PLACE N ° 15 IN THE ROSTER OF CHAMPIONS IN OFFICE, the candidates

PLACE N ° 15 IN THE ROSTER OF CHAMPIONS IN OFFICE | With the signing of Marc Gasol first and then Jared Dudley, the Lakers have almost completed their roster waiting for the start of the new season. There is still a place on the roster available, the fifteenth, and there is no shortage of names that could be useful for the team coached by Frank Vogel. Here are all the most likely options on GM Rob Pelinka's table KYLE KORVER | Danny Green, a 40% three-point shooter in his career, is gone. On the other hand, Dennis Schroder shot 38.5% last season (but does not reach 34% in his career) and Wesley Matthews has an overall percentage over 38% but is only back from 34.3% in the last championship. So why not take an extra specialist, like the former Bucks?

At the start of the next playoffs, he will already be 40 years old, but last year he was close to 42% from the arc DEMARRE CARROLL | The Lakers theoretically faced him in the 2020 playoff challenge against the Rockets, but Carroll did not set foot on the pitch. However, he remains a player in the 3 & D category - three-point shooting and defense - with playoff experience, who in the postseason 2019 (in Brooklyn) ensured even more than 6 points and 4 rebounds from the bench in about twenty minutes. How much is still left in Vanderbilt's product tank? THABO SEFOLOSHA | The question also applies to the Swiss, who on the other hand wasn't even in the Rockets' 2020 playoff roster, even though his last NBA appearances are with the Houston jersey. Veteran, excellent defender in his prime (now obviously less), is considered by all to be a locker room player TREVOR ARIZA | It would be a return to the Lakers jersey, with which he won the NBA title in 2009, before being escorted to the door to make way for Ron Artest / Metta World Peace. His whirlwind of trade has made people talk (4 teams in 6 days), for the moment he is at OKC but it is difficult for him to be part of Sam Presti's reconstruction plans (password: youth). And the former UCLA could come in handy for the Lakers. PAU GASOL | Speaking of returns, this would be sensational: A) because one of the great protagonists of the 2009 and 2010 rings (the shoulder of Kobe Bryant) would return in yellow-violet; B) because he would pair up with his brother Marc. He is a long way from the NBA fields, but LeBron James has already said he is a possibility to welcome him: “Why not? We'll see…". The door seems open ... DEWAYNE DEDMON | In California he was born and went to college, right in L.A. (to USC). He has returned from a disastrous year, between Atlanta and Sacramento, but only during the 2018-19 season - in the Hawks jersey - did he travel with over 38% from three points on almost three and a half pitches in the evening. And for a long one with its centimeters it is certainly not little.

the Lakers' plan to win for the next century

 The Los Angeles Lakers look ready to win their second straight NBA title after some impressive roster moves this offseason. They still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the best duo in the league, and next season is theirs to lose. But constant rumors are circulating that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be leaving the Milwaukee Bucks with California as the most likely landing spot. The Golden State Warriors have been thrown in the mix, but so have the Lakers. (Source 

https://fadeawayworld.net/2020/11/26/if-the-los-angeles-lakers-land-giannis-antetokounmpo-lebron-james-could-win-more-titles-than-michael-jordan/) 

Focus on Kuzma. The yellow-violet winger expires in 2021 and hopes to receive a contract extension already in this market window

 The yellow-violet winger expires in 2021 and hopes to receive a contract extension already in this market window, ensuring its future with the franchise.  "And he expects a hefty deal," announced ESPN's Brian Windhorst

 Transfer times before starting next season will be noticeably tight, given that in the space of two days the NBA executives will have to switch from the draft to the free agent market ahead of the December 1 training camp.  The reigning champions of the Los Angeles Lakers, in particular, will have several issues to deal with, starting with the renewal of Anthony Davis (who will leave the contract to sign a new agreement with the yellow and purple, even if it is not known how long) to the various  Caldwell-Pope, Bradley, McGee, Rondo, Morris and Howard to be re-signed.  In fact, the only players with guaranteed contracts for next season are LeBron James, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kyle Kuzma, but a decision will have to be made for the latter as well.  The yellow-violet winger will in fact begin his fourth and final year of the rookie contract signed in 2017, at the end of which he can become a restricted free agent, but can now sign an extension of the contract with the team that chose him at  Draft.  And according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, "he expects a sizeable deal, or at least he hopes for it."  Kuzma was one of the few youngsters not sacrificed by the Lakers to reach Anthony Davis last year, but he has just returned from an intelocutoria year: despite the 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists on average often coming off the bench, he shot with 43.6  % from the field, 31.6% from three and 73.5% to free, gradually finding less space as the playoffs progress (21.6 minutes against Miami in the final, 23.6 in the rest of the playoffs) and without playing particularly well, so much so that  wondering which team would really be interested in giving him a deal that the Lakers can't match in a year, given his restricted free agent status.

 The value of Kuzma as an asset on the market

 

 Lakers, the new goal is Serge Ibaka

 Above all, Kuzma is one of the few young "assets" that can be spent on the market to get to a player who is more in line with the moment in his career in which LeBron Jam is.

