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[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Actually Was Notified Of Sale To Mark Walter

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are in a peculiar position as despite picking up his player option for the 2025-26 season, his future in the organization is currently uncertain.

James’ agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports put out a statement saying that the 40-year-old is looking to compete for championships at this stage of his career. The Lakers have not yet made the moves necessary to reach that level, prioritizing the future now that they have a 26-year-old superstar in Luka Doncic.

While James and Doncic remain close and share a mutual respect, it would be understandable if the former isn’t happy about the direction the Lakers are going. Some reports have indicated they are prioritizing 2027 as the time to go all-in with Doncic, which would obviously be after James career is over.

Additionally, a recent report by Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN indicated that Doncic was given a heads up about the team’s ownership sale to Mark Walter, while James was not:

When the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June 18, Doncic was given a heads-up and notably posted a congratulations on social media afterward. James was not given the same notice and did not post any public acknowledgement afterward.

It appears that was incorrect though as Shelburne and Windhorst updated their story to say that LeBron was indeed notified through his representation:

When the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June 18, Doncic was given a heads-up and notably posted a congratulations on social media afterward. After the publication of this article, sources said James was notified of the sale, via his representation. But he did not post any public acknowledgement.

James and the Lakers have always had a very cordial relationship, so even if they are prioritizing Doncic’s timeline, it makes sense that the 22-year veteran was at least notified about the monumental, record-breaking ownership sale.

ESPN also previously reported that both James and Doncic were excited about Walter taking over the Lakers, so this all seems like a bunch of nothing. Regardless though, LeBron’s future is still uncertain as it remains to be seen if he will be suiting up for the purple and gold or elsewhere in his 23rd season.

LeBron James attended Lakers Summer League game​

Despite whatever displeasure LeBron James currently has for the Lakers, he was in attendance for their Summer League game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night in Las Vegas. LeBron was, of course, supporting his son Bronny James, but was also seen talking with Lakers players and coaches during the game.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-lebron-james-actually-was-notified-of-sale-to-mark-walter/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Rich Paul: LeBron James Never Asked Lakers For Contract Extension

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is entering the 2025-26 season in completely unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his career, he is entering a season as a true expiring contract, after he and his agent, Rich Paul, opted in to the final year of his two-year contract with the Lakers for about $52.6 million.

What followed was a statement from Paul that suggested LeBron might be looking to finish his career elsewhere and that his goals may no longer align with the Lakers. That was succeeded by a media frenzy surrounding possible James trades to various teams around the league that could have theoretical interest.

There have been many to suggest that LeBron’s statements and subsequent reactions like posting things related to the Cleveland Cavaliers on social media were because the Lakers reportedly did not offer him a contract extension. However, Dave McMenamin of ESPN had a rebuttal to that claim straight from Paul himself:

“Some have posited that the true cause of this situation was the Lakers not offering LeBron a contract beyond next season. But Rich Paul told me that they never asked for one.”

As always when statements like this are put out, there are multiple options of what could really be going on behind the scenes. The first is that Paul is telling the truth, and that they knew from the jump they would be picking up the player option for James and evaluating his options afterwards.

There is also a possibility that this is simply PR from Paul to make it look like the decision to not extend was completely mutual. Or to show that LeBron was the one who did not want to extend the same way the Lakers did not want to extend him.

Regardless of the truth, the Lakers and LeBron are where they are now. And they have to have some conversations to determine what the best path is for all sides moving forward.

LeBron James focused on enjoying offseason​

Despite LeBron James not going into the season with an extension in hand, there is no denying that he is still one of the most powerful players in league history. And if he truly wanted a trade or a chance to play for a new team, it’s unlikely the Lakers would deny him that opportunity given their history of star treatment.

Rich Paul knows this, and that’s certainly part of why he wants James to sit back and enjoy the summer to the best of his ability. The outside noise is always going to be loud when it comes to the Lakers star.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/rich-paul-lebron-james-never-asked-lakers-for-contract-extension/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Bronny James Big Game Not Enough As Lakers Lose To Clippers In Las Vegas Summer League

The Los Angeles Lakers were back in action on Monday night, taking on the L.A. Clippers in their third game of the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Lakers split their first two games, including an easy victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. They looked to build off that momentum in this one, but they weren’t able to as the Clippers pulled away late to claim a 67-58 victory.

Plenty of Lakers players were in attendance, including LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes. With that being the case, Bronny James made sure to get off to a nice start in front of his Lakers teammates by making his first triple and then a layup.

Outside of Bronny though, the Lakers couldn’t get much going offensively early with the Clippers taking a 15-10 lead. Cole Swider got going with a triple, but the Lakers still trailed 22-13 at the end of the first.

James returned to start the second and got his team going again by getting to the free throw line and hitting another pair of 3-pointers. Dalton Knecht then got going offensively as well to get the Lakers within one at the end of the first half, 32-31.

The Lakers’ run continued into the second half with DJ Steward connecting from deep to give them the lead. Offense was scarce for both teams in the third quarter though with the defenses stiffing up inside. The Clippers were able to get out in transition to regain the lead and took a 48-43 advantage into the fourth quarter.

With the Lakers in dire need of offense, Swider got going with five straight points. James then buried another triple to complete an 8-0 run and tie the game.

James and Swider continued carrying the offense as the game remaining tied going into the final couple of minutes.

It wasn’t until the final minute that the Clippers pulled away as the Lakers got some good looks from deep but could not knock them down. Knecht had a chance to cut a five-point deficit to just two in the final minute and his miss essentially marked the end of the game.

