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[Los Angeles Lakers]

Luka Doncic: New Season Feels Like Start Of Lakers Tenure

The Los Angeles Lakers begin the 2025-26 NBA season in less than four weeks when they face the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21. It marks the start of Luka Doncic’s first full season as a member of the franchise after being traded to L.A. in February of last season and signing an extension with the Lakers in August.

The Lakers go into the 2025-26 season with the general consensus being that they improved slightly on their team that lost in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Some of that improvement comes from Doncic himself, as the 26-year-old slimmed down significantly in the summer and had a historic EuroBasket showing for Slovenia.

Now he’s ready to take the floor for the Lakers for the first time to begin a new season. And for him, despite already debuting in L.A., this new campaign feels fresh for the European superstar, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:

“This,” Doncic tells The Athletic, “feels like a start for me.”

Many wondered how long it would take for Doncic to mentally and emotionally transition from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers, but it seems that transition has firmly been made:

“I’m way comfortable,” he said with a grin. “Especially going to training camp, you know, having practice with the guys — like I said, it’s a start for me.

“But I will feel way more comfortable now.”

A comfortable, slimmed down and motivated Doncic is a dangerous thought for the rest of the league. After all, this is the player with five All-NBA first team selections in the five seasons where he’s started and finished the year with the same team and wasn’t a rookie.

This feeling like a fresh start for the superstar means that the Lakers may get a version of him they didn’t see at all in their unexpected months together last season.

Luka Doncic details first moment he felt like Laker​

When the Lakers surprisingly traded for Luka Doncic, there was speculation on whether he wanted to remain in L.A. for the long term. Inherently, general manager Rob Pelinka took a risk because the Slovenian guard was due for a new contract in two years.

It was a tough adjustment for Doncic because he loved playing for the Dallas Mavericks and he truly wanted to bring a championship to the city. However, the NBA is a cruel business at times and he had to uproot his entire life midseason, which is tough for any player.

The only way Doncic would feel at home is if the Lakers front office and fanbase made it feel like one. When asked about the moment he felt like a Laker, the 26-year-old said his first home game due to the electric environment and support he received.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/luka-doncic-new-season-feels-like-start-of-lakers-tenure/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

ESPN NBA Rank: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Lands At No. 3

The 2024-25 season was the turning point of Luka Doncic’s career as he was surprisingly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. The stunning move sent shockwaves throughout the NBA and the ripple effects will be felt for years to come as the Lakers can comfortably say they have a top-five player in Doncic leading the way.

Doncic understandably took time to acclimate to his new surroundings in Los Angeles, but eventually started to look more like himself. Luka helped lead the Lakers to the third seed, averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games.

However, he and the team were outmatched in the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves and eliminated in five games. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Doncic still finished near the top of ESPN’s annual NBA Rank survey. Last year, Doncic finished at No. 2 and dropped just one spot:

3. Luka Doncic, G, Los Angeles Lakers
2024 NBA Rank: 2

Doncic changed teams but barely budged from his position near the top of NBA Rank from last year, sliding from No. 2 to No. 3. The 26-year-old is coming off a successful summer during which he slimmed down, inked a three-year, $165 million contract extension with L.A. and led Slovenia all the way to the quarterfinals of EuroBasket while pouring in 34.7 points per game in the tournament. Last season was the first time since Doncic was a rookie that the 6-6 guard didn’t receive any votes for MVP, as a calf injury, plus the midseason trade, limited him to a career-low 50 games. NBA Rank voters are banking on Doncic to resume his Dallas trajectory now that he’s committed to the Lakers.

Despite everything Doncic had to endure, he still found ways to put up numbers and is poised for a career year. The superstar took the offseason to transform his body and he looked dominant in Slovenia’s run during EuroBasket 2025.

Doncic is being touted as an early MVP candidate and he should be motivated more than anyone to prove he belongs in the conversation for best player in the world.

Luka Doncic says new season feels like start of Lakers tenure​

Luka Doncic looked shellshocked at his Lakers introductory press conference and it was completely understandable given the circumstances. There were times Doncic flashed his normal smile on the court, but it was clear he was still hurting from the trade.

However, Luka seemed much happier this summer after taking time to process the season and get his body right. Now, Doncic heads into his first full year with the Lakers and he feels like it’s truly the start of his tenure representing the purple and gold.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/espn-nba-rank-lakers-luka-doncic-lands-at-no-3/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Sign Jarron Cumberland & Waive Arthur Kaluma

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Jarron Cumberland. In a related move, the team has waived forward Arthur Kaluma.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed but it is likely an Exhibit 10 signing to get a look at Cumberland during training camp and the preseason.

With an Exhibit 10 deal, if the Lakers waive Cumberland and he does not get signed to an NBA roster via standard or two-way contracts, he can join the South Bay Lakers roster for the 2025-26 G League season. The Lakers also have an open two-way roster spot he can compete for in camp.

Cumberland is a 28-year-old guard out of Cincinnati that went undrafted in 2021. He has spent time with a number of different organizations in the G League, including Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Raptors 905 and Delaware Blue Coats. He also played for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021-22 on a 10-day contract and appeared in three games, scoring two points with three rebounds.

In 68 career G League games (45 starts), Cumberland has averaged 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 38.1% from 3-point range. He appeared in 25 games (20 starts) for Delaware last season and averaged a career-high 19.6 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting an impressive 46.1% from deep.

Even at the age of 28, the 6’5″ guard is worth getting a look at in training camp to see if that shooting is legit.