🤬 THIS IS WHAT MADE HIM DESPERATE ✍ King James made it known on social media

 The Lakers superstar posted a story on his Instagram account expressing his "desperation" for what is effectively the shortest rest period ever imposed by a professional league, almost two months shorter than the shortest rest period ever.  NBA players between seasons

 In the United States there is a statistic for everything, you know, and so those at ESPN did not take long to highlight how the period of time elapsed since the end of the last championship (11 October 2020, Lakers champions in the Orlando bubble)  early next (December 22) will go to books as the shortest ever: only 71 days.  A detail obviously not appreciated by LeBron James, given that the Lakers superstar photographed the screen proposed by ESPN and published it in a story on his Instagram account, together with the emoticon representing a resigned desperation.  The data then underlines how the previous shortest stop in NBA history was 127 days (56 more - almost two months!) Than what LeBron and colleagues will be forced to, and how behind this new NBA "record"  there is only the National Hockey League, with a rest of only 99 days between the 2012-13 season and the following one and 104 on two other occasions.

 READ ALSO

 Players agree, the NBA kicks off on December 22nd

 James, the Lakers and all the Miami Heat are obviously the most damaged by this rapid restart, having remained on the field most of all last season, even if it is difficult to imagine that the restart on December 22 - ratified in these days by the association  players - did not even have the official blessing of a superstar like LeBron James.  However, he nevertheless wanted to express his desperation.

trade obsession, in los angeles and beyond we don't talk about anything else

 (Fonte BR)

The Los Angeles Lakers are NBA royalty.

Maybe that was always destined to happen when they picked up LeBron James, crowned basketball's king long before his hike to Hollywood, or when they doubled their superstar count with Anthony Davis.

But they still had to endure the longest marathon in league history to finally wrap their fingers around the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy.

While the Lakers have some interesting calls to make this offseason—or they might, depending on how Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo handle their player options—the bigger challenge is for the rest of the league to catch up to the champs.

That'll be no small task with L.A. rostering a dynamic duo for the ages, but the following superstar swaps can help narrow the gap.

VIDEO- LeBron James' Game of the Century

 You can watch the video on my fb’s wall:

https://www.facebook.com/100004639153496/posts/1749237518574203/?d=n

Why LeBron is so special, Jeanie Buss's explanation

 "I have never known a better leader in my life than LeBron James. He knows how to create the right cohesion among his teammates and how to bring out the best in anyone. He demands a lot of himself every day, and consequently others want to follow his.  example and not to be outdone.

 Obviously he was not chosen by us in the draft but he decided to come as a free agent.  He has chosen to bring the franchise back to where it deserves to be, after all these dark years.  He put a great weight on his shoulders, a weight that no one was willing to bear, and he managed to keep his promises the day he signed.

 He is also a leader off the pitch, a true leader of humanity with everything he is doing for the community.  We are very proud to have him with us in Los Angeles. "

 - Jeanie Buss, Lakers owner.

LeBron, Davis and Harden: is it the All Stars Game?✊🏿🌰

BREAKING: The Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, Mavs, Blazers, Grizzlies, Suns, Spurs, Pelicans, Kings, Timberwolves, Warriors, Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Pacers, Heat, Nets, Magic, Wizards, Bulls, Knicks, Hawks and Cavs are also interested in trading for James Harden, per sources. ( source: Pilipinas Lakers Nation)

LeBron or Trump, who will have won the election?

LeBron James officially endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for president and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris on Monday night, shortly after the Los Angeles Lakers’ star was criticized by President Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The newly crowned NBA Champion took to Instagram the night before the 2020 presidential election to encourage his 74.1 million followers to vote for Biden. (fox news)

"LeBron sucks" the real electoral duel is between Trump and James

Source (https://www.google.it/amp/s/amp.tmz.com/2020/11/02/lebron-james-sucks-chant-donald-trump-rally-pennsylvania/) "LeBron James Sucks!" That's the chant that rang out at a Donald Trumpcampaign rally in Pennsylvania on Monday ... and #45 loved every second of it. Trump was doing his usual anti-NBA thing ... talking about how NBA ratings sucked this year and blamed the bad numbers on the social activism from players like LeBron James -- and man, the crowd ate it up. "How about basketball? How about Lebron? I felt badly for LeBron," Trump said ... "I felt very badly. Down 71% and that's for their championship -- I didn't want watch one shot." He continued, "When they don't respect our country, when they dont respect our flag, nobody wants to watch. Nobody!" Trump tried to change the subject to the NFL -- but the crowd erupted in a "LeBron James Sucks" chant ... and it got so loud, Trump stopped to acknowledge it. "What a crowd! What a crowd!!!" LeBron and Trump have been going after each other for years -- most recently, LeBron invited Barack Obama to appear on his show, "The Shop," where they both stumped hard for Joe Biden. Trump has previously referred to LeBron as "nasty" and a "hater." LeBron has called Trump a clown and recently suggested that fly landed on Mike Pence's head at the V.P. debates because insects are attracted to poop.