Bronny had his best game of the summer, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists on 6-of-10 shooting.

What’s next for the Lakers​

The Lakers will next take the court on Thursday at 6 p.m. against the rival Boston Celtics. From there, it will be determined if they make the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs and if they don’t, they will play one final exhibition game on Saturday or Sunday. With now two losses on their record, it’s extremely unlikely that the Lakers will make the postseason.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-bron...-lose-to-clippers-in-las-vegas-summer-league/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Bronny James Feels Game Is Slowing Down For Him

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James has made massive strides over the last year. After being one of the most talked-about — and absurdly criticized — second-round picks in NBA history, he got off to a slow start. He struggled at Summer League in 2024, and did not perform much better when given NBA opportunities last season.

However, his time in the G League was extremely positive, as Bronny gained valuable experience as South Bay’s starting point guard. And that experience and development is showing itself in a big way at Las Vegas Summer League in 2025. On Monday night, James had his best game, posting 17 points with five rebounds and five assists on 6-for-10 from the field with three 3-pointers made.

He’s averaging 13.0 points and 3.3 assists per game in Las Vegas, and a part of his success comes from the fact that he feels the game might be slowing down entering his second professional campaign, via Dime Dropper Pod:

“Yeah, for sure. I mean, it helped that I was in the G League running point guard most of the time. Just getting those reps in, and in Summer League, is helping. I’m just getting more comfortable game by game.”

The Lakers guard could potentially earn a spot in the team’s the rotation in the 2025-26 season, and his development between the G League and Summer League shows why that might be the case.

His offense has taken real leaps — although he still has plenty of work to do with turnovers and consistent 3-point shooting — and even his defense has improved, when it was already his stronger side of the floor. And to see those types of strides so quickly shows that the Lakers made the right move selecting him at No. 55 overall in 2024.

And the way he has kept his head down and made those improvements in the face of constant criticism and national attention shows that he’s the kind of high-character player teams always love to have.

Bronny James discusses growth into leadership role​

While Bronny James continues to get back into basketball shape this summer, he’s already making an impact off the floor as one of the Summer League squad’s de facto leaders. Following his California Classic debut, James talked about his natural leadership status and how his teammates have responded to him.

“To be honest, just trying to go out there and be myself,” Bronny said. “I’ve always been told that I have a leader kind of personality, so just trying to go out there and be the right example for my team and everything else will follow. And the guys…we have an amazing group of guys that are very coachable and very good people so there’s no problem whatsoever when it comes to that.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-bronny-james-feels-game-is-slowing-down-for-him/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Shaquille O’Neal Defends Kobe Bryant After Being Ranked 11th-Best NBA Player Ever

Ranking the top NBA players of all-time is a very difficult task. No matter how someone’s list turns out, there will be plenty of debate over where certain players are slotted. One thing that is for sure is that the top of any list will be full of Los Angeles Lakers legends with the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal almost guaranteed top 10 spots.

At least that would normally be the case for most lists, but in Bleacher Report’s recent top-100 all-time players list, Kobe was ranked 11th. And this did not sit well with his teammate who called them out for the perceived slight.

O’Neal responded to the list on X by defending his former co-star:

Kobe at 11 is criminal

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) July 14, 2025

Bleacher Report’s top 10 in order was Michael Jordan, James, Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Bill Russell, O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry. Bryant came in at 11, followed by Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Durant, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.

Everyone ranked in their top 10 list is undoubtedly deserving to be there, but to leave Kobe out of it is a stretch, even for those who aren’t the biggest fans of the Lakers’ legend. Whether it is stats, accolades, championships or just the eye test, Bryant should be a lock in the top 10 greatest players list and Shaq calling them out for putting him 11th is valid as there are few who know better than the big man.

As time has gone on since Kobe retired from basketball, the rise in prevalence of advanced statistics has hurt his standing amongst many. His efficiency numbers weren’t great and certain metrics don’t view Bryant in the best light, which has led some to question whether he is really at that top of the top level. But anyone who teamed with, or played against Kobe, will put him in that realm without question.

Mark Cuban compares Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg development to Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant​

Perhaps the next big NBA star is 2025 top overall pick Cooper Flagg, who recently struggled in his Summer League debut. But former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban feels Flagg just needs time to grow, just as a young Kobe Bryant did when he first joined the Lakers.

“You kind of have to think of the Kobe [Bryant] arc,” Cuban said. “It took him some time to get it right. I don’t want to curse him by comparing him to Kobe because they’re not the same. But Kobe didn’t come in right away as a polished player. It took him two years to get it.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...after-being-ranked-11th-best-nba-player-ever/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers To Close Out Las Vegas Summer League On Friday Vs. Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Summer League experience in 2025 has had its share of ups and downs, both on a team and individual level. The team looked good during the California Classic, but has struggled at the Las Vegas Summer League with a 1-2 record so far.

Bronny James, Cole Swider and Darius Bazley have all impressed, but last year’s first-round pick Dalton Knecht has had a rough showing in Las Vegas.

The Lakers still have one more regular game scheduled against the Boston Celtics on Thursday. But each team that doesn’t make the Summer League playoffs will also get one last game as well and with the Lakers having no chance of qualifying, they now know when that will be.

The NBA announced the schedule for Friday, July 18, when the Lakers will take on the Denver Nuggets in each team’s Summer League finale:

The NBA 2K26 Summer League schedule for Friday, July 18: pic.twitter.com/NjtsUoUNBE

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 16, 2025

It is fitting that the Lakers will take on he Nuggets, who have emerged as a rival over the past few seasons. Following games against the Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, not to mention facing the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic, the Lakers have squared off against all of their biggest rivals this summer.

