pop's clever schemes and substitutions and playing for the long haul of the season, the incredible behind the scenes greatness of the GM and owner who never seem to hunt for fame (same as ours today IMO, just different market. Dr Buss of course was not shy) yet still demand rings, and the consistency. The winning game results of those things would be so clear, that I just think Kobe would go, cool, let's keep it rolling. I also think though that Kobe and Melo would have gotten along great, and same with Kobe and CP3 for same winning cures everything reasons. Melo would have had to up his self-demands though.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:28 am    Post subject:

D’Angelo Russell’s Rookie Year Compared to 5 Other Guards
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

D’Angelo Russell might be the future of the Lakers, but how does his rookie year stack up to other guards’?

Many of the hope for the future of the Los Angeles Lakers are tied into rookie guard D’Angelo Russell. However, the 19-year-old Ohio State product has had quite a tumultuous rookie season from his inconsistent performance to his trials with Byron Scott regarding his role in the rotation.

Russell’s rookie season has largely been infuriating to watch for fans as he’s shown flashes of true brilliance at such a young age and the confidence and willingness to lead at times. However, he’s also not been trusted by Scott to finish games and, quite infamously at this point, has been out of the starting lineup for a time now in favor of Lou Williams getting the nod alongside Jordan Clarkson.

Because of all the chaos in Los Angeles this season, particularly surrounding Russell, his rookie season has been hard to gauge by itself. He’s a part of one of the worst teams in the history of the franchise and, subsequently, it’s near impossible to just look at his performance alone and see how effective he’s been.

Perhaps a better way to go about assessing Russell’s rookie year is to compare what he’s done with the Lakers this season to other contemporary guards and comparable players in terms of size and skill-set coming out of college. While it’s still not totally conclusive, it should paint a clearer picture as to what Russell has done this season and what that could mean as his situation, the coaching, and the Lakers as a whole grow and improve around him.

For reference throughout these comparisons, we’re going to look at per-36 minutes averages during the rookie seasons of the players involved to account for varying roles and playing time. Here’s what Russell’s numbers look like to this point in the season:

Russell’s Per-36 Minutes Averages: 16.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 3.3 turnovers, 41.7 FG%, 32.6 3P%

We’ll be looking at Russell in comparison to Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Anfernee Hardaway, and James Harden. Hopefully by the end of it, there will be a better grasp on what the Lakers have in Russell and what can be expected from him moving forward.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:29 am    Post subject:

Byron Scott says he has a “playful relationship” with D’Angelo Russell
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

The tone sounded honest and reflective as Lakers coach Byron Scott sat along the scorer’s table at AT&T Center analyzing D’Angelo Russell’s growth.

The Lakers’ rookie point guard has experienced quite a whirlwind this season amid hype as the team’s No. 2 draft pick, losing his starting position and sitting out frequently during the closing minutes. Russell has also experienced steady improvement with his aggressiveness, offensive command, post play and outside shot.

“I thought he’d probably be a little bit further,” Scott said following morning shootaround at AT&T Center, where the Lakers (11-41) will play the San Antonio Spurs (41-8) on Saturday. “But being at 19 years old, I always take that into consideration. Every time I chastise him about something or get mad at him about something, I go back that he’s 19.”

Russell heard those words nearby as he completed a shooting routine behind the 3-point line. In between shot attempts, Russell made a series of goofy facial expressions toward Scott. The Lakers’ head coach noticed and laughed.

“See what I mean?” Scott said, chuckling. “I have to remind myself of that that he’s still a kid and still learning an still figuring out what this league is all about.”

A humorous and honest dialogue then took place that captured what Scott described as a “playful relationship with Russell.” Scott also added he often tells Russell in a teasing manner, “You’re 19 but sometimes I think you’re 14. You’re 19, but today you’re 22 or 23.”

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:06 am    Post subject:

D'Angelo Russell Will Start, Finish Games After All-Star Break
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Byron Scott said on Saturday that D’Angelo Russell will be starting for the Lakers again after the All-Star break

Even with the Los Angeles Lakers playing quite well as of late, winning two out of their last three and the loss coming in a spirited effort on Saturday night against one of the NBA’s best in the San Antonio Spurs, there are still glaring problems with this team. One of the most glaring would be rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell’s role in the rotation.