LeBron James is the GOAT. Here's who said it

 One of Michael Jordan's greatest rivals (on the court and beyond), who had already sided with LeBron in the most heartfelt dispute by fans in the past, underlined an aspect that is often disputed to MJ: "We never  had a player who, like LeBron, manages to combine dominance both on the court and in actions in favor of the weaker communities "

 Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (just to cite examples close to the world of basketball) were among the main representatives of a movement that has been able to affect society through sport, to make the voices of the discriminated against using their skills and abilities heard.  on the parquet to act as a megaphone to the requests of African Americans.  LeBron James has inserted himself in the best way in that groove, contemporary and at the same time always aimed at others.  A talent that does not bring points to the scoresheet for his teams, but which according to Isiah Thomas makes him the greatest ever, as told in the umpteenth interview about the eternal tug-of-war over who can be considered the GOAT: "  look at those who have been able to give a voice to those who have never had one, to make the demands of our society listen.  You are a champion on the field, but you must also be a champion off the pitch.  For one thing, there are statistics and the numbers don't lie.  But LeBron is also adding one-of-a-kind off-pitch work, and that too is indisputable.  We all know that there has never been a player like him when it comes to passing the ball, controlling the body, shooting, bouncing… no one has had his surrender and consistency in every aspect of the game.  It had never been seen before, as well as the work done for communities in need.  LeBron James is unique, the greatest ”.  Even without naming Michael Jordan, the message came loud and clear.

Lakers, Howard is in trouble: his prompt response arrives

 

Dwight Howard has recently responded to his son who criticized him publicly through social media. The 12-year-old boy called his father a “deadbeat dad” which did not sit well with Howard, who addressed the issue in an interview on the Frank Ski Show with Nina Brown. “I’m not the person to get online or go through the media and bash anybody,” Howard said. “The only thing I will address is the issue of anybody thinking I’m a deadbeat father. Currently, I have a child with me now. My son lives with me. There’s no way I could be a deadbeat dad if I have a son that lives with me. The situation with my other son, it’s unfortunate that a lot of things have been made public.” Braylon Howard is the son of the Los Angeles Lakers center with Royce Reed, a former Orlando Magic dancer. Reed also spoke out against the elder Howard earlier for neglecting his duties as a father. “Unfortunately, I haven’t [spoken to Braylon],” said Howard. “It’s a lot of things that are going on, but it’s personal. I’d rather keep that side out. No matter what is going on, I love my son. I would never disrespect his mom. One day, we’ll be able to get past this toxicity and realize that we’re living in a day now where they’re kill off a lot of our Black men. And I don’t want anything to ever happen to my son. He’s too precious. His voice is great. He has a great mind.” Aside from Braylon, the 16-year veteran has four other children with four different women. The elder Howard celebrated his first championship when the Lakers won the title last season. Having the spotlight on him for contributing mightily to the Lakers’ first title since 2010, he is receiving backlash for not having similar success in his personal life. Omar Guerrero Omar is a former writer for King James Gospel. The very first team he rooted for was the Showtime Lakers and his favorite player back then was James Worthy. Seeing the Purple and Gold win back-to-back championships in the '80s made him a basketball junkie for life. He has witnessed and celebrated every Lakers championship since then and is now looking forward to a new era of basketball in Tinseltown led by LeBron James. NEXTWoman sexually assaulted by Yasiel Puig at Lakers game shares graphic details » PREVIOUS « LeBron James might be laying the groundwork to land a big-name free agent 1 DAY AGO

The players who could make it to the Lakers

 