Meanwhile, Kaluma gets let go before the start of training camp after playing well in limited minutes for the Lakers’ Summer League team. The 2025 undrafted free agent forward out of Texas should hopefully get a look elsewhere in training camp once he clears waivers this weekend.

JJ Redick noncommittal about Lakers starting lineup​

Lakers head coach JJ Redick held his annual press conference ahead of training camp and naturally was asked about his starting lineup, which is not yet decided.

“It’s not that important to me. I haven’t spent a ton of time thinking about it,” Redick said. “We certainly have a number of players, let’s call it seven or eight, that are starter-level players in the NBA. I do know this, I did say that last year, and that lineup started seven or eight games at the beginning of the season and we started 24 lineups throughout the year. So not gonna spend too much time banging my head against a wall on that before we have a practice.”

Redick will likely test out some different lineups in the preseason before making a decision for Opening Night.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-sign-jarron-cumberland-waive-arthur-kaluma/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: Sale Of Franchise To Mark Walter Expected To Be Finalized In Coming Months

Earlier this summer, it was announced that Jeanie and the Buss family had agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter, owner of the L.A. Dodgers. The move came as a shock to many as it seemed as if the Lakers would remain within the Buss family forever.

Walter has a great track record with the Dodgers, turning that franchise into one of the most successful in all of baseball over the past decade and some are anxiously awaiting him to officially take over the Lakers and hopefully see that same level of success.

Any sale of a franchise doesn’t become official until the NBA Board of Governors votes to approve it and the sale of the Lakers is expected to be ratified by the owners in the next few months, via Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania of ESPN:

In June, the Buss family agreed to sell its controlling stake in the team at a $10 billion franchise valuation to Mark Walter, the Los Angeles Dodgers owner and CEO and chairman of TWG Global. The sale is expected to be ratified by the NBA’s board of governors in the coming months, sources told ESPN.

It has been reported that Jeanie Buss will remain in charge of the Lakers’ day-to-day operations for the foreseeable future. In doing this, there won’t be this massive shift and adjustment on the players and staff in the building and they can continue on with business as usual with the 2025-26 season set to get underway.

This change in ownership should bring a lot of positives to the Lakers’ franchise as, quite simply, Walter is capable of infusing a lot of money into the team. Obviously the NBA’s salary cap structure is far different from that of MLB where a salary cap doesn’t exist, but a potential investment into the team’s facilities, staff and research and other departments throughout the franchise can have a massive impact on this franchise overall.

Three-fourths of the NBA’s Board of Governors must vote to approve the sale, but by all accounts that won’t be an issue and this sale of the Lakers will soon become official.

Rob Pelinka announces contract extension for Lakers coach JJ Redick​

The Lakers entered last season with big questions surrounding head coach JJ Redick, who was a first time coach at any level. But Redick proved he was more than up to the task and, despite having three years left on his deal, the Lakers decided to give him a contract extension as Rob Pelinka announced at their press conference.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rum...er-expected-to-be-finalized-in-coming-months/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: JJ Redick Contract Extension Details

Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick held their annual press conference ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season on Thursday afternoon and the big news coming out of it was that the head coach had signed a contract extension this summer.

The news came as a bit of a surprise considering Redick was only one year into the four-year deal he signed to be the Lakers’ coach last offseason. The organization obviously believes in him though, and rightfully so after leading the team to a 50-win season and the 3 seed in a loaded Western Conference in his rookie year as a coach.

Pelinka did not reveal the details of Redick’s extension, but according to Shams Charania of ESPN, it tacks on two years to put him under contract for five more seasons at around $45 million:

“I’m told the Lakers gave JJ Redick a two-year extension, so that’s gonna go for five years through 2029-30 at $45 million. So this makes it clear JJ Redick is the coach, not just now, but moving forward for the long-term beyond just the LeBron James era in Los Angeles. And as these coaching contracts continue to go up, as his deal is starting to end and as he has one year ticked off, they wanted to make sure they gave him two extra years. So he’s locked in there until 2030.”

For the first time in a while, the Lakers organization seems to be aligned from top to bottom on the direction they are heading. The Lakers now have a superstar in Luka Doncic to build around and a coach in Redick to guide them for years to come.

JJ Redick pleased with Lakers’ commitment to conditioning​

One thing JJ Redick stressed to the Lakers players after his first season was that they needed to get into championship shape. Now that the offseason has come and gone, he is pleased with how his team took that to heart.

“Well, I’ll say this, we’ve asked all our guys to be in championship shape,” Redick said. “And not starting on Tuesday. And so, the commitment level across the board from our team has been very high this summer.

“We’ve had organized workouts. The guys have played pickup, really every day. We’ve added conditioning at the end. They’ve all been committed to it. I think for me, that’s probably been the biggest thing. It’s not a basketball thing that he can or cannot do. It’s just all of us being in elite shape.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-jj-redick-contract-extension-details/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick & Rob Pelinka Discuss Pressure For Lakers To Win Championship

The Los Angeles Lakers are always aiming high, but that is especially the case going into this season.

After acquiring Luka Doncic to pair with LeBron James and then building out the roster with quality role players, the Lakers have championship aspirations in 2025-26. That is especially the case because James is entering his 23rd season, which could very well be his last with the Lakers and in the NBA.

Some people don’t like constant pressure surrounding an organization like the Lakers, but head coach JJ Redick is embracing it going into his second season at the helm.