Bronny has been the biggest story for the Lakers during Summer League as he has impressed with just how much more comfortable he has looked. He is averaging 13 points and 3.3 assists in the first three games in Vegas and has overall had a positive impact on the Lakers’ success. The same can be said for Swider, who looks like a true NBA player, leading the Lakers in scoring in Vegas at 19.7 points on a ridiculous 48.3% shooting from 3-point range.

Bazley has also impressed with his overall activity and defensive ability as he looks to get his NBA career back on track while rookie DJ Steward has also been solid throughout. The struggles of Knecht were not ideal, however, as he has shot just 29% from the field in Vegas and has been unable to get going.

Considering the Lakers’ game against the Nuggets is the second day of a back-to-back, it’s possible and even likely that James, Knecht and others won’t suit up in the finale. That would give an opportunity for other players to showcase their skills with extended minutes, which is exactly how Quincy Olivari made an impression on the organization a year ago.

Lakers’ Bronny James feels game is beginning to slow down for him​

Lakers guard Bronny James looking as good as he has this summer has undoubtedly been a positive development. He quietly was very good when playing in the G League last season and he feels all of that development and reps he got down there are helping him get more comfortable overall.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-to-close-out-las-vegas-summer-league-on-friday-vs-nuggets/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

FIBA EuroBasket 2025: Schedule, Roster & TV Info For Luka Doncic & Slovenia

After many exhibitions and tune-up games FIBA, EuroBasket 2025 is finally set to kick off with group play beginning on Wednesday, August 27. Many NBA stars are set to participate including Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, Nikola Jokic of Serbia and, of course, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic leading Slovenia.

Doncic has been in the news all offseason, primarily because of his commitment to training and getting into the best shape of his life. The Lakers star is noticeably skinnier and has dropped plenty of weight prior to the tournament, looking excellent during Slovenia’s exhibition slate.

For the most part, Luka has been completely unstoppable in the tune-up games, but Slovenia hasn’t been too successful. Slovenia picked up just one win in six exhibition contests, taking down Great Britain, but dropping games to Serbia, Latvia, Lithuania and a pair of contests to Germany, all of whom should be in medal contention in this tournament.

Making things even scarier for Doncic was an injury scare he suffered in Slovenia’s contest against Latvia. Lakers fans everywhere held their collective breaths when a teammate fell into his knee and he limped off the court. While he did eventually return to the Slovenian bench, Luka did not go back in the game. Thankfully, he avoided any major issue and was back on the court for their next game.

The format for FIBA EuroBasket is similar to that of of the Olympics for all those who watched that tournament last summer. There are 24 teams placed into four groups of six with a round-robin schedule taking place where each team will play every other team in their group once. The top four teams in each group will then advance to the knockout round, which is then a single-elimination tournament.

The Round of 16 games will take place on Sept. 6 and 7, with the quarterfinals happening on Sept. 9 and 10. The semi-finals will be on Sep. 12 with the Finals and third-place game going down on Sept. 14.

Like the previous three tournaments, EuroBasket will be co-hosted by multiple countries, including Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia for the group stage. Slovenia’s group will be playing in Poland. The Latvian capital Riga will then host the knockout rounds.

Slovenia roster for FIBA EuroBasket 2025​

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
Gregor Hrovat, JDA Dijon (France)
Robert Jurkovic, Free agent
Martin Krampelj, Sagesse SC (Lebanon)
Edo Muric, KK Ilirija (Slovenia)
Mark Padjen, KK Ilirija (Slovenia)
Klemen Prepelic, Dubai Basketball (UAE, EuroLeague)
Rok Radovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Leon Stergar, Free agent
Luka Scuka, Lowen Braunschweig (Germany)
Aleksej Nikolic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Alen Omic, Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro)

Group play schedule for Luka Doncic & Slovenia at FIBA EuroBasket 2025​

August 28: vs. Poland – 11:30 a.m. PT
August 30: vs. France – 8:00 a.m. PT
August 31: vs. Belgium – 5:00 a.m. PT
September 2: vs. Iceland – 8:00 a.m. PT
September 4: vs. Israel – 8:00 a.m. PT

How to watch Luka Doncic & Slovenia in FIBA EuroBasket 2025​

Luka Doncic and Slovenia’s group play games will be stream on DAZN or Courtside 1891, FIBA’s official streaming service, which will be streaming all tournament and exhibition games. A paid subscription is necessary, however, in order to watch full games. A free subscription unlocks access to highlights and some replays.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/fiba-eurobasket-2025-schedule-roster-tv-info-for-luka-doncic-slovenia/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Shaquille O’Neal Frustrated By Kobe Bryant Being Left Out Of GOAT Conversations

There are few who will argue that the duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the Los Angeles Lakers is the greatest pairing in NBA history. Both are among the true all-time greats the league has ever seen and no one has won three straight NBA Championships since they did back in the early-2000s.

Shaq is widely considered the most dominant force in NBA history, but Kobe’s place in GOAT conversations has always varied. Many of his peers place him at or near the top of the list alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but many other analysts and media members have him much lower, sometimes even outside of the top 10 which doesn’t sit well with O’Neal.

Shaq has been outspoken about his belief that Bryant belongs in GOAT conversations alongside Jordan and James and in a recent appearance on the Straight Game Podcast, the Lakers legend again mentioned his frustration at Kobe’s exclusion in those discussions:

“I just get frustrated when people talk about the GOATs of the game and his name is not mentioned. Like I don’t care who you pick whether it’s Michael or LeBron or Kobe, but just mention all the names. That’s all, just mention all the names. It’s just like they surpassed him up and went from Mike to LeBron and they left him out. So I would like to hear all the recipients and then let the people pick.”

