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[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/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Media Day: Jarred Vanderbilt Discusses Goals For 2025-26 Season

Jarred Vanderbilt has not been able to be exactly who the Los Angeles Lakers hoped he’d be when they traded for him at the 2022-23 trade deadline. Some of that is due to struggles on the offensive end, but much of it comes down to availability.

The Lakers defensive-minded forward has played in just 65 of a possible 164 regular season games over the last two seasons, a rate of 39.6%. Various lower leg and foot injuries have held him out of action, and have contributed to some of his on-court issues in that time as well.

But for what could be his first time as a member of the Lakers, he had a fully healthy offseason. And he believes that could be the key to unlocking some things on the court.

“It feels great being able to have a full summer under my belt,” Vanderbilt said at Lakers Media Day. “I was able to really work on my game, work on my body and just having that confidence going into the year instead of playing catch-up. Being able to be a part of training camp early, it’s a different level of approach and preparation when you already put the work in and being able to start fresh.”

And for the 26-year-old, maintaining that healthy status throughout an entire season would be the biggest victory.

“Personally, my main goal is just to be healthy,” he said. “It’s been a couple of seasons that being riddled with injuries. So for me personally, my number one goal is just be healthy, finish the season healthy, do a full complete season. That’s first and foremost.”

The Lakers getting a fully healthy Vanderbilt for an entire season would be a massive boost for a defense that many do not expect to be among the best in basketball. But it also gives him the opportunity to work on his game in a way that may give him even more opportunity game to game.

Any time a player can get through an injury-riddled segment of their career is a huge win. But for Vanderbilt and the Lakers, it could be an essential part of their success this season.

Jake LaRavia praises Jarred Vanderbilt for shooting improvement​

Jarred Vanderbilt has long been known for his defensive prowess. He can lock down opposing guards with his length and tenacious energy. However, the reason he has yet to find himself as a legitimate nightly contributor for winning teams is because of his offensive deficiencies, something new Laker Jake LaRavia took notice of in years prior.

Vanderbilt is a career 28.8% shooter from beyond the arc. He has shot over 30% in a full season exactly once, and it was the season the Lakers acquired him via trade from the Utah Jazz. That was his best season both in terms of offensive and defensive advanced metrics, as with higher shooting percentages came more playing time and greater impact.

LaRavia spoke about the difference in the player he used to scout for on opposing teams versus the player he sees now, and the strides Vanderbilt has made as a shooter.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-media-day-jarred-vanderbilt-discusses-goals-for-2025-26-season/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Shorthanded Lakers Lose To Warriors In Road Preseason Game

After dropping their preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers were back in action on Sunday night as they hit the road to take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

As was the case in the first game, the Lakers were shorthanded in this one with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves among the key players that didn’t suit up. Meanwhile, the Warriors played their starters for a majority of the first half and were able to cruise to a 111-103 victory.

This was the Warriors’ first preseason game so they naturally came out a little flat. Even though the Lakers were shorthanded, they were in more of a rhythm to jump out to a 7-2 lead. After scoring just two points on Friday night, Deandre Ayton made his first two shots in this one and then Gabe Vincent buried his first triple in his 2025 preseason debut.

Jarred Vanderbilt was everywhere defensively early, creating turnovers for the Lakers. He then got involved offensively with a three-point play on a cut and feed from Vincent.

Stephen Curry responded with a crafty layup though and then Jimmy Butler had a three-point play to settle the Warriors in. Curry got going offensively from there against the Lakers bench as the Warriors took a 32-31 lead at the end of the first. L.A. ended the quarter on a run, capped off by a Vincent buzzer-beater, to get within one.

Vincent stayed hot to begin the second with a pair of triples to regain the lead. Ayton and Vanderbilt continued their high-level two-way play while Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht contributed offensively.

It was the Warriors that ended the half strong, however, taking a 62-55 lead into the locker room.

Golden State continued that momentum into the third quarter with Moses Moody getting hot from deep to lead a 12-2 run and force a timeout by JJ Redick.

While the Warriors stayed hot, the Lakers’ effort level was low for the second straight game as they got ran out of the gym. Golden State built a lead as high 24 in the third quarter, and then the two-way and Exhibit 10 players finished out the night for both teams.

To their credit, the Lakers players kept fighting and chipped away at their deficit in the fourth quarter and eventually got it down to single digits before eventually suffering the defeat.

What’s next for the Lakers​

The Lakers played a pair of preseason games after just three training camp practices. They now will have some time to assess what they saw and get back on the practice court though as their next preseason game isn’t until next Sunday, again taking on the Warriors but this time back in L.A. at Crypto.com Arena.

Judging by how the first two games went, they certainly can use some time on the practice court.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-shorthanded-lakers-lose-to-warriors-in-road-preseason-game/