“I think there’s always pressure with the Lakers. You come into this building every day, and you’re constantly reminded of what Lakers excellence is,” Redick said at his annual pre-season press conference. “That doesn’t change, for me at least, year to year. The other part of what people probably would consider the outside pressure of trying to win: I think you have to look at your own internal standards. I feel like we set those standards last year. This summer was a very productive summer not only for myself as a coach but my entire coaching staff. I intentionally created an environment for my young coaches – Beau Levesque, Lindsey Harding, Ty Abbott, Michael Wexler – all of them got opportunities to grow. Whether that was in pre-draft workouts, summer league, what we’ve done in the gym the last two months.

“And the guys, our players that have been in the gym every day since mid-August, getting ready for training camp. It’s the work they’ve put in, that’s the standard that we’ve set here. That’s the standard that we’re trying to live up to. It’s constant. It’s no different year to year or day to day.”

Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka echoed Redick’s comments about embracing the pressure and also did everything he could from a roster-building perspective to help ease it.

“I think JJ and I are both so much about process,” Pelinka said. “We had a process, we were very methodical about what we wanted to accomplish in the offseason. Now we’re going to dive into the process of having this team come together and be a great team. That starts on Monday with our first team meeting. So, that’s where we’re going to really put our attention and focus, into the process of making this team great and starting by coming together as a group on Monday.”

The Lakers have assets to improve the roster before the trade deadline in February, but even if they don’t, the expectations are high and they are not shying away from that going into the year.

Lakers extend JJ Redick​

JJ Redick is heading into his second season as head coach of the Lakers but coming off a successful rookie campaign, Rob Pelinka announced they have already extended Redick’s contract.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-rob-pelinka-discuss-pressure-for-lakers-to-win-championship/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Sign Anton Watson & Nate Williams, Waive Tevian Jones & Eric Dixon

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Anton Watson and guard Nate Williams. In corresponding moves, the team has waived guard Tevian Jones and forward Eric Dixon.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but they are presumably training camp Exhibit 10 contracts. That would allow the Lakers to add them to their G League roster if they are waived and don’t catch on anywhere else.

Watson (6’8”, 225) most recently appeared in nine games for the New York Knicks during the 2024-25 season. He also played in 37 games (34 starts) with the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League in 2024-25 where he averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 29.9 minutes.

The 24-year-old was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 54th overall pick in 2024 out of Gonzaga. He played five collegiate seasons and in his final, Watson earned All-WCC First Team honors after averaging 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 31.3 minutes.

Williams (6’5”, 205) also has NBA experience after appearing in 20 games for the Houston Rockets in 2024-25, averaging 3.3 points in 7.4 minutes. He has played in 47 games (four starts), across three seasons with the Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 3.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.6 minutes.

Williams has also played in 82 games (62 starts) across three NBA G League seasons with Rio Grande Valley (2023-25) and Salt Lake City (2022-23), averaging 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 28.5 minutes. The 26-year-old played four seasons at the University at Buffalo from 2018-22 and earned All-MAC First Team honors as a senior after averaging 19.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.6 minutes.

The Lakers currently have an open two-way spot, so it will be interesting to see if any of these Exhibit 10 players emerge in training camp or the preseason. For the players that get waived, there are likely to end up with the South Bay Lakers if they do not get a better opportunity elsewhere.

Luka Doncic expects to take on leadership role in Lakers training camp​

As Luka Doncic heads into his first training camp with the Lakers, he recently stated that he expects to take on more of a vocal leadership role with the team on and off the floor.

“Obviously with Rob I talk more about the guys we wanna get. But the players that’s going to develop I think in preseason when we’re really all together and talking in person. So I think that’s more happening in the preseason,” Doncic said at his press conference to announce his extension earlier this summer.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-sign-anton-watson-nate-williams-waive-tevian-jones-eric-dixon/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick: LeBron James Is In ‘Great Spot Mentally’ After Summer Conversations

Admittedly, this summer was an odd one for LeBron James as his future with the Los Angeles Lakers came into question. After picking up his player option, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul revealed that he and James were evaluating roster moves L.A. made before deciding if he would ask out.

With all the moves the Lakers made this offseason though, it became evident that general manager Rob Pelinka is transitioning to building around Luka Doncic and not LeBron. For the first time in James’ career, he is not the focal point of his team and is playing on an expiring contract.

As Media Day and training camp kicks off next week, those storylines will be prevalent and how the 23-year veteran will respond to those pressing questions will be interesting. However, head coach JJ Redick kept in touch with his star and James appears to be in good spirits heading into this upcoming season.

“I talked to LeBron fairly frequently,” Redick said at his recent press conference. “Had two great in-person meetings with him. One, he finally made it out to the Hamptons. So he and I had dinner in Sag Harbor right around free agency. And then was able to spend some time with him here in L.A, a couple weeks ago. Came away from that thinking that he’s in a great spot mentally and know he’s going to give us his absolute best.”

Obviously, James is the gold standard when it comes to being a professional, so he is presumably ready to put those narratives to the side and play basketball. Frankly, his experience would mean a lot to Doncic, molding him into a leader and a hopeful multi-time champion.

As the season progresses, more rumors may swirl and Redick needs to keep his locker room together. Thankfully, the sophomore coach is a good communicator and used those skills to make sure James is in good spirits.

Ultimately, the Lakers have a dynamic Big 3 with James, Doncic and Austin Reaves and they showed flashes of being a great offensive tandem last season. Hopefully with a training camp and preseason together, the Akron native can see the championship potential L.A. has with the Slovenian star at the helm.

Rob Pelinka reiterates Lakers would ‘love’ if LeBron James retired with franchise​

Rob Pelinka has to handle an extremely delicate situation with Luka Doncic being the next face of the franchise and LeBron James still on the roster.

