Latest news with #Laker
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Laker, 2020 NBA champion on why it's hard to play with LeBron James
Former Laker, 2020 NBA champion on why it's hard to play with LeBron James When the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship during the 2019-20 season, they didn't have an overwhelmingly talented roster outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But they did have a number of valuable role players who all chipped in to bring home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. One of those role players was Danny Green. The veteran wing signed as a free agent with the Lakers in the summer of 2019, and his defense and 3-point shooting were sizable keys to their championship run. But during an appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast, Green said that playing alongside James wasn't easy. It wasn't that James himself made things difficult, but the superstar's legion of fans would be hard on him if he wasn't getting the job done (h/t Lakers Daily). 'He made the game very easy,' Green said of James. 'But…there are times where it's not as easy because there's so much pressure, even if you're wide open, to execute the play because you're playing with LeBron James. And that's more so on the outside than it is on the inside 'cause Bron ain't putting the pressure on you. 'But all the LeBron fans are like, 'Who's this bum? Why is he playing with — he can't make a damn shot.' You know what I'm saying? So, it's a gift and a curse, but he made the game easy, man. 'And it was a lot of fun learning from him early on, a lot of fun playing against him and then even better to play with him, and then it was the bubble, but winning the championship with him. It was great, man, so I couldn't ask for a better scenario.' James has many devoted fans who are unquestionably loyal to him and will go to great lengths to defend him. Some seem to feel that such fans even have the tendency to blame others when things don't go well for James or his team. In Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers led the series 3-1 over the Miami Heat and needed just one more win to wrap up the world title. They trailed 109-108 in the closing seconds, and James found Green for an open 3-pointer that Green missed, allowing Miami to win and send the series to a sixth game. Although the Lakers won Game 6 convincingly, Green received death threats after missing the shot in Game 5 that would've concluded matters. In the end, he received his third championship ring following that Game 6 victory. He had won it all the previous season with the Toronto Raptors and in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Luka Doncic donates $5,000 to restore vandalized Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant mural in downtown Los Angeles
Luka Doncic showed his support by spending $5,000 to restore a vandalized mural. The mural, 'Mambas Forever,' at 14th and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles was spoiled with graffiti and Doncic expressed his anger and had the artwork repaired quickly. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The donation not only paid for the restoration but also showed how much he respects Bryant and wants to help the Los Angeles community. Luka Doncic's donation restores defaced 'Mambas Forever' mural The "Mambas Forever" mural, crafted by artist Louie Palsino (known as Sloe Motions) back in 2020, became a beloved homage after the tragic passing of Kobe and Gianna Bryant in a helicopter crash. The piece illustrated Kobe in his Lakers uniform, tenderly holding Gianna, who was grasping a basketball, with the words "Mambas Forever" painted in purple and gold. The mural had been left alone until it was recently marred by black and white graffiti, covering much of the original design. In response, Palsino initiated a GoFundMe campaign to raise $5,000 for its restoration. Doncic's quick donation took care of the entire sum, allowing restoration efforts to kick off immediately. Having joined the Lakers less than three months ago from the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic voiced his strong admiration for Bryant. "Kobe is L.A. He and Gigi mean so much to this city, to the Lakers organization, and to me personally," Doncic stated. "I'm happy to do anything to help make sure he and his daughter are honored." Artist Louie Palsino showed appreciation for Doncic's backing, saying, "I'd like to say thank you to Luka, and I'm proud he is a Laker now and representing Los Angeles. I know Kobe is proud." Also Read: Donating to fix the 'Mambas Forever' mural, Luka Doncic shows both his respect for Kobe and Gianna Bryant and his dedication to helping LA. Because of his commitment, this tribute lives on for fans, connecting him even more closely with people in LA who treasure the Bryants' impact.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Laker doesn't think team can win title with LeBron and Luka
Former Laker doesn't think team can win title with LeBron and Luka The massive trade that brought the Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic on Feb. 1 seemed to reopen their championship window and restore their mystique. Doncic is the type of generational superstar who can not only be the face of the franchise for the next decade but also bring it multiple NBA championships. He had made LeBron James the second scoring option for L.A., which will help James remain fresh moving forward and possibly even extend his career a bit. The Lakers were thought to have a shot at getting to the NBA Finals when this year's playoffs started. But instead, they lost in five games in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and their weaknesses were exposed. They could end up plugging those weaknesses this summer, but for now, they have the appearance of a thin and vulnerable squad. It is just one reason former Lakers wing Danny Green, who won it all with L.A. in 2020, doesn't think James and Doncic will win a ring together. "I think they're explosive offensively," Green said. "I think they lack a lot defensively. ... I don't know how many years he (James) has left longer, and it's think it's just really hard to win a championship when your best player is 40 years old." "... Next year LeBron going to be 41….He can still average 30, 20 something but I just don't see them winning a championship with that formula right now." Actually, James is no longer L.A.'s top option on offense thanks to the arrival of Doncic. Doncic has now taken the reins of its halfcourt offense, allowing James to play more off the ball, and it has taken plenty of pressure off the 40-year-old James. Right now, the Lakers need a starting-caliber center and better guard and wing depth. Addressing those needs this summer should result in a more positive outlook as far as their chances of winning it all once next season begins.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thunder's Alex Caruso gets special shoutout from Magic Johnson after WCF