Source: Who are the Lakers targeting to upgrade their guard position? 23 The Lakers have tried to get a scoring guard multiple times, dating back to last season. By Sabreena Merchant@sabreenajm Oct 30, 2020, 3:33pm PDT. Even though the Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship (I still smile every time I write that), the front office will surely continue to look for ways to improve this roster. One common theme that has emerged from their efforts is that the Lakers are interested in another playmaker who can bend defenses with his ability to score. Brian Windhorst indicated as much in an interview with our own Jas Kang. As Windhorst said, “There’s a deal out there for them for another guard. That would be interesting. I’ll see if they actually go forward with it. It’s a guard on the last year of his contract who was great last year for his team and that team may be looking to move him.” Windhorst doesn’t specify which guard — or even what kind of guard — the Lakers are targeting, but the front office’s pattern of behavior over the past year suggests it’s a jitterbug point guard who can alleviate some of the scoring burden on the team’s two superstars. Exhibit A: The Lakers offered Detroit Alex Caruso at the trade deadline in exchange for Derrick Rose. Rose is no longer the athlete he once was after years of knee problems, but he can still get to the rim consistently. Per Cleaning the Glass, he took 39 percent of his shots there last season, placing him in the 78th percentile of point guards. He also got another 28 percent of his shots in the floater range, demonstrating his ability to consistently put pressure on the basket. Furthermore, Rose had the highest assist percentage of his career last season on a team that wasn’t exactly bursting with offensive threats. Exhibit B: The Lakers put the full-court press on Darren Collison in February before the L.A. native decided not to come out of retirement. Collison doesn’t attack the rim like Rose, but he provides a scoring threat with his outside shooting. He has also never averaged fewer than 5.2 assists per 36 minutes, a mark that was only eclipsed by LeBron James and Rajon Rondo on the Lakers this season. Exhibit C: When Collison spurned the Lakers, they went with Dion Waiters as their backup plan. Waiters has historically been one of the league’s best guards at getting to the basket. Those numbers dipped in his injury-riddled end in Miami, but in his short stint with the Lakers, he took 42 percent of his field-goal attempts within four feet of the hoop. As a whole, his team’s offenses have always taken more shots near the rim with Waiters on the floor. Clearly, the Lakers have a type. They didn’t need this kind of player during the playoff run because Rondo morphed into his playoff alter-ego and gave the team secondary playmaking with a dash of long-range shooting and frequent drives to the rim. Playoff Rondo is who the Lakers have wanted all along. But if Windhorst is right that the Lakers are still interested in another guard, their continued insistence on finding a player of that mold suggests that Rondo has eyes elsewhere in free agency or that they expect Rondo to revert back into a lesser player when the regular season begins. The presumed accelerated pace of this regular season might also necessitate another guard because James won’t play as many minutes. That leads us to the question: Who could Windhorst be talking about? Victor Oladipo has been mentioned in trade talks with several teams given his reported desire to leave the Pacers once his contract ends after this season. Oladipo is an athletic scoring guard who would provide a different dimension to the Lakers’ offense, and the Lakers could easily put together a trade package for the Indiana guard centered around Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma. However, Oladipo didn’t have a good season last year, so he’s probably not Windhorst’s mystery man. That did not, however, stop us creating this photoshop. Graphic via Kendrew Abueg / Silver Screen and Roll Rose had a good season in 2019-20, and appears to have settled into the player he will be in this latter phase of his career, a less explosive but still efficient scorer who can also run an offense. He has one year left on his contract, and Detroit is likely headed towards a rebuild under new GM Troy Weaver, so it makes sense to cash out on Rose and get some young talent or future picks. And given Pelinka’s previous interest in Rose at the deadline, this would seem to be a highly likely possibility. There’s also Dennis Schröder, another lightning-quick point guard who just had far and away the best season of his career in 2019-20 with Oklahoma City. He shot above-average from every part of the floor, including 63 percent at the rim and 39 percent from 3-point range. He assisted on 22.3 percent of his team’s baskets, an impressive figure in isolation and more impressive considering he always played next to another point guard. Perhaps most importantly, the Thunder defense was 6.6 points per 100 possessions better with Schröder on the floor. The OKC guard finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, so “great” is a reasonable descriptor, and he will also be a free agent in the 2021 offseason. Like the Pistons, the Thunder are probably pivoting towards the future, and at age 27, Schröder is not a part of that, making him a potential trade candidate, as Windhorst suggests. Looking at this list of targets, and considering Waiters’ minimal impact on the Lakers during his time in purple and gold, it’s worth considering if the Lakers really need a player of this ilk. Caruso’s body of work outpaces that of both Rose and Schröder, most prominently on the defensive end, and acquiring Oladipo requires a big leap of faith in his health, which seems like a perilous gamble based on his play in the bubble. Caruso is also continuing to improve as a floor general, and the jump he took before and after the hiatus shows that a traditional point guard may still be lurking within. The Lakers are also grooming Talen Horton-Tucker as a facilitator in the G League, and he didn’t look out of place when thrown into the Western Conference semifinals. Anthony Davis was a point guard during his early years, and there’s no reason why he can’t take a greater responsibility running the offense, as he did at times last season. And even if the Lakers don’t have the specific Rose/Schröder/Oladipo skill set on their roster, who says they need that? Waiters was beaten out by J.R. Smith of all people in the rotation before Rondo returned, and no one is further from a playmaker than Smith. The Lakers are defense-first outfit, and all of these potential additions are seriously lacking on that end of the floor. The Lakers were by no means a perfect team in 2019-20, and there are probably ways they could stand to improve in the offseason. The front office’s affinity for quick-twitch point guards may not feel like the best way to use their limited resources, but Rob Pelinka has earned some benefit of the doubt with their roster construction success thus far. It remains to be seen if the team’s golden touch on the margins will strike again.

Here's how the Los Angeles Lakers made their dream of glory come true

 We spend part of our days trying to inspire others onward, part of our days trying to make others proud of us. Much of that time we don’t even know how others are being affected by us.

Certainly we don’t know in cases where the people have passed.

It didn’t stop Adam Silver from trying to make David Stern proud with the bold, ultimately immaculate NBA bubble model. Or Jeanie Buss from trying to make Jerry Buss proud with the championship that her father dearly coveted for the Lakers to tie the Celtics at 17.

This Lakers team, featuring so many guys fortunate enough to be directly inspired by Kobe Bryant, deeply understood the meaning of trying to make him proud in this year of his death. In doing so, it meant inspiring others everywhere—same as whenever Bryant or other greats won NBA titles, urging us all toward our own excellence.

To understand why it meant so much for Anthony Davis to make Bryant proud, you have to understand it goes beyond their personal relationship.

Yes, Bryant welcomed Davis post-trade to the Lakers’ family. Yes, before that Bryant counseled Davis how it was more important for a leader to be respected than liked. Yes, before that Bryant was the elder statesman on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team who appreciated the 19-year-old Davis’ wide eyes signaled natural curiosity—Bryant’s favorite quality in people—as opposed to fear.