Amid all the contract controversy, the Lakers opted to not add another year to James’ contract although to Pelinka, it does not change the fact the organization would ‘love’ if the four-time champion retired with them.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-...eat-spot-mentally-after-summer-conversations/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick Expresses Gratitude After Signing Contract Extension With Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to find stability at the head coaching position since general manager Rob Pelinka took over. But after arriving on JJ Redick, he put together a strong rookie season with plenty of adversity thrown his way.

There were instances of flaws, especially during the playoffs, with his rotation. However, that comes with the territory as Redick navigates through the challenges of being an NBA head coach.

On the other hand, Redick is a competitor and wants to win by any means necessary. One can assume he spent most of the summer reevaluating his mistakes and how he can better transition to his second season in L.A.

As a bode of confidence, Pelinka and company rewarded their coach with a two-year contract extension this offseason. In a reality where coaches have a short leash, the front office went against that grain and Redick appreciates the confidence they have in him.

“Yeah, with Rob, we have a lot of the same philosophies on life,” Redick said at his recent press conference. “One of the words we always talk about is gratitude. So I think it just starts with a high level of gratitude to the Lakers, to Mark, Jeanie and Rob to have that confidence in me and it’s not lost on me this sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension. I recognize how fortunate I am to be in an organization that supports me in that way.”

Taking another gamble on a coach with zero experience after firing another first-time head coach in Darvin Ham was an interesting choice by the Lakers. However, seeing how Redick digests basketball, he truly knows how today’s NBA operates and has already proven to be a good coach and leader.

Outside of his knowledge, he is an elite communicator due to his 15-year playing career and talking with players constantly when he was in the media field. Those two traits tend to get overlooked, especially communicating, as it maintains the buy-in through the highs and lows of an 82-game season.

Hopefully, Redick experiences natural growth this season and the Lakers’ investment in him pays off. Having a steady figure as head coach would be a nice change of pace and tends to lead to winning by avoiding constant turnover.

JJ Redick pleased with Lakers’ commitment after asking to be in championship shape​

After losing in five games in the first round last season, it was clear the Lakers could not withstand a physical Minnesota Timberwolves team. Players also struggled to withstand heavy playoff minutes.

With that, JJ Redick made sure to emphasize the point of being in better shape this season and he is pleased with the reception he’s received so far.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-expresses-gratitude-after-signing-contract-extension-with-lakers/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Update: Adou Thiero Not Yet Cleared But Recovery Timeline Is On Schedule

The Los Angeles Lakers will be back on the floor sooner than later as the start of training camp and preseason is this week.

After a longer offseason following their playoff elimination, several members on the roster took the summer to work on their bodies and games. Meanwhile, the Lakers also got a perceived steal in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft when they moved up to take Arkansas wing Adou Thiero.

Thiero graded out as one of the best overall athletes in his class, an area that Los Angeles has been lacking in recent years. Unfortunately, Thiero was unable to participate in Summer League as he recovered from a knee injury that likely dropped his draft stock.

Although Thiero hasn’t been cleared for the start of training camp, he is reportedly on schedule in his rehab process and could be back on the floor as soon as next week, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

A source familiar with Thiero’s situation told ESPN that the rookie is in line with the team’s recovery timeline and has a week remaining in his rehab before being cleared. https://t.co/ZvIMN8GJZO

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 29, 2025

Thiero suffered the injury toward the end of his final season at Arkansas and it sounds like he and the team are waiting for him to be fully healthy before clearing him. The Lakers have been snakebitten by injuries in the past, so it’s always good to exercise patience.

Los Angeles can also afford to slow play Thiero’s recovery timeline as he is not expected to play meaningful minutes for the parent team during the 2025-26 season. The rookie offers massive upside as a two-way wing with plus athleticism, but he’s still a shaky shooter without much of a handle. Defensively, Thiero projects well though there are technical aspects that could be ironed out.

The Lakers have earned a reputation for being able to identify talent in the second round of the draft, so it was telling that they moved up twice to take Thiero. President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka revealed the team had a first-round grade on the Arkansas alum, so it’ll be interesting to see what he looks like on the court once he’s cleared to play.

Rob Pelinka compares Lakers’ Adou Thiero to OG Anunoby​

Adou Thiero is a raw prospect offensively, but it’s impossible to teach his size, length and athleticism at his position. Rob Pelinka and the Lakers seem high on Thiero as the general manager compared him to OG Anunoby.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-inj...cleared-but-recovery-timeline-is-on-schedule/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Media Day: LeBron James Doesn’t Want To Worry About Future & Take 23rd Season For Granted

Amongst the biggest storylines not just with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the entire league, is the future of LeBron James and whether this will be his final season. LeBron is already set to make history by playing in his 23rd NBA season, but his plans beyond this year are unknown.

It is not only a matter of whether he will continue playing beyond the 2025-26 season, but also where, as he will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. But with all that hanging over him, James is far more focused on the present, being the best player he can be every night and simply enjoying these final seasons.

“As far as prove, I just think for me personally, just trying to go out there and be the best player I can be every night as far as my game but also just mentally,” James said at Lakers Media Day. “Just staying present and things of that nature. Knowing that the end is soon and not taking for granted a Tuesday night in a city that maybe I don’t want to be in that night. But seriously, let’s lock in because you don’t know how many times you’ll get the opportunity to play the game or to be able to compete. There’s time where you wake up and just feel like you don’t have it. So those will be the days where I know I can lock back in very fast because I know I won’t have many more days like this. Lock in and enjoy the moment, enjoy the rest of the ride. So that’s the exciting thing, understanding how present I will be.”

