News 'n Views - Mar 2016: D'Angelo Russell affair just the latest sign the Lakers are losing their identity
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:51 am    Post subject:

Julius Randle showed his full potential as a facilitator in win over Grizzlies
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

L.A.'s sophomore forward's passing was impressive in the team's recent victory.

Julius Randle had his 30th double-double of the season in the Lakers 107-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, but it was a stat he didn't get double figures in that stood out most. More than his 13 points and 14 rebounds, Randle's career-high five assists practically jumped out of the box score.

The Lakers sophomore forward has developed a (somewhat deserved) reputation for being a bit of a black hole on offense, unwilling to pass when he thinks he can get off a shot. Randle's game is barely-controlled chaos, the burly 6'9 forward often seems to have very little, if any, plan during his pell-mell drives to the hoop before throwing up a shot. Randle has been prone to tunnel vision on said drives, but against Memphis, he showed the full potential of his offensive arsenal if he ever becomes a consistent playmaker when defenses collapse on him.

On the play below, Randle finds Kobe Bryant on the right wing for a three-pointer when Memphis' defense collapses on his transition drive (courtesy of Whip Clip):

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:52 am    Post subject:

After Game Videos - Grizzlies at Lakers
by lakersnation.com

Lakers Defeat Grizzlies In Kobe Bryant's Final Matchup Vs. Tony Allen

Byron Scott On D'Angelo Russell's Injury, Win Over Grizzlies

Jordan Clarkson After Lakers Victory Over The Memphis Grizzlies

Kobe Bryant On Failed College Basketball System, Vince Carter Memories
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:53 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 23, 2007
by nba.com

On his way to making NBA history, Kobe Bryant made sure to give a fan something to remember for the rest of his life.

In the third quarter of his 50-point outburst against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, he turned to a boy sitting curtsied.

“I went over to the sideline and I said … watch this 3,” Bryant told reporters. “I’ve got a 3 for you. Then I knocked down a 3 and gave him a high-five.”

It was just one of those nights for Bryant, who joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history with four consecutive 50-point games in the Lakers’ 111-105 win over the Hornets.

Bryant had scored 65, 50 and 60 in his previous three games and didn’t waste time adding to his collection with 13 in the first quarter.

He added 14 in the next frame, including 10 in the final three minutes before halftime.

But he saved his best for a third quarter which saw the Lakers outscore their hosts, 31-18, behind 17 points from their superstar.

Bryant shot 16-of-29 from the field and knocked down all 16 of his free throw attempts, while being aided by 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists from Lamar Odom.

The duo’s performances helped overcome stat-stuffing nights from the Hornets’ Chris Paul (28 points, 12 assists) and Tyson Chandler (22 points, 22 rebounds).

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:46 pm    Post subject:

Byron Scott and D'Angelo Russell say the Lakers lack trust
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Trust falls, anyone?

After the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, their 56th defeat of the season, head coach Byron Scott had a simple reason for the team's struggles.

"There's nothing I can install to make them trust each other," Scott told Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News following the game. "They have to figure it out."

Scott has often spoken this season about players not trusting each other in reference to the players tendencies to isolate and try and score themselves. While the trust issue is intangible, if one uses assists as a measurement for how much the team is passing Scott is not wrong. The Lakers rank 28th out of 30 NBA teams in assisted field goal ratio, setting each other up to score on just 51.5 percent of their possessions this season.

Russell agreed with his head coach that trust was an issue against Phoenix and shouldered the blame himself:

D'Angelo blamed himself for the team's lack of trust and said he needs to organize the offense better

Against the Suns, the Lakers assisted on a mere 33.3 percent of their baskets, so if the lack of playmaking was Scott's major issue, it was real in the loss. However, it should be noted that the two offenses ranking behind the Lakers in assist ratio are the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors, who rank 15th and fifth in the league in offensive efficiency, respectively. The Lakers rank 29th.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:50 pm    Post subject:

Kobe reflects on 'love-hate' relationship with Suns in Phoenix farewell
by Baxter Holmes - espn.go.com

If the locals here ever felt that Kobe Bryant hated their city and NBA team after years of fierce playoff battles between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, well, he confirmed in his final visit to this area that, yes, that's exactly how he felt.