Russell’s highly publicized removal from the starting lineup has long been a sore subject for Lakers fan, but has only become more frustrating with Julius Randle resuming his role as a starter as of late. What’s worse is that Byron Scott has also consistently pulled Russell late in fourth quarters regardless of his performance.

Apparently that will finally change in the coming weeks. After the close loss to San Antonio on Saturday night, Scott told reporters that the 19-year-old rookie will get the opportunity to start and finish games once the Lakers are on the other side of the All-Star break, per Mike Trudell of TWC Sportsnet:

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:08 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant On Jordan Clarkson’s Next Step In His Development
by Dan Duangdao - lakersnation.com

After earning All-Rookie First Team honors last season, Jordan Clarkson has been the most consistent player for the Los Angeles Lakers in his sophomore year. Through the first half of the season, Clarkson is averaging 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.2 minutes per game.

In the 106-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Clarkson finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. After the game, Kobe Bryant shared his thoughts on the next step in Clarkson’s development via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:

Kobe (on TWC) said the next step for J Clarkson is to become a great defender: "seems like he has the will to want to become a great player"

As the 46th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Clarkson has been a pleasant surprise and is participating in two events at All-Star Weekend in Toronto. With Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell the future backcourt of the franchise, the second-year guard has an opportunity to establish himself as a two-way player.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:09 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant Comments on Mentoring Kawhi Leonard, Bruce Bowen Comparisons
by Danny Webster - bleacherreport.com

Kawhi Leonard has accomplished a lot early in his career.

He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season, was named the 2014 NBA Finals MVP and has been named the Defensive Player of the Year. At 24 years old, his resume is already a mile long.

That doesn't mean he doesn't have room to grow. After the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 106-102 on Saturday, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich asked five-time world champion and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant about possibly mentoring the young star, which Kobe commented on, per Ananth Pandian of CBS Sports:

After the game we talked about Kawhi a little bit. [Popovich] wanted me to stay in his ear a little bit and talk to him a little bit. I definitely, definitely, definitely will. I think he has a tremendous amount of potential and he's only going to get better. So if I can help him out in that regard, I most certainly will.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:10 am    Post subject:

Former Spurs’ Bruce Bowen recalls defending Kobe Bryant
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

Below is a Q&A with an interview with former San Antonio Spurs forward and ESPN NBA analyst Bruce Bowen on defending Kobe Bryant during countless Spurs-Lakers regular-season and playoff matchups. While Bryant averaged 28.6 points on 46.8 percent shooting against Bowen in 22 playoff games, Bowen held Bryant to 26.3 points per game average on a 42.6 percent clip through 32 regular-season contests.

What memories jump out to you in defending Kobe Bryant?

Bowen:
“I think obviously he’s one of the best players at that position besides MJ [Michael Jordan]. The biggest thing for me, I knew Kobe was a due diligent person. His basketball IQ surpassed some of the others I competed against. The most critical aspect of Kobe’s game for me was his mental focus. It was comparable to mine about not allowing things to get to the point where you lose focus off of what’s at hand. I can tell you different guys at different moments where they lost focus. For the most part, he understood how important that focus was. Because of that, it wasn’t about the physical aspect. It was about the mental aspect as well. It was a chess game.

What moves are going to be made if this happens? If he didn’t start off well, I knew he was going to drive the ball. I knew he wanted to get comfortable shots in comfortable spots. That’s where it may be happening where you have to work harder. In the process of me trying to work harder, that’s where everything kind of seems to build up even more so as far as ‘Okay he’s not doing so well. I know at any moment he’s going to go off. All he needs is a layup.’ I always said that. It bothered me when Pop [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] took me out of the game and then I would see him get a layup. My thoughts are ‘I’m not going to shut him out, but at least let’s keep it going where he might question things to the point to where now I have an opportunity.'”

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:11 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: February 8, 1997
by nba.com

The day couldn’t have gone much better for a teenage Kobe Bryant, who set an All-Star Rookie Game record with 31 points before winning the Slam Dunk Contest that night.

Bryant shot 8-of-17 from the field and collected eight rebounds against his fellow rookies, but the West lost by five, thus handing MVP honors to Allen Iverson (19 points, nine assists).

Fortunately for Bryant, he saved his best for a few hours later.

In the opening round of the Dunk Contest, he threw down a reverse jam, which he topped by following with a behind-the-back throwdown — advancing himself to the finals.