It is so easy to focus on the future that sometimes people are unable to enjoy what is right in front of them and appreciating LeBron and what he is still able to do at this stage of his career is something everyone should do. The Lakers superstar is one of, if not the best, player the league has ever seen and he won’t be around for much longer.

Of course, the question of whether this will be his final season was asked, but James still isn’t sure whether that will be the case.

“I’m excited about today and I’m excited to get the opportunity to play the game I love for another season,” James said. “However the journey lays out this year, I’m just super invested because I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’s a lot sooner than later. So just being super appreciative of the fact that I can come up here and do another Media Day and talk to you guys and do all the stuff around here. Just excited about the journey and whatever this year has in store for me.”

Just the fact that LeBron is still so excited to continue to play the game of basketball 23 years into his career says a lot about his passion for the game. The Lakers superstar is truly a generational talent and these final moments of his career should be cherished.

Lakers coach JJ Redick says LeBron James in a ‘great spot mentally’ heading into season​

There were some questions this offseason about whether LeBron James and the Lakers were on the same page, but head coach JJ Redick has been in contact with the 40-year-old all summer and believes the superstar is in a great place mentally going into this season.

“I talked to LeBron fairly frequently,” Redick said at his recent press conference. “Had two great in-person meetings with him. One, he finally made it out to the Hamptons. So he and I had dinner in Sag Harbor right around free agency. And then was able to spend some time with him here in L.A, a couple weeks ago. Came away from that thinking that he’s in a great spot mentally and know he’s going to give us his absolute best.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-med...ry-about-future-take-23rd-season-for-granted/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Media Day: JJ Redick Reveals Biggest Regret From Timberwolves Series

Los Angeles Lakers Media Day tips off the hugely important 2025-26 NBA campaign for the purple and gold. This is Luka Doncic’s first full season in L.A., JJ Redick’s second and potentially LeBron James’ last, although the latter remains to be seen. But Redick, the first-time head coach, has something to prove coming off of a strong first regular season, followed by a rocky first playoff appearance.

The Lakers battled all the way to being the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, securing a three-team tiebreaker after strong showings against other top West teams. This gave them home-court advantage against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Many pundits picked the Lakers to advance, but they were ousted in just five games in a series that L.A. looked completely outmatched in.

Now with a few months to examine what went wrong in that series and prepare for the upcoming season, Redick was able to reflect on his biggest regret from the playoff loss, via Spectrum SportsNet:

“My biggest regret from the Minnesota series was our preparation leading into the series. There was a lot of discussion with our coaching staff and, ultimately, I had to make the decision about what that week looks like in practice. And I said this after Game 1. We weren’t physically ready to play and some of that was because of our March schedule, some of that was because of some injuries, but I’ve got to do a better job going into a series of making sure they’re physically ready to play.”

Redick also focused on a more specific regret from the series’ final game that sent the Lakers home:

“Another regret from that series, I fundamentally don’t believe in putting two on the basketball. Why are you giving the offense an advantage? 
Like, you’re creating an advantage. So, our foundation of our defense last year was a team defense based on shifts, based on a low man, based on elite presentation. Game 5, we started small and we blitzed Anthony Edwards, and they killed us in the first half on the offensive glass. I eventually took that off, but I didn’t put my team in a great spot because I made that decision to start Game 5.”

One thing that has made Redick popular over his first season in charge of the Lakers is his willingness and ability to adapt. He was tasked with a major midseason adjustment after the team acquired Doncic and did so very successfully. And he’s showing with these answers that he is going to make some changes this season with championship aspirations on the line.

JJ Redick believes Luka Doncic is committed to body transformation​

Following a disappointing first-round performance against the Timberwolves, Luka Doncic needed to head back to the drawing board.

Not in terms of play, but his body and staying in shape through a long 82-game season. Last season, the Slovenian struggled with lower-body injuries, specifically a calf issue and did not appear to be conditioned upon his arrival in L.A.

To Doncic’s credit, he played well enough to lead the Lakers to 50 wins and secure the third seed. Now that he has completely transformed his physique, it feels like the sky is the limit.

However, the 26-year-old needs to maintain his new body and not slip back into his old ways. But JJ Redick believes his star is committed to his new lifestyle moving forward.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-media-day-jj-redick-reveals-biggest-regret-from-timberwolves-series/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick: Lakers Will Be Cautious With LeBron James’ Ramp Up For 23rd Season

The Los Angeles Lakers held their first practice on training camp on Tuesday, and LeBron James was among the players notable not on the floor.

JJ Redick revealed after practice that James is dealing with minor nerve irritation in his glute and considering the 40-year-old is entering his 23rd season, they are going to proceed with caution in training camp and the preseason.

“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into Opening Night,” Redick said. “Obviously in Year 23, uncharted territory here. I felt, and in talking with the performance (staff) and LeBron, he probably did too much last year in camp. Which was great for me as a first-year head coach to get buy-in from him. But it will be a slower process with him leading into the first game. He’s obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body and he’s dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute. So we’re playing the long-game with LeBron.”

No one has ever played 23 NBA seasons, so it’s hard to compare James to stars of the past. What Redick is doing though is looking at how the Lakers handled everything with LeBron last year so they can learn from their mistakes and ensure he stays healthy in 2025-26.

“You’ll hear me use this a lot, but it is uncharted territory. I don’t think there’s a blueprint for someone who’s had this amount of mileage and this many minutes and has been asked to do so many things on both ends of the court. We asked a lot of him last year, we asked a lot of him to start the year in camp. So it’s just working as a partnership to try to figure out what’s best.”

Redick added that James is on board and everyone is on the same page about the plan. It remains to be seen if that plan includes playing in any of the Lakers’ six preseason games, however.