Following this statement, podcast host and former NBA player Eddie House brought up the fact that many call Bryant a carbon copy of Jordan so it makes no sense that the Lakers icon wouldn’t be right there with him in those discussions, and Shaq agreed with that assessment:

“Again as an individual, we got 80 billion people on this planet everybody’s not gonna have the same opinion. I don’t care who you say. Don’t matter to me. But I would like to hear all the fair arguments. That’s a great point. He’s a carbon copy of Mike, Mike’s the greatest so it has to be him. But LeBron has done some things too.”

Shaq has been consistent in this belief for years now. While he has never come out and said Kobe is unequivocally the greatest player ever, he has always made it clear that he at least belongs in the conversation and there is nothing that will change that in his mind.

Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal trolls Mike Bibby​

Along with Eddie House, the co-host of the Straight Game Podcast is Mike Bibby who famously had some intense playoff battles with the Lakers, particularly in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. And Shaquille O’Neal poked some fun at Bibby during his appearance by saying that beating the Sacramento Kings was the best moment of his career.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...-bryant-being-left-out-of-goat-conversations/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Luka Doncic: Representing Slovenia In EuroBasket Is An Honor

FIBA EuroBasket 2025 has officially begun and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is among the many NBA stars participating. Doncic is leading his home country of Slovenia while others such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alperen Sengun, Franz Wagner and Kristaps Porzingis will all be representing their countries in hopes of securing a medal.

There has long been questions about whether NBA teams should allow their stars to play in these tournaments as there is always the possibility they could pick up an injury. In fact, Luka himself nearly succumbed to this during Slovenia’s exhibition slate as a teammate fell into his knee. Thankfully, the Lakers star avoided any major injury and was back on the court in their next contest.

But for Doncic and many other international stars, representing their country in these tournaments isn’t an obligation, it is an honor and the Lakers star expressed that sentiment in an interview with Darren M. Haynes of Sports Central LA:

“I always play for my country. Playing for my country, whenever I can, playing for my country is an honor for me. I try to bring medals to the country. But you know , just getting ready for the season obviously.”

It is simply a different mindset for these international players. While many in America certainly have a lot of national pride and take honor in representing their country, there is just something different when it comes to these players like Doncic and Antetokounmpo where there just aren’t nearly as many athletes of this caliber to represent.

Of course there is injury risk, as Luka experienced, but there is risk in any activity and there have been plenty of players that have gotten hurt just doing regular workouts or scrimmages in the offseason. Playing for your country just means that much for Doncic and the Lakers are fully on board with his commitment to Slovenia. And taking part in EuroBasket should allow for him to hit the ground running once the Lakers training camp begins.

Charles Barkley believes Lakers are Luka Doncic’s team now​

When it comes to the Lakers, Luka Doncic will be entering his first full season with the purple and gold alongside all-time great LeBron James. This offseason has brought about some questions, and many would say answers, about who is truly the face of the franchise and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley feels it is clear.

The legendary NBA analyst believes the Lakers are Doncic’s team now, noting that the Lakers don’t make the trade and give him the money they did without him being the face of the franchise.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/luka-doncic-representing-slovenia-in-eurobasket-is-an-honor/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Nikola Jokic’s Agent Confirms Reason For Meeting With LeBron James & Maverick Carter

There have been rumors surrounding LeBron James and his future with the Los Angeles Lakers for much of this offseason as the franchise has clearly made superstar guard Luka Doncic its centerpiece. Comments from agent Rich Paul really kickstarted the rumors, but there was also a social media post from the agent of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, Misko Raznatovic, that got people talking as well.

The post saw Raznatovic on a yacht with James and his business partner Maverick Carter, which led many to wonder whether LeBron could be considering looking to join Jokic on the Nuggets considering the caption mentioned future plans. With LeBron being a free agent next summer it could be a possibility, however, it would be reported that the meeting had to do with outside business ventures, in particular a new startup basketball league of Carter’s.

And now Raznatovic has confirmed this to be the case as he said in an appearance on the 6.75range Podcast that Carter wants to start a new league to compete with the NBA and he was called to come on as a consultant, ultimately meeting with James on the yacht where they discussed how the league would come about:

“They are planning, a certain group of investors, classic business, to create a new league that would somehow also compete with the NBA. They don’t want it to be a U.S. league; they want it to have a European flavor, so to speak. And when they started working on it, everyone told them to call me. I spoke a few times with Maverick Carter, where I got an official role as a consultant. He said it would be best to meet for lunch on a boat where LeBron would also attend. We had that meeting where we talked a lot about the new league, how it would be built, and what would be done.”

There are very few athletes in the world who have a business portfolio even close to that of LeBron and while the idea of creating a basketball league to compete with the NBA seems a bit farfetched, if anyone could pull it off it might be him and his team. Partnering with a powerful international agent like Raznatovic makes a lot of sense and now it will be a matter of whether they can make this league a reality.

Of course, James remains focused currently on getting ready for this season with the Lakers, potentially his last with the franchise. But once his playing career is over he will have plenty of business ventures to keep him busy and this league could be another one.