His most iconic slam earned him the title as he switched the ball between his legs in mid-air and hammered it home to earn a near-perfect score of 49 out of 50.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:39 am    Post subject:

Lakers, among NBA cellar-dwellers, have 19.9% chance of winning the lottery
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

There was a very important game for Lakers fans over the weekend.

Oklahoma City vs. Golden State? No.

Lakers vs. San Antonio? Getting closer.

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets in a showdown of two fellow cellar-dwellers, a game with lottery intrigue for many Lakers followers.

With fewer than 30 games until the 2015-16 season ends for the Lakers, it's never too early to figure out where they sit in lottery land, along with their sad companions.

Louisiana State forward Ben Simmons remains the class of the draft, followed by thin but versatile Duke forward Brandon Ingram. The third-best player might be Providence point guard Kris Dunn.

Here are the lottery standings, along with applicable winning percentages and ever-important schedule strength the rest of the way.

May the worst team lose!

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:40 am    Post subject:

Roy Hibbert facing much different situation with Lakers than Pacers
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The endless travel itinerary left Roy Hibbert initially unaware on the timing of his homecoming. But Hibbert insisted he does not make much of it, anyway.

Unlike Kobe Bryant’s season-long farewell tour, Hibbert does not expect much fanfare for him when the Lakers (11-42) visit the Indiana Pacers (27-24) on Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. In what will mark his first appearance there since the Pacers traded him to the Lakers last summer, Hibbert admitted, “I don’t really expect much” of a positive reaction. He may not even play, considering the Lakers have listed him as questionable because of a sprained left ankle.

“Definitely no video tributes,” Hibbert said, mindful that former teammate Danny Granger did not receive one despite playing nine NBA seasons for Indiana. “It didn’t cross my mind on if I’m going to get one. Video tributes should be for guys that have been there for a long time.”

Hibbert spent his first seven seasons in Indiana, a stint that included two appearances both in the Eastern Conference Finals and in the NBA All-Star Game. He called his first playoff stint in 2011, a first-round loss to Chicago in five games, “his fondest moment” since it marked “the start of something.”

But that ended unceremoniously last summer. After averaging only 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in the 2014-15 season, Hibbert unexpectedly exercised his player option for $15.6 million the same day the Pacers drafted Texas center Myles Turner. Shortly after free agency started, Indiana then traded Hibbert to the Lakers for a second-round draft pick. It appeared to be a considerable win-win both for a franchise looking to shed contracts (Indiana) and for a franchise in need of a center after missing out on marquee targets (L.A.).

“I’m not going to go over that,” Hibbert said. “In the NBA, people get traded. It is what it is.”

The same thing applied toward Hibbert’s outlook on if he will stay past the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 18, or if he has any interest in wearing a purple-and-gold uniform once he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July.

“I’m thinking of one year at a time,” Hibbert said. “I’m not really going to speculate on anything like that right now.”

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:00 pm    Post subject:

Robert Upshaw's education with the D-Fenders is helping him chase his Lakers dream
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Upshaw was one of the Lakers' last cuts this preseason, but he didn't let that stop him from believing he could make the team.

It's one hour before the Los Angeles D-Fenders are scheduled to take the floor when the hulking enigma known as Robert Upshaw ducks through the door to the gym. He begins work with an assistant coach who, like most human beings on the planet, looks like a child in comparison. The surprisingly lithe seven-footer catches the ball on the left block and pivots into a hook shot, sinking it. He then transitions into a variety of shot types, slowly moving away from the basket to showcase a much more fluid than advertised jumper.

Upshaw's teammates soon join him out on the floor to warm up in the strangely chilly gym where the Los Angeles Lakers practice and the D-Fenders play their games, but from being the first one out on the floor to his losing 50 pounds since before Las Vegas Summer League, the message is clear: Upshaw is not satisfied with toiling away in the D-League, and wants to make it to the big show.

But which player will the Lakers or another NBA team be getting if they call him up? The one that was kicked out of two colleges for unspecified violations of team rules, whose issues were so worrying to NBA front offices that he fell out of the draft entirely after being projected as a first-round pick, or the gentle giant who describes himself as someone who loves kids, showing it by spending time before and after D-Fenders games meeting and posing for pictures with them? The player who D-Fenders staffers describe as a pleasure to work with, who takes everything they can throw at him and asks for more?