“It would be nice. It would be nice, for sure,” Redick admitted. “We would love to have that happen. And if it doesn’t, we’ll just make it work.”

Like Redick said, it would be great if LeBron played in the preseason to build chemistry with Luka Doncic and the other starters. Being healthy for the regular season is more important though, of course, so it makes sense to be cautious with James.

LeBron James discusses training camp plan​

LeBron James echoed JJ Redick when he spoke on Lakers Media Day about his plan for training camp and the preseason.

“It remains to be seen,” James told ESPN when asked about his planned participation in training camp and the preseason. “Obviously, I want to be out there as much as I can … but we know where I’m at, and the coaching staff knows where I’m at as far as me getting to a place where we’re all good as far as getting on the court.

“It’s Year 23 from me. I got a lot of miles on my game. I’ve trained throughout the course of the offseason, but just my presence is going to be important as well. Making sure that even if I’m not on the floor, I’m always in tune to what we’re doing so I know what’s going on at all times. So, just looking forward to that.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-...us-with-lebron-james-ramp-up-for-23rd-season/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Update: Maxi Kleber To Get MRI After Tweaking Quad

The Los Angeles Lakers held their annual Media Day earlier this week and one of the things that came out of it was Maxi Kleber saying he felt healthy and ready to go for the season.

Kleber missed a majority of last season due to a foot injury. He returned for the Lakers’ final game of the season in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, although that was only five minutes of action.

Unfortunately, Kleber good health was short-lived. Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided some injury updates after the Lakers’ second practice on Wednesday and the most notable thing that came out of it is Kleber injuring his quad on Tuesday and sitting out as a result.

“LeBron again for the second straight day did some individual on-court work. Gabe was a full participant today,” Redick said. “No update on any of the other guys, the only new thing is Maxi kind of tweaked his quad yesterday during conditioning. As a precautionary, he sat out today. He’ll get an MRI later this afternoon and hopefully it’s nothing serious.”

As Redick said, the hope is that it’s not a serious injury for Kleber, although that will be determined once he gets the MRI. The Lakers’ first preseason game is on Friday, but even if Kleber’s injury is minor they will likely proceed with caution to ensure it doesn’t become a bigger issue.

In the meantime, that leaves more reps at the center position for Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko in scrimmages, practices and preseason games. Kleber is the only Lakers big man that can stretch the floor though, so here definitely seems to be a role for him on this team once he gets healthy.

LeBron James discusses plans for Lakers training camp​

While LeBron James continues to play at a high level when on the court, he also has a ton of miles on his body after 22 seasons and he has been dealing with some nagging injuries over the past couple years, including an MCL sprain in the Lakers’ final game last season.

Managing things throughout the season will be crucial to James’ performance this season and he spoke about how much he expects to participate during training camp.

“It remains to be seen,” James told ESPN when asked about his planned participation in training camp and the preseason. “Obviously, I want to be out there as much as I can … but we know where I’m at, and the coaching staff knows where I’m at as far as me getting to a place where we’re all good as far as getting on the court.

“It’s Year 23 from me. I got a lot of miles on my game. I’ve trained throughout the course of the offseason, but just my presence is going to be important as well. Making sure that even if I’m not on the floor, I’m always in tune to what we’re doing so I know what’s going on at all times. So, just looking forward to that.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-update-maxi-kleber-to-get-mri-after-tweaking-quad/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Austin Reaves Thought Anthony Davis Was Joking When He Told Lakers Players About Trade For Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers made arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history last February when they sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic.

Considering Doncic is only 26-years-old and had just led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, no one thought him getting traded was even a remote possibility.

The deal went down late at night right after the Lakers had beaten the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. On a recent appearance on “The Young Man and The Three” podcast, Austin Reaves broke down how he found out about the trade and how he thought Davis was joking to the team:

“We played New York, we beat New York by I think 15 or so, pretty comfortably without AD. We were playing well. We get in the locker room after the game, I was sitting by LeBron just talking about bullshit and everybody was falling into roles, everybody was bought in. Like I said, we were playing well and I was like we’re gonna be alright once we get AD back. Obviously he was a big piece of what we were going to do at the time… We get on the bus and we’re like five minutes away from the hotel and our group chat starts going crazy. Honestly, I hardly ever look at the group chat. They just talk about whatever, it could be about the weather or anything. So I thought a couple people just texted, because we had a couple guys out, and just texted like good win or whatever. The first thing I look at when I pulled my phone up was AD said ‘They traded me.’ If anybody knows AD, he jokes around a lot. So I laughed and put my phone down. And my phone kept going off so I was like what the hell? I pulled up Instagram and saw Shams’ post or whatever, called [my agents] and I was like what the f—? They were like there’s no way this is real, and I was like alright cool, let me know if you hear anything else. I call one of our assistant coaches, Beau (Levesque) and I was like what the f—? And he was like uhh, and that’s all he said. I was like uhh what? And he was like, it’s real. Why do you know that? And he was like, I’m sitting by Max Christie. And I was like oh shit, this is actually real. So I was obviously hurt at the time because I had a good relationship with Max, I had a really good relationship with AD. So that aspect, I was with AD for four years, Max for three… But we get Luka though and like you said, incredible player, generational player. Nobody thought he would get traded at that age, or anytime honestly. But everything happens for a reason and I’m really excited about what we got.”

Fans were obviously taken back by the trade, but it’s funny to hear that the Lakers players felt the same way and were also caught off guard. The Lakers were playing great basketball at the time and even though Davis is still an elite player and Christie was emerging as a quality young role player, acquiring Doncic in his prime was simply an opportunity Rob Pelinka couldn’t pass up.