"There's no misunderstanding, there's no wiggle room there -- I hated them, absolutely," the Los Angeles Lakers icon said Wednesday after a 119-107 loss to the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena, his last game in Phoenix.

The Steve Nash-led Suns eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, but the Lakers knocked them out in 2010 on the way to Bryant's fifth NBA championship.

Hence, Bryant said, he loathed the Suns.

"Yes, they stopped me from getting a championship -- twice," he said. "Damn right I hated them. Absolutely. Raja [Bell] and Steve and all of those good guys. Hated them. No question. But at the same time, I loved them, because they brought the best out of me and my teammates. So the relationship is a love-hate relationship because I hated the fact that they were that good and kept us from winning, but at the same time, I loved how good they were and I knew we had to be better. It's a love-hate relationship.

"That was a real rivalry to me. The Sacramento thing really wasn't one because we beat them every time. Phoenix, they kicked our butts and we had to bounce back and overcome them. That's a true rivalry."

Bryant noted that the Suns were actually one of three teams that he requested to be traded to; the list also included the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:51 pm    Post subject:

Video Montage - Kobe vs Suns
by lakersnation.com
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:51 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Signs Shoes for Booker
by Joey Ramirez - nba.com

Born just four days before Kobe Bryant's NBA debut, Phoenix's Devin Booker grew up idolizing the superstar Laker.

The 19-year-old rookie made sure to impress his hero in their lone matchup against one another, dropping 28 points in the Suns' victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday. Afterward, Bryant made sure to give him a sign of his respect.

The two chatted for about 15-20 minutes, and Bryant autographed a pair of white Nike Kobe 11 shoes with the message "To Book Be Legendary" on one sneaker and "To The Young Gun!" on the other."

He also inked his signature on the game's program, which featured both players on the cover.

Booker called the meeting "something I will remember for the rest of my life and I can tell my kids about."

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:59 am    Post subject:

Larry Nance Jr. is determined to live up to the family name
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

It was a more appropriate place than any to talk to Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr.

Phoenix was where his father, Larry, put the family name on the basketball map as a high-scoring forward with plenty of dunks in his bag and good rebounding skills too.

His name is on the wall outside the Suns' locker room as one of the most efficient scorers in franchise history, but it was the dunking that Nance Jr. remembered most about his father's game.

He was only 2 years old when his father retired in 1994, so a videotape of the 1984 NBA dunk contest was where he first saw the elder Nance on a basketball court.

"I don't even know how old I was -- real little," Nance said. "But I remember watching him in his gold chain beat Dr. J. That was pretty cool."

It was the league's first dunk contest, with a crowded field that also included Dominique Wilkins and Michael Cooper. Julius Erving, commonly known as Dr. J, finished second to Nance.

"At first, I didn't understand who he beat in his contest," Nance Jr. said, realizing over the years the importance of Erving. "He did all right."

Nance has been in a holding pattern since a late December run that pushed into early January. A little after that, however, his right knee started bothering him, the one in which he had suffered a torn ACL during his junior year at Wyoming.

He sat out four games, came back for three and sat out six more before returning to the lineup. He is still sitting out a game in each back-to-back situation as a precaution with only a few weeks left in the season.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:00 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 24, 2008
by nba.com

With a gash under his eye, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to an overtime victory against Golden State.

Bryant needed five stitches after the game to address the cut, but first he scored 30 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 123-119 win in Oakland.

The Lakers actually trailed by 11 at halftime and Bryant only had seven points.

But that changed when the Lakers outscored their hosts in the third quarter, 35-23.