"I choose how I want it to go," says Upshaw, describing what Lakers forward Metta World Peace told him his two career paths were. "I could be him and beat up a fan, or I could be Kevin Durant, I could be a greater person."

Only World Peace could so aptly describe the boom-or-bust potential that leaves fans salivating over Upshaw's raw tools but NBA front offices wary of his presence in their locker room.

Upshaw will almost certainly never be as good as Durant (or even play a comparable style), but he is a seven-foot mound of clay that appears ready to be molded into an NBA-level offensive threat. While he is shooting just 43.9 percent from the field, D-Fenders head coach Casey Owens believes Upshaw can shoot a significantly higher percentage if he sticks to the right type of shots.

"He has to commit to diving hard [out of pick-and-rolls] every single time because those are easy baskets. We turn that corner and we can throw it up to a seven-footer, and that's a 1,000 percent field goal percentage, you know what I mean?" asks Owens. "He's got to learn to dive hard every single time instead of sometimes."

It's not quite 1000 percent from the field, but Upshaw is shooting 58.3 percent on shots in the restricted area this season. It's also easy to see why Owens wants to put him in pick-and-rolls, and much of his value to an NBA team would probably be derived from those sets. A mammoth human being like Upshaw can set solid screens, and when he "dives hard," just like his head coach wants, good things can happen, like in this play against the Blue:

Continued....


Last edited by lakersfreak on Mon Feb 08, 2016 7:54 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:01 pm    Post subject:

Jordan Hill appreciated Kobe Bryant’s chirping
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

The chirping constantly flooded Jordan Hill’s ears as he went up and down the court. He could hear Kobe Bryant yelling in practice and during games about anything imaginable.

He would bark out instructions to teammates. He would pull teammates to the side and point out various tactics. He would talk trash to opponents. He would do the same thing to teammates in practice.

All of which Hill said he loved during his 3 1/2 seasons with the Lakers before signing with the Indiana Pacers this offseason as a free agent.

“He’s bringing out the best out of his teammates and he wants the best out of his team,” Hill told Los Angeles News Group. “He’s a winner. You have to be prepared for it. Not a lot of people can handle it. But he deserves everything he gets.”

Hill does not expect anything less when the Lakers (11-42) visit the Indiana Pacers (27-24) on Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in what will mark Bryant’s final game here. After the Lakers acquired him from Houston for Derek Fisher and a first-round pick in 2012, Hill largely credited Bryant toward eventually posting career-highs last season in points (12.), rebounds (7.9) and minutes played (26.8).

“His competitiveness added to my competitiveness when I was out on the court,” Hill said. “So I tried to be a better player and compete, too.”

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:03 pm    Post subject:

Looking for D’Angelo Russell in LA Lakers’ land of confusion
by Mark Heisler - dailynews.com

What do you call a Laker coach in his second season?

History.

Mike Brown vanished five games into his second season.

Mike D’Antoni resigned after two-plus seasons, all of it in the crosshairs after being hired over Phil Jackson.

Of course, unlike them Byron Scott is Laker Family ... not that it means anything 18 months after posing with his old Showtime teammates at the introductory press conference.

The organization now looks the other way as grisly development follows grisly development, waiting for the season and, presumably, Scott’s time as coach, to be over.

Lighting up this netherworld during a recent game telecast, Clipper commentator Don MacLean mused, “I really wish Byron Scott would just give D’Angelo Russell the keys and say, ‘Go for it, man.’”

This was mild enough, as was Scott’s smiling response:

“First of all to Don, that’s why you’re not coaching, let’s put it that way.”

Actually, MacLean is more than a former player-turned-pundit, running pre-draft workouts that last spring included Russell, No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns and No. 6 pick Willie Cauley-Stein.

If that doesn’t make MacLean an NBA coach, it qualifies him to stand up for Russell.

In good news for Laker fans, MacLean, who’s as tough-minded as Scott, told Petros and Money on KLAC-570 that Russell “might be the best passer I’ve ever seen....

“If Byron Scott would just say, ‘You know what, D’Angelo? I don’t care if you turn it over 15 times tonight, you’re going to play 35 minutes.’

“He will figure it out. He really will.”

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:53 am    Post subject:

Lebron shares favorite Kobe moment
by Dave McMenamin - espn.go.com

With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff consideration -- let alone championship consideration -- it's safe to say there will be only three more games for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to play against one another.