Reaves was known to have a good relationship with both Davis and Christie so finding out that news had to have been difficult, although it didn’t take long for him to adjust and thrive playing alongside Doncic in the Lakers backcourt.

Austin Reaves explains decision to turn down extension from Lakers​

Austin Reaves turned down a contract extension off from the Lakers this offseason and recently expressed that despite that, he still wants to remain with the organization long-term.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/austin-rea...d-lakers-players-about-trade-for-luka-doncic/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Update: LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber & Adou Thiero Ruled Out Of Preseason Opener Vs. Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take the court for the first time on Friday when they take on the Phoenix Suns in their preseason opener. With it being the first preseason game and the team only having a couple of practices under their belt, it should be expected that many of the team’s core players will either be sitting out or playing minimal minutes.

JJ Redick revealed on Thursday though that LeBron James (glute), Marcus Smart (Achilles tendinopathy), Maxi Kleber (quad) and Adou Thiero (knee) all will be out.

Of course, the most important thing in the preseason is for the Lakers to remain healthy and so any player dealing with any sort of minor injury issue will be likely to sit out. Head coach JJ Redick and his staff will be extremely cautious as things get underway, so there are already a handful of players who won’t be suiting up for the Lakers on Friday.

None of these should come as much of a surprise. Redick has already spoken about taking a cautious approach with LeBron in ramping him up for the regular season and has said that Smart is dealing with a minor Achilles issue and should be a full participant by next week. Additionally, Thiero revealed during Lakers Media Day that he still isn’t fully cleared due to his knee injury but is on schedule to be good by next week as well. Kleber, meanwhile, tweaked his quad in practice, although that also is not a serious injury.

It remains to be seen how many minutes others such as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will play in the preseason opener in Palm Springs, but it likely won’t be long considering it is just the first game.

JJ Redick believes Lakers may have pre-injury Jarred Vanderbilt back​

While he is far from a rookie, one player many eyes will be on this preseason is veteran wing Jarred Vanderbilt who has struggled with injuries the last couple of seasons but was a game-changer defensively prior to that. And JJ Redick believes the Lakers may have that pre-injury version of Vanderbilt back.

“It looks like we do have the pre-injury version of Vando,” Redick said. “I’ve talked a lot with him this summer about just like that he got put into a tough spot, post-trade, because he had to play the five, there wasn’t other options. Just play small, had to be the backup five, they were our two options. So, I think getting him back on the perimeter, his body being in a good place from an athleticism and agility standpoint, will be super helpful for our team.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-inj...thiero-ruled-out-of-preseason-opener-vs-suns/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Luka Doncic Describes Lakers Training Camp In 3 Words

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off training camp this week, which is the first in purple and gold for superstar Luka Doncic after last year’s trade.

Now that he has had time to adjust to his new home, Doncic has spoken about taking on a bigger leadership role for the Lakers alongside LeBron James.

Sometimes that means being vocal and sometimes that means leading by example, but whatever it is, the 26-year-old seems up to the task.

With it being his first training camp in L.A., there is an understandable adjustment period for Doncic. Things seem to be going well though as after Thursday’s practice, the superstar was asked to describe the first few days of camp using three words, per Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group:

"Fun. Excitement. Hard." – Luka Doncic's response when asked how he'd describe his first Lakers' training camp using just three words.

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 2, 2025

JJ Redick is known to run a tough camp, so it’s not surprising to see Doncic describe it as hard. Building team chemistry is also about having fun though and it’s nice to see Luka is embracing that.

The Lakers don’t have a lot of time to build that chemistry as they only have six preseason games before Opening Night later this month. LeBron James, Marcus Smart and some other players are also dealing with minor injuries, making it that much more challenging.

When Doncic was acquired last year though, the team came together on the fly and still managed to have a lot of success. Now with a full training camp together, the sky is the limit for Doncic and the rest of this Lakers team.

One thing that’s for sure is Luka is already ready to go as he is coming off a successful run with Slovenia in EuroBasket in order to prepare for the coming season.

Lakers coach JJ Redick believes Luka Doncic is committed to maintaining body transformation​

Getting into this level of shape was extremely important for Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, but it will be equally important to maintain this as he moves forward, something Lakers coach JJ Redick believes he is committed to doing.

“This is his life, this is his routine, this is just a daily commitment to the new standard that he set for himself. His excitement level, not just in what he hopes the season will be, but his excitement level in embracing this new standard was very high.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/luka-doncic-describes-lakers-training-camp-in-3-words/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Luka Doncic Will Sit Out Lakers’ First 2 Preseason Games To Be Cautious With Ramp-Up After EuroBasket

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in action on Friday night taking on the Phoenix Suns in their preseason opener at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs.

Unfortunately though, the Lakers will not be at full strength as head coach JJ Redick ruled out LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero. None of the injuries are serious, but the Lakers are understandably being cautious early in the preseason. James, in particular, is entering his 23rd season and on the verge of turning 41 so there’s no reason for him to get significant reps in exhibition games.

That group is not the only players that won’t be suiting up as Luka Doncic will also miss the first two preseason games on Friday and Sunday. Doncic is not dealing with an injury but the organization is choosing to be cautious with him as well after playing for Slovenia in EuroBasket this past summer, via Lakers reporter Mike Trudell:

Luka Dončić will sit out the first two preseason games, in part due to his run with Slovenia at EuroBasket. The Lakers and the performance team want to take the long view as he ramps up to the regular season opener.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 3, 2025

This makes sense as Doncic is the present and future of the Lakers franchise so they do not want to risk him getting hurt or overworked, especially when other key players are missing preseason games as well.