However, it goes back to Davis as a boy on the South Side of Chicago, when he was inspired by Bryant in ways Bryant couldn’t possibly know. It was a grandfather and grandson, one passing on admiration and inspiration to the other. On the porch was their own private Kobe fan club, same as countless others all around the world.

Here’s how Davis explained it back in 2015, when he got a tattoo to honor Lamont Eberhardt, his mom’s dad who died in 2010—the year of the Lakers’ last previous title: “I looked up to him. Every day I would go to his house and we would just talk basketball. He always pushed me. He always talked about Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. He always wanted to make me go out there and—I don’t want to say be better, but—do some of the same things [Kobe] did.”

A newly minted NBA champion, Davis now has. He pushed through every ache, flat-out ignored real injuries and played every playoff game. He hit a winning shot in the Western Conference Finals that sparked kids everywhere to re-enact it and imagine being A.D. (even if A.D. still yelled out “Kobe” after making it).

Then Davis played the kind of max-effort defense that has to make talented players everywhere, including his fellow NBA stars, re-evaluate how much energy can and should be poured into defense if you want to win it all.

The Lakers’ playoff motto was “Leave a Legacy.”

The Lakers’ championship accomplishment was doing just that.

It was the first time in the NBA’s 74-year history that the championship was held at a single site. Still, the 2020 playoff season might’ve had greater reach than any. To borrow the words of the day, this one hit different. The statements that the players regularly made about social injustice showed deep unity in the midst of their fierce competition.

Years from now, when the photos or videos are viewed, people will wonder, “Why wasn’t this championship played in a real NBA arena? Why was “Black Lives Matter” written on the court? What did those particular messages on the backs of the jerseys mean?”

Healthy discussion will ensue, and the Lakers are tied to that legacy. Their players fulfilled their agenda on two epic fronts. And that’s not even accounting for the unheard-of pandemic backdrop that left James writing a verbal thank-you card on championship night to Apple pioneer Steve Jobs.

“Big-time shoutout to the late, great Steve Jobs,” James said after the Lakers’ nearly hundred days of isolation, “because without him, without his vision, those FaceTime calls wouldn’t be possible.”

One legacy can and will shape another.

Even though James’ legacy is undeniably furthered by a fourth NBA championship, he spent the final moments of the last game immersed in how much of Davis’ legacy was being laid.

Because they share what Davis terms “true friendship,” James good-naturedly ribbed Davis for his emotions in the moment.

“You’re soft! Oh, you crybaby!” James needled Davis.

But behind the veil of those words, James was actually seeing his own soul when he first won an NBA title.

“Just the excitement. The ‘I can't believe this.’ I definitely saw myself: [age] 27 LeBron, 27 A.D.,” James said. “I definitely saw myself in that. And what it did for me in my career? It basically let me know that the work I put in on my craft, and the way I play the game, how I was taught to play the game when I picked up a basketball when I was 8 years old, it’s OK to play that way and be able to win.

“No matter how many people tell you: ‘You should maybe shoot more, you should maybe do this more, you should maybe be like him more,’ it let me know that the way I play basketball and the way I was taught to play basketball is the right way to play it, because you do see results.

“And then it just continues to boost your confidence. Not saying that A.D. doesn't already have confidence, but it takes it to another level.”

James’ make-the-right-play mindset by now is more accurately described as basketball transformation than mere inspiration. The game has shifted that materially through his style. How much of the Lakers’ overall harmony should be attributed to James’ on-court generosity is impossible to quantify, but he definitely led this horse to water.

And it definitely drank: James and Davis were the first pair of teammates in NBA history to average 25-plus points while shooting at least 50 percent from the field over an entire postseason (minimum six games).

What James added foremost to his personal legacy was reinforcing his status as an overachiever, even with all the initial outrageous expectations and all the past accomplishments.

“No matter what I’ve done in my career to this point, there’s still little rumblings of doubt or comparing me to the history of the game and ‘Has he done this? Has he done that?’ James said. “So having that in my head, having that in my mind, saying to myself, ‘Why not still have something to prove?’ I think it fuels me.”

Meanwhile, less seasoned players such as Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went through lean years with the Lakers but could preen in altogether different images as Lakers champions now. Once-heralded veterans such as Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard unequivocally changed the twisted storylines that cast them as players unable to maximize team-first roles.

“A couple years ago I said, ‘I am a champion,’ and people laughed,” Howard said. “It wasn’t being a champion of a basketball game, but a champion in life—knowing that there’s many times that we all fail and I fail, but instead of folding and laying down, a champ gets back up. I’m just happy to celebrate this moment with the Lakers and Laker nation and my teammates. It’s been an amazing journey for all of us.”

As much chagrin as there was when they didn’t win Game 5 in the Kobe-designed “Black Mamba” uniforms, the Lakers instead won Game 6 and commemorated their white uniforms.

Any student of recent Lakers history should remember the only other truly significant moment for the Lakers in white: Bryant’s 81-point game.