Bryant scored a dozen in the fourth to give Los Angeles a 110-101 lead with three minutes left, but Golden State roared back with a 10-1 run to force overtime.

With the game tied at 119 and 9.1 seconds remaining in the extra period, Lamar Odom provided a go-ahead layup, then Bryant followed with a pair of free throw to ice it.

Golden State’s Baron Davis (30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) and Stephen Jackson (29 points) gave the Lakers a run, but Bryant received more than enough help from Odom, who provided 23 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:14 pm    Post subject:

Los Angeles Lakers have failed to mesh in a forgettable season
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

The word gets thrown around a lot after Lakers losses.

Trust.

The lack of it is obvious if the Lakers find themselves trailing, when their offense melts into predictable isolation plays and too-quick heaves with plenty of time on the shot clock.

Lack of talent is one reason they'll almost surely crash into the worst record in 68 years of Lakers basketball. Lack of cohesion is another.

One person stands up and takes accountability. He's a rookie.

"Me being the point guard, I don't do a good job of bringing it together and running a set. I put that on myself," said D'Angelo Russell after the Lakers squandered a relatively good first half Wednesday in a 119-107 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the second-worst team in the Western Conference.

Russell took 18 shots and made only six. He wasn't alone in misfiring.

Jordan Clarkson missed too many shots, Kobe Bryant too, and Roy Hibbert was one for six, which is nothing new. He has scored in single digits in 20 of his last 21 games.

Julius Randle was the only Lakers starter who showed much of anything, finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Even he seemed confused.

"Very frustrating," he said. "We've all been 'the guy' our whole lives so I guess we've got to realize that somebody's got to sacrifice something, really figure out how each other plays around each other, what works best for each other, instead of, 'Let's all try to do it ourselves.'"

What does the coach say?

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:15 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant unsure how much basketball he’ll watch post retirement
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

It seemed that Kobe Bryant could never satisfy his appetite for basketball enough.

He played throughout his childhood and endlessly studied the NBA’s history. He woke up at ungodly hours to expedite his development. He watched film endlessly. He lasted 20 mostly productive NBA seasons by endlessly adding nuances to his game and training regimen.

Bryant has as many as 11 games left to play, beginning with when the Lakers (15-56) host the Denver Nuggets (30-42) on Friday at Staples Center. But will Bryant satisfy his basketball fix by remaining a student of the league? Perhaps not as much as you’d think.

“It’s difficult for me to actually watch an entire game from the start to end,” Bryant said. “The game is just too long and it’s too much time. It’s true, though.”

The reasons apparently have nothing to do with wanting to take a vacation after the Lakers’ season finale against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13. After already creating his own company (Kobe, Inc.) and investing in a sports energy drink (Body Armor) and a website (Players Tribune), Bryant reported he will “be at work the next day” following his retirement.

“I’m incapable of taking a break,” Bryant said. “I like working and like being active and doing things. My mind has to be focused on something. It has to be.”

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:16 pm    Post subject:

Lakers Raise Over $400,000 For Lakers Youth Foundation in Golf Event
by nba.com

The Los Angeles Lakers held their 26th annual charity golf tournament and dinner on Monday, raising over $400,000 for the Lakers Youth Foundation, it was announced today.

The event, held at the legendary Riviera Country Club, featured former Lakers players, other professional athletes, media personalities, and additional celebrities. Lakers Head Coach Byron Scott and all the members of the 2015-16 team attended the reception and dinner, and highlights included a Q&A session with Scott and Kobe Bryant, conducted by Lakers radio play-by-play announcer John Ireland.

The event’s presenting sponsor was MIR Audio Video - Bang & Olufsen, and other sponsors included Time Warner Cable, Verizon Wireless, Comerica Bank, East West Bank, Prudential Retirement, Chevron, Anheuser-Busch, adidas, and Delta Airlines.