Lakers’ LeBron James shares message to next generation of athletes​

With LeBron James set to enter his 23rd NBA season, the Lakers superstar recently sent an inspiring message to the next generation of athletes.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...or-meeting-with-lebron-james-maverick-carter/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Jeanie Buss & Rob Pelinka Are In Poland Supporting Luka Doncic At EuroBasket

Ever since acquiring superstar guard Luka Doncic in that blockbuster trade that shook up the basketball world, the Los Angeles Lakers have done everything in their power to show their support of him in every fashion. And with FIBA EuroBasket 2025 set to begin, that support has not waned a bit.

There have been discussions in the past about NBA teams not wanting their players to take part in these international tournaments for fear of injury and them not being available when the NBA season begins. But Doncic has spoken about the Lakers supporting him as he represents his home country of Slovenia and the franchise has shown the actions to back those words.

Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka have traveled to Poland, where Doncic and Slovenia will take part in their group stage contests, and attended Slovenia’s final practice before their tournament play begins on Thursday:

​

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Košarkarska zveza Slovenije (@kzs_si)​

This may seem like an unnecessary move for the Lakers brass, but it further shows what this franchise is all about. They always speak on the Lakers being family and Luka is now a part of this family. Traveling across the world to support him as he takes part in this tournament that clearly means a lot to him shows that the Lakers truly do support Doncic in whatever he wants to do.

Buss and Pelinka didn’t have to do this, but this action will undoubtedly resonate with Doncic and inspire him even more to want to bring success and championships to this Lakers franchise. Luka is one of the best basketball players on the planet and he has designs on leading Slovenia to a medal at EuroBasket, and then bringing the Lakers a championship once the NBA season begins.

Group play schedule for Lakers’ star Luka Doncic and Slovenia at FIBA EuroBasket 2025​

Luka Doncic and Slovenia are part of Group D and their first contest of the tournament is on Aug. 28 when they take on Poland. After that, they will face one of the tournament favorites in Olympic silver medalist France on Aug. 30, followed by a meeting with Belgium the next night on Aug. 31. Their group stage play finishes off with contests against Iceland on Sept. 2 and Israel on Sept. 4.

The top four teams in each group will then advance to the knockout stage which kicks off on Sept. 6.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...-poland-supporting-luka-doncic-at-eurobasket/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Augustas Marciulionis Explains Why He Chose To Sign With Lakers Over Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers have earned a reputation around the league for finding gems either later in the second round of the NBA Draft or in the undrafted free agent pool.

Names like Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves come to mind, but there are several other young players that have signed with the Lakers and gone on to establish real value in the league. After the 2025 NBA Draft where Los Angeles traded up twice to select Adou Thiero, they also made some noise with their undrafted signings.

For example, the Lakers signed Augustas Marciulionis to an Exhibit 10 deal which ensures he’ll be in training camp with the parent team before likely being assigned to their G League affiliate the South Bay Lakers. Marciulionis would have likely been drafted had he not broken his foot before the draft, but now joins an L.A. organization looking to develop young talent for the future.

Marciulionis admitted he was unsure where he’d wind up, but expressed how much he’s looking forward to being with the Lakers, via Vaidas Jukavicius of Basketnews.com:

“It was very strange (laughs). That whole period of uncertainty—when I didn’t know how things would turn out—was tough. And then the Lakers option came along. But there’s still a lot to prove and a lot of work to earn a full contract. They showed me a lot of attention both in interviews and when it came to signing. I’m glad I’m in a good environment that believes in me—that’s the most important thing.”

Marciulionis was courted by the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles and he explained why he ultimately signed with the purple and gold:

“The attention was similar from both teams. But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted. We understood the situation better there. For some reason, LA just felt like the right choice. Still, it wasn’t easy because I don’t know that much about the NBA environment yet. But we thought this was the best place for me.”

Marciulionis is a hard prospect to project given he’s been injured, but in terms of upside and fit he’s a great flyer to take on.

Augustas Marciulionis almost ready to play for Lakers​

By his own admission, Augustas Marciulionis said he got hurt at the wrong possible time. Fortunately, it sounds like his rehab went well as he said he’s almost ready to play.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/augustas-marciulionis-explains-why-he-chose-to-sign-with-lakers-over-bucks/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Luka Doncic Appreciates Jeanie Buss & Rob Pelinka Traveling To Support Him In EuroBasket

The Los Angeles Lakers’ brass has spoken about how much they support superstar guard Luka Doncic in everything that he does, but recently they put action behind those words. Governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka actually traveled to Poland where Doncic is taking part in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, leading his native Slovenia.

The Lakers have always been a franchise that considers their players to be family and treats them as such. While many franchises say things like this, few are willing to go these lengths, but that is what makes the Lakers so different and what continually attracts the biggest superstars to Los Angeles.

The importance of this act was not lost on Doncic as he was very appreciative of Pelinka and Buss flying all the way out to Poland just to support him, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:

“It means a lot,” he said. “It’s a long flight. I think it’s like 11, 12 hours, so it means a lot for them just to be here to support me.”

The majority of the focus and attention goes to the on-court things and rightfully so. Building the right roster and making those necessary moves is primarily how a front office is judged. But really building a relationship and trust with your star players is extremely important and things like this are what truly makes the Lakers one of the most special franchises in all of sports.

Anyone can say they support their players taking part in these international tournaments, but it is different when the highest ranking officials in the organization travel across the world just to show their support. Doncic has been open about his feelings when initially traded to the Lakers and that is understandable, but the Lakers have done everything in their power to show him how much they value him and he is experiencing firsthand what it means to be a part of the Lakers family.

Rob Pelinka explains why Lakers support Luka Doncic playing in EuroBasket​

For his part, Rob Pelinka also spoke about the Lakers supporting Luka Doncic taking part in EuroBasket despite the obvious injury risks, which nearly came to fruition, but thankfully Luka avoided major injury.