But many might not recall that Jeanie Buss, while her father was still in charge, was instrumental in the 2002 creation of those white uniforms. Those seeking poetry with their legacy will appreciate the symbolism at work in the Lakers winning in white: Jeanie’s breakthrough as the NBA’s first female championship owner certainly qualifies as inspiration on its own.

Truth be told, the Lakers were initially trying to honor another of their legends with those white uniforms. It was the year after broadcaster Chick Hearn’s death, and with the awareness that Hearn’s 100th birthday would’ve landed on a Sunday, the Lakers elected to wear white for all Sunday home games.

The beauty of being with the Lakers is that you can learn from and build upon all the greatness of those before you—if you are open to that.

If you are curious the way Kobe was and A.D. is.

If you get beyond your ego.

If you are truly secure that you can leave a legacy.

“The true mark of a legacy,” Bryant said in December 2017 when the Lakers retired Nos. 8 and 24, “is how it affects the next generation.”

The fact that both James and Davis added tattoos in honor of Bryant just days after his death in January is a testament to how much the current Lakers stars cared about continuing Bryant’s legacy.

The best way, though, to make others proud or inspired is simply to stay true to the legacy that is your own.

Davis already had a tattoo on his shoulder. It features his late grandfather’s smiling face with the words, “Rest Up, Champ.”

“Champ” is what he called his grandfather.

“Champ” is also what his grandfather called him.

How sweet it is to be able to live up to the word now.

* * *

Source: Kevin Ding is an independent sports writer, and the statements and views expressed by him do not necessarily represent the views of the Los Angeles Lakers.

To catch up on all of Kevin Ding's in-depth Lakers stories, visit The Point home page.

You can say anything you want but this is the real secret of the Lakers

Basketball is played in five, but the Los Angeles Lakers took the field this year with one more man. Call it the “Black Mamba” effect (the nickname he himself gave himself inspired by the lethal snake), the hand of the great Kobe Bryant was still decisive. In 2010 it was on the parquet. This time in the hearts of the yellow-violet players, ready to do anything to honor the memory of the champion, who died in the tragic helicopter crash on January 26th together with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna (Gigi) and seven other people. And so after the ten worst years in their history, the Lakers, by winning game 6 on Sunday night, put the ring back on the finger of NBA champions, equaling the record of titles, seventeen, of the Boston Celtics, the bitter rivals. But it wasn't a walk in the park at all. The team, led by the stellar duo James-Davis, has become aware of their phenomenal potential. And in the final he had to sweat a lot against the surprising Heat, the real revelation of the most anomalous season ever. Honor to Miami, for giving it all: there is the regret of not having been able to count on its stars at 100% (especially for the injuries of Dragic and Adebayo) but the team gave everything as coach Spoelstra admitted in tears. And he found in the tale of Jimmy Butler, from homeless to champion, a warrior you can count on: "I'll bring a title to Miami, I promised it."But the Lakers really had an edge this year. Kobe wasn't there, but it's as if he had been. In the spirit and on the shirts, like the black uniform inspired by the venomous snake (Black Mamba) that Bryant himself had designed three years ago. Coach Vogel has revealed that there has been no training in which his players have not charged to the cry of "1-2-3 Mamba". Remembered with gestures and words in every game: the winning 3-pointer on the siren against Denver thrown by Anthony Davis is already in history, with the player cheering at the top of his lungs shouting: "Kobe". It is the most significant image of a triumph inspired from above, the most unprecedented championship victory that the NBA remembers. Behind closed doors in the waterproof anti-Covid “bubble” of Disney World that now football and other sports would like to import elsewhere (but will it really be replicable?). Those who, on the other hand, did not cure the virus are the Lakers fans who took to the streets of Los Angeles in their thousands, despite the invitations to stay at home and avoid crowds. But the whole world is a country, so off to the yellow-violet party with flags, smoke bombs and fireworks, with the very popular "8" and "24" tank tops, in homage to Kobe. Everything happened, even that the team for the celebrations forgot a player, Quinn Cook, who only discovered via social media that his parents were returning by bus to the hotel.After all, for the yellow-violet people it is the end of what seemed like a real curse after the 2010 title. Not even the arrival of The King last year, LeBron James, had managed to reverse a heavy course of disappointments and defeats: six years without qualifying for the playoffs, a record fast for a legendary franchise, that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson just to name two myths of the parquet who wore this tank top. And the "King", called to take up the heavy baton from Kobe (five Lakers titles) this year did not betray expectations. Fourth title with three different jerseys (after the two with Miami and one with his Cleveland), and at the age of 36 a series of personal records that is getting longer and longer and consecrates him on a planetary level as a worthy heir to Jordan and Bryant. Growing up without a father, LeBron again could not hold back his emotion and remember the sacrifices of his mother to save him from the street: "I love you, I adore you and you are the reason why I managed to do all this - he explained between the tears - After all that we have found ourselves facing, I will never be afraid of anything ». He, who has never forgotten the Catholic college of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, where he met his wife, admitted how life in the bubble was not easy and asked himself: "Is it worth sacrificing my family life? I have never been away from her for so long. I was not present when my daughter went to kindergarten, I missed my son's 16th birthday ... ". Now he can make up for it. The promise made to Kobe on his farewell day was kept: "I ask Heaven to give me strength and assist me in this mission," he said then.And Kobe had foreseen everything, his wife Vanessa revealed, congratulating the manager, a friend of Mamba, Robert Pelinka. And he added: "I wish Kobe and Gigi were here." Inevitable then the memory goes to that tragic Sunday morning when Kobe and his daughter had gone to Mass before the crash. The Catholic faith of the Mamba who, as he has always reiterated, had saved him from the darkest moments of his life, still shines in his family: "Kobe, take care of your Gigi, I'll take care of our other daughters - Vanessa said the day of his funeral - All together we are still the best team. May you enjoy yourselves in Heaven until we meet again. " Precisely by virtue of his faith together with his wife he was dedicated to many charitable initiatives. He had also explained it once to the Los Angeles Times: he didn't want to look back and feel satisfied for having "had a successful career, because I have won so many championships and scored so many points", but he wanted to leave something different: "You have to do something that has a little more weight, a little more meaning, a little more purpose ». And one of his last solidarity baskets was recently made known by Vanessa on social media: the children of the elementary school of St. Theresa Bethany in Uganda, Africa, will have access to clean water without having to walk kilometers and kilometers thanks to the well built in honor of Kobe and Gianna in collaboration with The Orange Catholic foundation. Kobe's legacy, on and off the pitch, is more alive than ever.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, the bombshell announcement arrives