“This year’s event produced our best attendance ever and raised a record amount of money, all of which supports the wonderful work we’re able to do through the Lakers Youth Foundation,” said Lakers co-owner and Director of Charitable Services Janie Buss. “We are tremendously grateful to all of our sponsors, participants, and volunteers who made this such a successful event.”

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:17 pm    Post subject:

Building the Ultimate Los Angeles Lakers 2016 Free-Agent Dream Team (Video)
by bleacherreport.com

The Los Angeles Lakers have played far below their usual standards the past two seasons, but with Kobe's farewell tour coming to a close and cap space opening up, the future looks bright in L.A.

Who would be the dream starting five for the Lakers in 2016-17?

Watch Madelyn Burke and Bleacher Report NBA Analyst Kevin Ding discuss the Lakers in the video above.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:00 am    Post subject:

Tank Watch - The Lakers' lottery run rolls to the finish line
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

The season is (mercifully) almost at a close. Here's what to watch for down the stretch.

The Los Angeles Lakers' tank has rolled right along since the last edition of Tank Watch, with the team going 1-3 over that four-game stretch. After showing signs of life to start to the post-All-Star break home stretch, the Lakers' offense and defense has completely flatlined and it doesn't look like anyone can bring them back. The team has scored just 99.5 points per 100 possessions in the last four games while giving up 105.6, both of which are slight improvements over the team's season averages but still abysmal marks overall.

That's not great for a team that is still trying to win games, but on the bright side, it is the best possible outcome for those who hope the Lakers can lock in the second-best possible odds to retain their top-three protected first round pick. Here are the contributors that made those extra ping pong balls possible.

Tank Play of the Week: Ryan Kelly's offensive goaltending against the Phoenix Suns

The Lakers were in the middle of a run, trying to get back into the game after trailing for most of the night to the Phoenix Suns. The score was 88-89 and the Lakers needed a basket to take the lead for the first time in the fourth quarter, and the White Raven swooped into deliver. However, he also flew too close to the sun rim, because the referees waived off his basket for offensive goaltending:

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:01 am    Post subject:

Video Montage - Kobe vs Nuggets
by lakersnation.com
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:02 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 25, 2011
by nba.com

The one-two punch of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol was too much for the Clippers, as they led the Lakers to their sixth straight win with a 112-104 victory over their intracity foes.

The Lakers jumped out to a 30-14 lead behind 12 points from Gasol and 11 from Bryant.

When the Clippers chipped the Lakers’ lead down to two in the fourth quarter, Bryant struck back by racking up a dozen more in the final period.

Bryant finished the night with 37 points by shooting 11-of-21 from the field and 14-of-17 at the foul line.

Meanwhile, Gasol scored 26 points and donated $1,000 to Japan earthquake and tsunami relief for each, which was matched by Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

Both teams hit exactly half of their shots, while Mo Williams (30 points) and Blake Griffin (22) fueled the Clippers.

But the purple and gold never trailed, as they outscored their Staples Center co-tenants at the free throw line, 28-15.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:54 pm    Post subject:

What Have Young Lakers Proven During 2015-16 NBA Season?
by Hannah Kulik - lakersnation.com

The Los Angeles Lakers front office knew two things last October. This was going to be Kobe Bryant’s final NBA season and if they were going to return to prominence in the foreseeable future, their young players needed to signal that they would quickly mature into true NBA stars. Bryant would receive most of the attention, but the real mission this season was assessing whether the Lakers would be justified going “all in” for the future on D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson.

Unfortunately, the results have been inconclusive. The team’s recent victories over the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic had everyone proclaiming that Russell, Randle and Clarkson had arrived. This positivity evaporated, however, when they regressed in the following games, eerily resembling the inexperienced players they were at the start of the season. They have been relegated to watching Brandon Bass, Lou Williams, Ryan Kelly, and Marcelo Huertas rally the team from the steep deficits created by the starters. Once again, unheralded Larry Nance, Jr. looks like the most polished all-around young player on the team.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:56 pm    Post subject:

Ya’ll Must Have Forgot: Breaking Down Ben Simmons
by lakersoutsiders.com

Even before his season began in Baton Rouge at Louisiana, Ben Simmons was the focus of the recruiting class as the No. 1 ranked prospect. He was tabbed the next LeBron. The Next Big Thing.