The Lakers general manager made it clear they don’t have a problem with Doncic representing his country and were happy to travel to support him in person.

“We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country. That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him,” Pelinka said. “And it’s just great to see him with his teammates, interacting, having fun. As you said, he is in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer, and to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to come be with him.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...linka-traveling-to-support-him-in-eurobasket/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Extend Spanish Radio Agreement With KWKW 1330

The Los Angeles Lakers and Lotus Communications announced the extension of Spanish-language radio rights, ensuring KWKW 1330 will continue broadcasting games for years to come.

KWKW has served as the official Spanish-language radio broadcast home of the Los Lakers since 1999 and will continue airing all preseason, regular season and postseason games.

“Since 1999, KWKW 1330 AM has delivered incredible Spanish-language coverage to Lakers fans across Los Angeles” said Los Angeles Lakers Chief Operating Officer and President, Business Operations Tim Harris. “We look forward to KWKW continuing to bring their knowledge, excitement and energy to the listening experience.”

The Lakers’ Spanish radio broadcats hosts are Jose “Pepe” Mantilla, who has been with the organization for 31 years, and Samuel Jacobo, who has been with the Lakers for two. They will return for the 2025-26 season and are excited to do so.

“We are honored to continue this historic relationship delivering the excitement of one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports,” said Jim Kalmenson, President of Lotus Communications. “KWKW takes pride in serving the Hispanic community with live and local Spanish-language coverage of Lakers basketball. We also recognize the Lakers for their years of dedication to Hispanic fans, whose passion and loyalty have helped make this relationship so meaningful. For Lotus, it’s more than just games — it’s about connecting culture, family and tradition through the love of the Lakers.”

Fans can tune in to KWKW 1330 AM or stream games live on the KWKW app for complete Spanish-language coverage of the Lakers, along with local news, traffic and sports. KWKW is LA’s original Spanish radio station — under continuous local ownership by the Kalmenson family’s Lotus Communications since 1962.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Lakers also extending their partnership with ESPN Los Angeles 710, who will continue airing games in English moving forward as well.

Lakers star LeBron James gives advice to young athletes​

KWKW 1330 will be broadcasting Lakers star LeBron James’ 23rd season in the NBA, which could very well be his last. At this stage of his career, James has accumulated as much wisdom as possible and with that being the case, he recently gave some valuable advice to young athletes.

“My message has always been the same to the next generation of athletes who are inspired to play the game: If there’s something that you love to do, go out and do it,” says LeBron. “Fall in love with the process and not the results. That’s the No. 1 key to me, and I always try to instill that in anyone who’s inspired by what I do or needs words of encouragement about how to reach their goals.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-extend-spanish-radio-agreement-with-kwkw-1330/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Rob Pelinka Explains Why Lakers Support Luka Doncic Playing For Slovenia In EuroBasket

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic will be in action on Thursday morning as he and Slovenia kick off FIBA EuroBasket 2025 group play against Poland.

Doncic is in great shape heading into the tournament after transforming his body this offseason. He already looks ready to go for the 2025-26 season now that he has locked down his contract extension with the Lakers and gotten in great shape.

The focus for Doncic right now though is trying to lead his country to a medal in EuroBasket. That will be a tough challenge considering Slovenia lost all but one of its exhibition games.

In one of those games, Doncic went down with what appeared to be a knee injury. He ended up being OK, but there’s no doubt that people in the Lakers organization held their collective breaths at the time. Luka is the face of their franchise after signing his extension and him getting hurt while playing for someone other than the Lakers certainly would not be ideal.

Despite that though, the Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka have continued to support Doncic representing his country, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:

“Zero problems,” Pelinka said. “I mean, it’s just something that we believe in for the Lakers organization.”

To show their support for Doncic, Pelinka and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss traveled to Poland ahead of Slovenia’s first game. Pelinka explained why that was so important for them to do:

“We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country. That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him,” Pelinka said. “And it’s just great to see him with his teammates, interacting, having fun. As you said, he is in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer, and to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to come be with him.”

The Lakers have always been an organization that treats superstars right, and they are making it a point to show that is still the case with Doncic. Even though Doncic didn’t choose the Lakers organization when he was traded there last year, it’s clear that they are doing everything in their power to make him feel at home.

Luka Doncic on representing Slovenia​

Lakers star Luka Doncic recently explained why representing his country is so important to him.

“I always play for my country. Playing for my country, whenever I can, playing for my country is an honor for me. I try to bring medals to the country. But you know , just getting ready for the season obviously.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/rob-pelink...ka-doncic-playing-for-slovenia-in-eurobasket/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Highlights: Luka Doncic Dominant But Slovenia Drops Group Play Opener To Poland

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic expressed his goal to lead Slovenia to a medal at FIBA EuroBasket 2025. Unfortunately, thing got off to a rough start and now Doncic and Slovenia will need to lock in in a big way going forward to reach that goal.

Luka was outstanding in Slovenia’s opening group stage contest, finishing with 34 points, four rebounds, nine assists, five steals and two blocks, but it wasn’t enough as Slovenia fell to Poland 105-95 to begin their EuroBasket journey with a loss.

Doncic was an efficient 7-of-14 from the field and knocked down 17-of-18 from the free throw line, but Slovenia was unable to recover from a rough start to the second half. The Lakers star started strong with 14 points in the first quarter and it was a very close game throughout the first half as Slovenia trailed by one at the intermission. But Poland began the second half on a 15-3 run and Slovenia was never able to get back within striking distance.