General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers talked about what his former client Kobe Bryant, of whom he was an agent, and the star of the yellow-violet LeBron James have in common: "They are both maniacs of the game of basketball and neither of them was interested in scoring, but only in winning the titles. From that point of view they are very similar " Rob Pelinka is one of the few people who can s

peak for direct acquaintance with both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He was an agent and friend of the former for nearly two decades, assisting him throughout his career and continuing to have a very close relationship. However, since 2017 he has also become one of the most important members of the Los Angeles Lakers management, taking full control after the departure of Magic Johnson. For this he also had a privileged vision of another great game like LeBron James, and between the two legends he found a particular similarity: "The thing that is clear about both of them is that they are maniacs of the game of basketball" said Pelinka podcast by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. "And what's interesting is that neither of them was satisfied or had the goal of scoring. The only thing that interests him is winning the title. For them it means everything and they do everything to achieve that goal, they are maniacs ". With what they both have achieved in their careers, both individually and as a team, there is no doubt that their approach to basketball made the difference.

LeBron leaves everyone speechless, the statements that have upset the world of the Lakers

The No.23 of the Lakers deservedly won the fourth individual trophy of his career at the end of the NBA finals that ended with the success on the Heat: James however does not forget who, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, has repeatedly resulted decisive in crucial moments of the series against Miami. Also a question of the market, with an implicit message to the management: one must be held back, whatever the cost. NBA, LeBron James crowns the "real MVP" of the Finals: it's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Big betrayal to the Lakers? Rondo in the storm

source (https://www.google.it/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nba/news/clippers-interested-in-rajon-rondo-lakers-want-him-back-as-well-per-report/amp/)

Last offseason, the Lakers and the Clippers battled for Kawhi Leonard in free agency. They may not have met on the court in the Western Conference finals as most predicted, but that doesn't mean the two sides are done battling one another. In 2020, the two have their hearts set on the same free agent point guard: Rajon Rondo. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Clippers are interested in poaching Rondo away from the Lakers, who also want him back. Rondo has a $2.7 million player option for next season -- a 120 percent raise on his 2019-20 minimum salary -- but is obviously expected to decline it after a stellar postseason. Stein indicates that Rondo wants to test the market, suggesting that his primary goal is cashing in. So, who can pay Rondo more? Well, it's complicated. Technically, if the cap comes in at last year's $109 million total, both should be able to offer somewhere between $9M-10M. How and why they'll be able to do so, or not do so, depends on a variety of other factors. Let's start with the Lakers. As Rondo has played two seasons in Los Angeles, he has Early Bird Rights with the Lakers. That means the Lakers can pay him either 175 percent of his 2019-20 salary, or, more pertinently, 105 percent of the league's average salary. That was $9.3 million last season, so 105 percent of it would be around $9.8 million. There are caveats, though. Deals signed with Early Bird Rights must last at least two seasons. The Lakers have so far avoided giving out deals that last into the 2021 offseason, when they could possibly create cap space to pursue another star. Perhaps a non-guaranteed second season could solve that, but if the Lakers prioritize immediate improvement over 2021 ambitions, that creates another difficulty. The Lakers have two primary methods of improvement through free agency: the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and sign-and-trades. That is their best chance of acquiring a starting-caliber player, but doing so would trigger a hard cap. Last season, that hard cap was around $139 million. If the Lakers are bound by that hard cap, there is almost no chance that they would have the money to pay Rondo what he's looking for. If the Lakers choose to keep Rondo instead, they would likely only be able to use the smaller, $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception on outside free agents. Not bad, but not as impactful as they'd like. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Which path the Lakers choose depends on how much improvement they think they'll need to win in 2021 as well as how important chasing another star is to them beyond that. Hanging over any Lakers decision is their hail mary pitch to shed some salary. The Lakers have applied for a Career-Ending Injury exemption on the dead money owed to Luol Deng, whom they waived with the stretch provision before the 2018-19 season. They are unlikely to be granted that exemption. If they are, though, it would clear around $5 million off of their books, making it easier to potentially keep Rondo without impacting their other plans. The Clippers can't offer Rondo quite as much as the Lakers can. The most they can offer is the league's average salary through the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, so $9.3 million. Like the Lakers, they also have to be mindful of a hard cap. Marcus Morris and Montrezl Harrell are both free agents. It's a bit simplistic, but the Clippers will probably be forced to go one of two routes. If they let one of those players go, they can use both the full MLE and the smaller $3.6 million bi-annual exception. If they keep both, they are probably limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception. Where exactly their offers will fall depends on the other moves both the Lakers and Clippers line up. There are scenarios in which one side offers significantly more than the other. There are scenarios in which both are offering him as much as they can, and ones in which they both have to lowball him a bit. We just won't know until their other plans become a bit clearer. What we can safely say is that the Clippers are a genuine threat to steal Rondo away from the Lakers. He has relationships with both Clippers coach Ty Lue and top basketball executive Lawrence Frank from their time together in Boston. He wouldn't have to relocate. He presumably wants to continue winning, and the Clippers offer that path. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both love playing with Rondo and will surely fight to bring him back, but if money is the priority, there is a decent chance Rondo is a Clipper next season.