All he’s done on the year is put up a stat line of 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

For reference, here’s a list of players who have 600 points, 350 rebounds and 150 assists in one college basketball season since 1994-95:

Ben Simmons

That’s it. The closest player is Draymond Green, who narrowly missed out on the assist mark despite playing four more games than Simmons.

But as the season rolled along, Simmons became old news and, most notably, forward Brandon Ingram of Duke was adopted as the new fad. The wave reached the breaking point when Draft Express writer Jonathan Givony wrote an article for Yahoo, which published on Monday, explaining why the reputable scouting service had moved the ultra-talented forward off the No. 1 prospect spot.

In the article, Givony questioned Simmons’ “lack of competitiveness” in big games, referenced a scout who called him a “skinnier Royce White” and wondered about his approach and desire to the college game.

In no way do I think I’m better evaluator of talent than Givony, who is great at what he does with Draft Express. However, at times people do focus too much on the negatives and not look at what a player like Simmons do positively.

With so much written about how Ingram can fit with the Lakers and so much made about Simmons’ bad fit, let’s look a little deeper into what Simmons does well, where he needs work, and how he could possibly fit with the Lakers (or other NBA teams).

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 7:54 am    Post subject:

Julius Randle plays 'differently' to get first triple-double
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

Through 71 games as a Laker, Julius Randle had never tallied more than five assists.

He hit that less than nine minutes into Friday’s 116-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Randle finished with 13 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double. At 21, he became the youngest Laker to record a triple-double since Magic Johnson.

Coach Byron Scott called Randle’s performance “the only real big-time positive” on a night the Lakers could not hold a lead, rally from a deficit, or avoid injury.

D’Angelo Russell left the game in the first half after suffering a moderate ankle sprain and his status for the rest of the season remains unclear.

Randle, who averages a meager 1.6 assists, said he “tried to look at things differently” against the Nuggets.

“We haven’t been moving the ball great,” he said, “really haven’t been getting each other going the last couple of games, so I just tried to look at it differently and get my guys going.”

Kobe Bryant said Randle had been “dancing around (getting a triple-double) a little bit,” acknowledging the young forward’s playmaking skills. But that is typically in the open court, and Randle most often puts his head down and goes to the basket.

The passing was new.

“I said at the beginning of the year that he’s Lamar Odom in a Zach Randolph body,” Bryant said. “It’s just a matter of him getting a feel for the NBA game and where he sees actions take place. That just comes from experience and study.”

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 7:56 am    Post subject:

After Game Videos - Nuggets at Lakers
by lakersnation.com

D'Angelo Russell Sprains Ankle As Lakers Fall To Denver Nuggets

Julius Randle After First Career Triple-Double (13 pts, 18 rebs, 10 asts)

Kobe Bryant Discusses Music, Languages and Belgium

Kobe Bryant's Impression Of Duke's Brandon Ingram
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:21 pm    Post subject:

Good news, bad news from Lakers training session ahead of game with Wizards
by Abbey Mastracco - dailynews.com

The good news for the Lakers is that Kobe Bryant is in. The bad news is that D’Angelo Russell is likely out.

Russell was diagnosed with a moderate ankle sprain in the Lakers’ loss the Denver Nuggets on Friday. He did not practice on Saturday and Lakers coach Byron Scott is leaning toward giving him a day off on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, saying his status is doubtful.

Russell received treatment on Saturday and will receive more on Sunday before they determine whether or not the guard can play. Lakers trainer Gary Vitti gave Scott a positive prognosis.