Overall, Poland was much more efficient offensively, shooting 59% from the field and a ridiculous 54% from 3-point range while Slovenia shot just 48% from the field and 34% from deep. Edo Muric added 17 points for Slovenia while Gregor Hrovat pitched in 15 in the loss.

Poland doesn’t feature any current NBA players, but that didn’t matter. They were led by Jordan Loyd, an American-born naturalized Polish citizen who had a brief stint with the Toronto Raptors during the 2018-19 season. Loyd was on fire, knocking down 7-of-8 from 3-point range on his way to 32 points. Poland also got big contributions from Mateusz Ponitka with 23 points and seven rebounds, as well as 15 points and two steals from Andrzej Pluta.

While the loss was an unfortunate one for Doncic and Slovenia, there is still plenty of time to turn things around. There was also plenty for Lakers fans to be excited about with his individual performance, particularly defensively where he gave great effort throughout the game. Lakers governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka were also in attendance showing their support for the face of the franchise, who most importantly came out of the game healthy.

What’s next for Luka Doncic and Slovenia​

Things do not get any easier for Luka Doncic and his Slovenian teammates as they must face off with Group D favorite and one of the favorites to win the entire tournament, France, in their next contest on Aug. 30. This is the first night of a back-to-back for Slovenia, who must then turn right around and face Belgium on Aug. 31.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/fiba-eurob...t-slovenia-drops-group-play-opener-to-poland/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Tim Legler Replacing Doris Burke On ESPN’s Top NBA Broadcast Team

This season kicks off the first under a new media deal for the NBA that sees NBC, Peacock and Amazon Prime joining ESPN and ABC to broadcast games. Under this new deal, there will be national NBA games happening every night of the week, which means these networks will need a lot of broadcasters and analysts to call these contests.

While NBC and Amazon will need to put together broadcast teams, ESPN already has plenty of commentary teams that have spent years together and could continue going with them. However, the network is choosing to make a change to their top commentary team as ESPN announced that Tim Legler will be replacing Doris Burke on their lead broadcast team:

ESPN today announced its deep roster of NBA game commentators for the 2025-26 season. Veteran analyst Tim Legler will join ESPN’s lead NBA broadcast team, which includes Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Breen, analyst and NBA Champion Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters.

Legler, Breen, Jefferson and Salters will call the NBA Finals on ABC, the Conference Finals, high-profile first and second round games during the NBA Playoffs, a Christmas Day game and NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC – the marquee, national NBA game of the week. Legler is celebrating his 25th anniversary with ESPN, having served as an analyst since 2000.

ESPN today also announced it has reached a multi-year extension with analyst and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Doris Burke. Burke will continue to call high-profile NBA games on ESPN and ABC, including the NBA Sunday Showcase series. Her assignments will include full slates of games throughout the regular season and the NBA Playoffs. Burke will regularly work alongside play-by-play voice Dave Pasch. With this new deal, Burke’s tenure at ESPN will extend more than 35 years. She first covered basketball for ESPN in 1991 and has since been assigned to 17 NBA Finals, including six as a game analyst between ABC and ESPN Radio, as well as 11 as sideline reporter on ABC.

Burke has long been considered one of the top NBA analysts and as was noted in the announcement, she isn’t going anywhere as she has agreed to a contract extension with ESPN and will still be broadcasting games alongside Dave Pasch. Even still, it would be interesting to know why ESPN decided to make the change with Legler joining the lead broadcast team.

Regardless, there will be plenty of Burke and Legler doing their normal excellent work as analysts throughout this NBA season.

Shaquille O’Neal frustrated at Kobe Bryant being left out of NBA GOAT conversations​

Plenty of NBA discussions focus on the greatest player of all-time which tends to come down to Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James, but Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal is tired of his teammate Kobe Bryant being left out of these debates.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/tim-legler-replacing-doris-burke-on-espn-top-nba-commentary-team/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Magic Johnson Includes Kobe Bryant & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar On All-Time Lakers List

There is no franchise in the NBA that has had more superstars don their jerseys than the Los Angeles Lakers. Every team has legends of the franchise, but the Lakers’ legends are some of the best to ever step foot on an NBA court like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James.

As such, trying to list the top five Lakers of all time is an extremely difficult task as no matter who you settle on, you are leaving legit Hall of Famers off the list. But at the recent Dodgers All-Access event, Johnson was asked to do just that.

“Kobe going to be one with Kareem,” Johnson told the crowd of Dodgers fans. “Nobody is like Kobe. His killer mentality, hitting big shots after big shots, but also loved being a Laker, loved playing in Los Angeles. He represented the city. Let’s clap for Kobe. We miss him. Nobody is like Kareem. Oh my goodness, the skyhook. He was so intelligent, basketball IQ off the charts. I just loved playing with Kareem. He’s just awesome.

“And then when you think about the other guys, you have to remember I didn’t play with Wilt, I didn’t play with Jerry. You have to put them in there. Shaq was amazing. So I better say the guys I was able to see, because it would be wrong if I tried to go back. So I would say Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, and when I think about it, you have to put Wilt and Jerry in there. James Worthy would definitely qualify. But you try to do five Lakers, and it’s impossible. Because you’ve got put LeBron now. So I don’t know how you get to five. That’s why if you get all of our Hall of Famers, just like the Dodgers, you put all the Dodgers Hall of Famers against any other team, we would beat them. Just like if you put all the Lakers against any team, we would beat them. That’s how I see it. And never include Lakers without Magic.”