Two of them will happen this week: on Wednesday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Lakers, and in Sunday's All-Star game in Toronto, where Bryant and James will face off in the annual East vs. West game.

James admitted Monday that seeing Bryant play out his final season has touched him.

"Anytime I even watch his games, even when I'm not playing him, it's always, like, very emotional just knowing it's his last hurrah," James said after the Cavs' 120-100 win over the Sacramento Kings. "And he's done so much, not only for the Lakers organization, but for me as a kid growing up watching Kobe and things of that nature and also competing against him.

"So it's going to be really cool to see him on Wednesday for sure, and hopefully -- I know our fans -- they're going to give him a great reception, well-deserved."

A source told ESPN that the Cavs will honor Bryant with a pregame video, as many teams have done.

It promises to be another special moment for Bryant in a 20-year career filled with them. When Bryant announced his impending retirement in late November, James said his most memorable game with the five-time champion was when they won the gold medal for USA Basketball in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

James shared his favorite Bryant moment on Monday.

Continued....
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lakersfreak
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:54 am    Post subject:

Paul George Latest to Receive Shoes From Kobe
by Joey Ramirez - nba.com

Paul George grew up in Palmdale as a Kobe Bryant fan, and his childhood idol had something special for him after the two went head-to-head for the final time on Monday.

The retiring Bryant met George in the Indiana Pacers' locker room and presented him with a pair of his shoes as a parting gift.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:55 am    Post subject:

Jordan Hill: ‘Not A Lot Of People Can Handle’ Kobe Bryant’s Trash Talking
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

After being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers at the 2012 trade deadline, Jordan Hill worked his way up from last man on the bench to reliable starter by the 2014-15 season. Hill also got to deal with a lot of trash talking from Kobe Bryant.

Kobe is legendary for how he constantly talks to his teammates, pushing them to their limits in order to get the best out of them.

Hill experienced that first hand, but understood what Kobe was trying to do and according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, believes that many can’t handle what Kobe dishes out:

“He’s bringing out the best out of his teammates and he wants the best out of his team,” Hill told Los Angeles News Group. “He’s a winner. You have to be prepared for it. Not a lot of people can handle it. But he deserves everything he gets.”

Hill also said that Kobe’s constant pushing helped him be more competitive on the court as well:

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:57 am    Post subject:

Kobe: Changing Hack-a-Player Would Set ‘horrible example’
by Baxter Holmes - espn.go.com

Responding to recent comments from NBA commissioner Adam Silver about a potential rule change to the “hack-a-player” strategy, Kobe Bryant said Monday that outlawing that tactic would “set a horrible example for kids.”

Bryant, a 37-year-old star for the Los Angeles Lakers, made his comment in response to a reporter’s question after the Lakers’ 89-87 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

“You can’t protect guys because they can’t shoot free throws,” Bryant said. “You’re getting paid a lot of money to make a damn free throw, dude. I think it sets a bad precedent. I wouldn’t change it.”

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Ziggy
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 8:51 am    Post subject:

thanks lakersfreak, I read almost every article you post.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:13 pm    Post subject:

Ziggy wrote:
thanks lakersfreak, I read almost every article you post.


Thx, much appreciated
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 2:53 pm    Post subject:

lakersfreak wrote:
Ziggy wrote:
thanks lakersfreak, I read almost every article you post.


Thx, much appreciated


One of the first things I'm doing every day is checking the title in the news feed to see what the latest is.
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SuperboyReformed
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:06 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
James shared his favorite Bryant moment on Monday.

"I think my most fond moment is he gave me his shoes when I was in high school," James said. "I think I was playing in a tournament in Teaneck, New Jersey, and they were playing in the [2002] All-Star game in Philly. And I had an opportunity to go meet him, and he gave me a pair of his shoes, and I actually wore them in a game against Oak Hill, against Melo [Carmelo Anthony], actually. So, six degrees of separation right there."

yawn. lebron's favorite moment is typically boring.

My favorite moment is when old man Kobe blocked the s--- out of him at the all star game. and then did it again, with the ball going out on lebron...and then the refs giving lebron free throws. Perfect example of the nature of that relationship.
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lakersfreak
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:38 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
lakersfreak wrote:
Ziggy wrote:
thanks lakersfreak, I read almost every article you post.


Thx, much appreciated


One of the first things I'm doing every day is checking the title in the news feed to see what the latest is.


Same here but 16 feeds for me
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