Lakers, Kuzma is a controversial champion but that special relationship with LeBron ...

source (https://www.google.it/amp/s/www.silverscreenandroll.com/platform/amp/2020/10/28/21537404/lakers-kyle-kuzma-season-review-contract-extension-rumors-trade-candidate)

How did he play? If there was a Kyle Kuzma hype train chugging along last summer, I was the conductor. While I never went as far as to say Kuzmacould be the Lakers’ third star, I thought his role alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis was pretty clear: play off of the ball when they’re on the floor, and be the focal point of the offense when they’re on the bench. Kuzma didn’t live up to those expectations this past season, for both reasons in and out of his control, but that doesn’t mean the hype train isn’t still rolling along; it’s just changed tracks. In his third season with the Lakers, the 25-year-old forward had the worst offensive season of his young NBA career, averaging 12.8 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field in the regular season. He wasn’t much better in the postseason, where he averaged 10 points per game on 40% shooting from the field. The drop in Kuzma’s points per game average could have been predicted with Davis getting the lion’s share of his touches from last season, but his efficiency from the field was a bit of a letdown, especially after he worked out with Lethal Shooter, Phil Handy and Team USA in the summer. Kuzma’s third year with the Lakers wasn’t a total disappointment, though. In fact, there were a lot of positives — chief among them is the way he responded to his role drastically changing. As a third-year player with a lot to prove before he becomes eligible for a contract extension, Kuzma could have pouted about not getting enough touches — an attitude would have been detrimental to a Lakers locker room that bought into a team-first mentality almost immediately. Instead, Kuzma put his head down and did what he had to help his team win, starting with the defensive end of the floor. When the Lakers returned from their four-month hiatus in June, Kuzma was visibly more active on the defensive end, which isn’t always conducive to improvement, but in Kuzma’s case it was infinitely better than anything he had showed before. Whether that was a result of him being fully healthy or just a product of his natural development, it helped Los Angeles in a big way in the postseason. In the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kuzma posted the second-best defensive rating on the team (90.9) behind Alex Caruso (94.2). With Kuzma on the bend, the Lakers’ defensive rating cratered to 110.6, a 16.4-point difference. That’s because Kuzma took on the challenge of guarding all five positions, something he’s capable of because of his size and mobility. Kuzma is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. He’s set to make $3.56 million in the 2020-21 season. The Lakers can offer him an extension, or more likely, following the upcoming campaign, they can extend a $5.2 million qualifying offer to Kuzma, which would make him a restricted free agent in 2021. Additionally, selling high on Kuzma would give the Lakers an opportunity to maximize the talent they have in this win-now window they’re in. Is a trade package built around Kuzma enough to get Bradley Beal out of Washington? It’s highly unlikely, but it might be enough to get a certain disgruntled All-Star out of Indiana, especially since his contract expires in 2021. Yes, I’m looking directly at you, Victor Oladipo. It wouldn’t be the worst thing if Kuzma was on the Lakers’ opening night roster. It wouldn’t even be the worst thing if they extended him this fall. But, at the very least, the front office needs to see what his market is, something that they haven’t done in previous seasons. The days of Kuzma being untouchable should be over.

The Lakers market, a surprise name appears that LeBron James really likes

 

"Where am I going now?" Danilo Gallinari asks his fans with a post on social media, in which a photo of him appears with an anonymous shirt overlooking four versions of Gallo with the Nba jerseys worn in his career: Knicks, Nuggets, Clippers and Thunder. The 32-year-old blue is one of the free agents of the 2020 class, the one who is still waiting to know when he can start looking for a team (probably from December 1st) and which economic parameters will govern the market. But the fans seem to have clear ideas for him: Lakers, Miami, Golden State and Dallas are the four suggested tracks. The starting point is that the Rooster at the Sport Festival last Sunday said he preferred a contender to a rich contract ...