“He said the good sign is that he doesn’t have a bunch of swelling, it’s not all puffy and he was able to walk on it,” Scott said. “But walking and running and cutting are two different things. Some good news from Gary, though, is that the swelling was really down. He felt really good about that. He kept the tape on all night last night, which is a good sign, and like I said, we’ll go through the progression of doing the treatment tomorrow and we’ll see how he is tomorrow night.”

Scott wants to see if Russell has any pain or limps before allowing him to play.

“We’ve got one main test that we do towards the end of all of the other stuff that he has to do, and if he passes that, great,” Scott said. “If he doesn’t, then he won’t play tomorrow.”

Russell has sprained his ankle in the past and didn’t miss a lot of time. After Friday’s loss, he said he didn’t want to get shut down for the rest of the season and wanted to end it on a high note.

But Bryant, who has been sitting out periodically with a sore shoulder, will play.

“He’ll play tomorrow,” Scott said. “He wants to play these next two, these back-to-back games.”

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:23 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant Trying To ‘Have As Much Energy As Possible’ To Finish Lakers Season
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

The Los Angeles Lakers have made no secret about Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour being front and center this season, especially now that the season has hit its homestretch.

Kobe himself has constantly maintained that his goal is to make it through his final season in one piece. In order to get to the end, however, Kobe has had to miss 16 games so far along the way.

With only 10 games remaining in the year, Kobe hopes he has missed his final game of the year as he plans on doing everything in his power to play all of the remaining games according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:

Kobe: "I’m just trying to save up & have as much energy as possible to try to play all of these games & give it absolutely all I can.”

This is great news for basketball fans everywhere hoping to watch Kobe Bryant one last time before he hangs it up after this season. It has been something of a crapshoot for most of the season as to whether or not Kobe will play and there have been plenty of times where fans have left disappointed at not being able to see Kobe on the court.

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:23 pm    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 26, 2004
by nba.com

The Lakers were on the verge of being swept by Minnesota, but Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had a message to send.

Bryant poured in 35 points, while O’Neal collected 22 points and 18 rebounds to push the Lakers past the Timberwolves, 90-73.

“That’ s a real important win,” head coach Phil Jackson told reporters. “Odds are that we’ll meet them in the playoffs, and we wanted to send the message that we’re not going to be say to beat.”

Indeed, the Lakers went on to face Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals, winning in six games.

But first they had to take the last regular season meeting, despite shooting just 39.3 percent from the field. While Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds, the purple and gold shut down everyone else by holding the Wolves to a 31.4 percent clip.

The Lakers sped out to an eight-point halftime lead before breaking the game open with a 28-12 third quarter. Bryant outscored the Timberwolves by himself in this frame with 13 points.

He also grabbed nine rebounds on the night while shooting 13-of-21 to lead the Lakers to their seventh consecutive win.

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lakersfreak
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:25 pm    Post subject:

Buddy Hield says Kobe made him demolish Oregon in the Elite Eight
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Another NCAA prospect tried to put on a show for Kobe.

Buddy Hield exploded for 37 points on 13-20 shooting in Oklahoma State's Elite Eight victory over the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. The senior superstar drained eight three-pointers and showcased an arsenal of step-back jumpers in the victory, his scoring fueling the Sooners to the Final Four.

When asked about his high-scoring performance following the win, Hield credited the #KobeSystem (kind of).

"As soon as I saw Kobe was here, I knew I had to put on a show," Hield told Brett McMurphy of ESPN. "Blame it on Kobe."

If we could reach him for comment, Kobe would likely say "You're welcome."

Hield isn't the only top NCAA prospect Bryant has scouted in recent days. Kobe also checked out Duke's Brandon Ingram scoring 24 points in Duke's loss to Oregon, where he took pictures with Hield as well.

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Ziggy
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 10:18 pm    Post subject:

I wonder if Mitch asked Kobe to watch these prospects to get his opinion or if he's just doing it on his own out of curiosity.
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