Even with Magic leaving himself off the list, it’s still such a tough exercise to limit it to five Lakers legends. Kobe, Kareem and Shaq certainly seem like no-brainers, but Johnson still had to leave off Worthy, James and Elgin Baylor. But it’s hard to argue with who he put on as West is literally the logo of the NBA and Chamberlain put up numbers that have still yet to be matched.

This history is what makes the Lakers such a special franchise and why it just means a little bit more when you succeed in the purple and gold.

Jeanie Buss believes Luka Doncic has now fully embraced being a member of the Lakers​

The next big superstar to hopefully be added to this amazing list is Luka Doncic, who is set to enter his first full season with the Lakers. And Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, who traveled to Poland to support Doncic at EuroBasket, believes the guard is finally embracing being a member of the franchise after initially being very sad at being traded in the first place.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/magic-johnson-lists-his-top-five-all-time-lakers/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Highlights: Luka Doncic Drops 39 Points But Slovenia Comes Up Short Against France

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic loves to represent his country when it comes to international play and FIBA EuroBasket 2025 is the latest opportunity to do so. However, things have not panned out for Slovenia as they struggled through their exhibition schedule, only winning one game.

Heading into the group stage, they opened up against Poland, where Doncic dropped 34 points, four rebounds, nine assists and five steals. But, those numbers were not enough as they lost 105-95.

Looking to bounce back from a tough loss, a solid France team awaited with NBA talent in Alex Sarr, Zacharie Risacher, Bilal Coulibaly and Guerschon Yabusele. Unfortunately, Slovenia suffered another defeat as the French put together an impressive second half after trailing 54-47 at halftime. They outscored Slovenia by 15 in the second half to drop Doncic’s team to 0-2 in group play.

To no surprise, Doncic was the leading scorer for his squad with 39 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals. He was not as efficient in this contest, shooting 8-for-20 from the field, but shot 4-for-10 from 3-point range and made 19 of his 20 free throws.

ABSOLUTE THRILLER

France

hold onto the late lead to take Slovenia

down!

#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/PhtcfHhRQD

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 30, 2025

Luka gave it his all

Flirting with triple-double, Luka Magic had another stellar performance against France

#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/16WmJRycsr

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 30, 2025

Getting to the free throw line has always been a strength of Doncic’s, but seeing him do it in FIBA play, which traditionally is more physical, is definitely impressive.

Despite Doncic doing everything he could, it’s clear that he doesn’t have enough help to beat a team like France, who is one of the favorites in the tournament. They held on for three quarters before France pulled away at the end.

Sylvain Francisco dominated the Slovenians with 32 points, shooting 60% from the field and 12-for-12 from the free throw line. Behind Francisco, there were four other French players in double figures compared to just three total for Slovenia.

What’s next for Luka Doncic and Slovenia​

There are three more group play games remaining for Luka Doncic and Slovenia and they next match up with Belgium on Sunday in the a second of a back-to-back. They game is scheduled to start a 5 a.m. PT and will give Doncic and his teammates a quick opportunity to bounce back and pick up their first win in group play.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/fiba-eurob...s-but-slovenia-comes-up-short-against-france/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Mets Pitcher David Peterson Pays Tribute To Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant’s impact on the sports world was undeniable even before his tragic passing in 2020. But in the five-and-a-half years since, it’s become even more apparent just how beloved the Los Angeles Lakers legend was. Not just in the world of basketball, but across all sports, cities and athletes of various backgrounds.

Take New York Mets pitcher David Peterson, for example. Peterson is from Denver, Colorado, attended the University of Oregon, was drafted by the New York Mets as a pitcher and has spent his entire career up to this point in Queens. But on Saturday, he was yet another Kobe fan.

The Mets starter took the mound on Saturday against the Miami Marlins with a Kobe-themed glove, via SNY:

David Peterson is pitching with a Kobe Bryant-themed glove today pic.twitter.com/ZwzXLD3XCR

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 30, 2025

The glove has gold stitching all throughout with a purple and gold Nike swoosh and an 8/24 in gold. All of this is a shoutout to Bryant and the Lakers, despite having never lived or played in Los Angeles or California at all in his career. It was also a home game against the Marlins, showing that this was truly out of reverence for Bryant.

Peterson — who has been having a really solid season for the Mets — unfortunately had one of his worst outings this season, giving up eight earned runs in two innings of action. The eight runs are another tribute to Bryant, in a way.

Magic Johnson reveals favorite Kobe Bryant moment​

It is hard to nail down a favorite moment from Kobe Bryant’s career as he had plenty during his 20 years with the Lakers. Magic Johnson was recently asked about his personal favorite at the Dodgers All-Access event on Thursday and he contemplated a few iconic moments.

In what felt like a storybook moment, Bryant’s farewell game put the cherry on top of an accolade-filled career. While it may not be the flashiest, he put up 60 points and clearly left it all on the floor, giving fans on last show.

Johnson ultimately decided that this game was his favorite Bryant story, although there were plenty of options to choose from.

“Where do we start? Is it the 81 points? I would say my favorite was the last game,” Johnson told the crowd of Dodgers fans. “Hurt, not all the way there, remember the Achilles, and so if you were there or watching it on TV, the second half, the whole crowd did not sit down. Remember? And he kept scoring and scoring. And we kept going crazy and crazier. And it got louder. We said, ‘Man, he got to 50? Kobe scored 50?’ And he kept going! I’ve never seen a guy end his career in the fashion that Kobe ended his career that last game.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-mets-pitcher-david-peterson-pays-tribute-to-kobe-bryant/