The Lakers definitely need some time on the court together to build chemistry, but they have six total preseason games plus practices in order to do that.

With Doncic, James and others out, it will give other players on the Lakers roster more opportunities to show the coaching staff what they are capable of.

Doncic has spoken about wanting to take on a bigger leadership role for the Lakers but in the first two games of the preseason, that will have to come from the sidelines as opposed to on the court.

Lakers coach JJ Redick believes Luka Doncic is committed to maintaining body transformation​

Getting into this level of shape was extremely important for Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, but it will be equally important to maintain this as he moves forward, something Lakers coach JJ Redick believes he is committed to doing.

“This is his life, this is his routine, this is just a daily commitment to the new standard that he set for himself. His excitement level, not just in what he hopes the season will be, but his excitement level in embracing this new standard was very high.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/luka-donci...to-be-cautious-with-ramp-up-after-eurobasket/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Sotheby’s Auctions First Kobe Bryant No. 24 Jersey For $889K

Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant’s debut No. 24 jersey was auctioned off for $889,000 at Sotheby’s in New York.

Bryant wore the jersey in a Lakers win against the Seattle Supersonics on Nov. 3, 2006. He scored 23 points in the 118-112 win.

Bryant’s signature and inscriptions “FIRST 24” and “1/1” can be found on the jersey’s numbers as well as an Upper Deck hologram due to Bryant’s autograph and memorabilia deal with the company. MeiGay Authenticated photo-matched the No. 24 jersey to Lakers’ Media Day in 2006, ensuring its authenticity.

“This jersey is not merely a relic of a single night, but a symbolic artifact from a career that bridged eras and identities,” said Brendan Hawkes of Sotheby’s Sports Strategy and Development. “Signed and inscribed to forever link it to the debut of No. 24, it stands as one of the most culturally and historically significant Kobe Bryant jerseys ever to surface — the tangible starting point of a chapter that would help define his legend.”

The most money every paid for a Bryant jersey is $7 million, a jersey that was photo matched to seven games during his rookie 1996-97 season. The jersey was also sold by Sotheby’s back in April.

Kobe famously started the NBA wearing the No. 8 and went on to be very successful in the number, winning three consecutive championships and being named to several All-Star teams. The switch to No. 24 came at a time when the Lakers pivoted to Bryant as the next face of their franchise and he would go on to have an illustrious career in the new number.

As No. 24, Bryant captured two more championships as well as several other impressive accolades such as his only regular season MVP award, two Finals MVPs two Olympic gold medals and more All-Star Game appearances and All-NBA Teams.

The career splits between Bryant in No. 8 and No. 24 are each Hall of Fame worthy and perfectly explains why the Lakers had to retire both of his numbers. Even after death, Bryant remains one of the most popular athletes today and his legacy lives on in today’s generation of players.

Kobe Bryant’s first game-worn jersey sells for record amount in auction​

This isn’t the first time Sotheby’s has auctioned off a game-worn Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey. Previously, Sotheby’s auctioned off Kobe’s first game-worn jersey in April and it sold for a record amount of $7 million.

The jersey was photo matched to seven games from Bryant’s 1996-97 rookie season in Los Angeles.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-sothebys-auctions-first-kobe-bryant-no-24-jersey-for-889k/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Deandre Ayton Wanted To Show Commitment To Defense In Lakers Preseason Debut

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their preseason slate with a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, which was the first look at new starting center Deandre Ayton in purple and gold.

Ayton has been known for his offense early in his career, but it was his defense that impressed in this one. Ayton finished with just one point on 0-of-2 shooting with four turnovers. In 18 minutes of action though, he contributed eight rebounds, two blocks and an assist.

After the game, Ayton talked about how his focus was on the defensive end to embrace his new role on this team.

“I wanted to show the team I’m more committed on the defensive end than the offensive end, in a way. Like I said from the get go, I’m not really here for numbers,” Ayton said. “I’m just here for whatever the Lakers want me to do and the main objective is really protecting that rim and closing out possessions. I had fun, man, just blocked some shots and being that anchor, seeing how the guys responded to me, the terminology and stuff that I needed to get out and just be out in our offense and create from our defense. So it was fun. It was fun tonight, honestly.”

Part of the reason Ayton decided to sign with the Lakers was to play alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Neither of the Lakers’ top two playmakers suited up against the Suns though, which is why Ayton isn’t concerned about his long-term offensive outlook.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re scoring and shooting, shooting and scoring. You got Luka Doncic, you got LeBron James and Austin (Reaves). Trust those playmakers and if you get more than two shots then that was how the game was supposed to go,” Ayton said.

“JJ (Redick) is trusting these dudes to be our primary ball-handlers and me being the big man in the paint. So I’m absorbing all of that and yeah, it would probably be hard not to touch the ball with those great playmakers, to be honest.”

While a starting center scoring just one point and taking two shots certainly isn’t ideal, it was Ayton’s first chance to get his feet wet and the Lakers’ offense as a whole was out of sync without Doncic and James.

When those two return, it should help Ayton get some easy buckets. On Friday night though, his activity on the defensive end of the floor was certainly encouraging for L.A.

Deandre Ayton embracing pressure with Lakers​

Playing for an organization like the Lakers comes with some added pressure, which Deandre Ayton is embracing.

“Honestly, pressure is a privilege and I’m in the right place to be where everything counts and the fans want us to win. And I’m here to just add to that legacy bringing a title here,” Ayton said at Lakers Media Day.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/deandre-ayton-wanted-to-show-commitment-to-defense-lakers-preseason-debut/