The post Thunder's Alex Caruso gets special shoutout from Magic Johnson after WCF appeared first on ClutchPoints. Alex Caruso is back on basketball's biggest stage, and Magic Johnson made sure the world knew it. After the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Magic took to social media to salute his former Laker. Advertisement 'Congratulations former Laker and NBA champion Alex Caruso who now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder and is headed to the NBA Finals!' Magic posted on X, spotlighting Caruso's journey from a fan-favorite role player in Los Angeles to a key veteran presence on one of the NBA's youngest rosters. It was a moment that highlighted how far Caruso has come. He went undrafted, fought for a roster spot, and became a champion with the Lakers in 2020. Now he is a veteran leader in Oklahoma City, helping one of the youngest teams in the league reach the Finals for the first time in over a decade. In the closeout game against the Timberwolves, Caruso filled the box score in his usual do-everything fashion. Advertisement He had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals under 24 minutes of play, and finished with a plus-minus of plus 13. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but anyone watching could see the impact. He was everywhere, diving for loose balls, locking up on defense, and setting the tone without needing the spotlight. This Thunder team is loaded with young stars. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the scoring, Chet Holmgren guarding the paint, and Jalen Williams bringing the flair, but Caruso brings the edge. He has been here before, he knows what playoff pressure feels like, and he knows how to win. When the Thunder traded for him in exchange for Josh Giddey, some saw it as a depth move, but Caruso has turned it into something much bigger, becoming the piece that balances youth with experience, flash with grit The Finals are next, and Oklahoma City will face either the Knicks or the Pacers, but whoever it is, they will run into a team that plays fast, plays smart, and plays hard; and Caruso fits that identity perfectly Magic saw it coming, Lakers fans always knew, and now the rest of the league is getting another reminder that Alex Caruso is still a difference-maker, still chasing titles, and still showing up when it matters most
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves' Julius Randle enjoying new reality since tough Knicks trade: 'The weight of the world's off my shoulders'
MINNEAPOLIS — These NBA playoffs have produced some defining images on the way to the Finals: Tyrese Haliburton cementing himself as a big city villain, Jalen Brunson as a certified crunch-time star, and Jayson Tatum writhing in pain. But perhaps the most refreshing picture is Julius Randle, dipping his shoulder into the chests of LeBron James and Draymond Green, either as a graceful bully or a forceful finesse star. He's been the perfect contrast to Anthony Edwards' shooting star in Minneapolis and, surprisingly, a connector to the rest of the Timberwolves on their run to the Western Conference finals, which the Thunder lead 2-1 entering today's Game 4. At his best on the highest stage, Randle looks like he's relishing these moments. He averaged 27 points, 7.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds in the last four games of the Warriors series, and scored 28 and 24 in Games 1 and 3 of the Western finals on 60-plus percent shooting. The bad games have been almost nonexistent, the forlorn looks and drooped facial expressions have come few and far between. It's not quite a new and improved Julius Randle, just a smoothed-out version, a freer one that, despite the stakes, isn't putting the weight of the world on those shoulders. 'The amount of s*** Julius takes, it's hard to even fathom how he deals with it,' Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo told Yahoo Sports. 'To see him carry the load night in and night out, everybody knows how much stuff he deals with, everybody knows how much flak he (catches), and he doesn't let it faze him, he doesn't let it bother him.' He's changing how the NBA world views him, that he couldn't be a winning player, that he had to be ultra-ball dominant. Game by game, it's happening. 'I've always used that as motivation, proving people wrong and stuff like that,' Randle told Yahoo Sports. 'But it became more about proving myself right. That's been the biggest adjustment and change in my mindset. 'Not that you don't see it, pay attention to it. But it's more about me than anyone else. I mean, I think that's kind of been the maturity of my approach. I feel like the weight of the world's off my shoulders because I'm just playing, having fun. 'It's not for anybody else, but for myself and for my teammates and people that pour into me and love me. I'm not out here to prove anybody wrong or change a narrative.' Green openly stated Randle won the matchup in the Golden State-Minnesota second-round series, which the Timberwolves won in five games. And anybody with working eyes could see how he took the game to James in the first round, wearing him and any other Laker down with his physical play. It's his own Mamba Mentality. I've always used that as motivation, proving people wrong. But it became more about proving myself Randle "It's a competitive energy,' Randle said. 'Kobe (Bryant) is my favorite player. He's not my favorite player because I grew up playing like Kobe. Anthony Edwards is Kobe, you know what I'm saying? My whole thing with Kobe was, his mindset was different. He's trying to break your will. He's as competitive as anybody I've ever seen, playing against, played with.' Randle could see the effects of his physicality in the first two rounds, so even if the bruising was making him sore, it was doing more damage to them. 'You see it in their eyes. Not specifically those two, but you see it in their eyes,' Randle said. 'I had dudes come to me like 'Ju, please. Not this play. You see dudes is not trying to deal with that. I spend so much damn time in the weight room, I gotta use it. It's one of the gifts God gave me, my strength and physicality. 'I'm not blessed like Ant with a 50-inch vertical (laughs), so I gotta use what I have.' He chuckles watching Edwards and his shootaround antics, there's a genuine lightness to Randle nowadays. He's able to step outside of his own play and be present in ways he couldn't allow himself to be before. Cheering on teammates even if he's not playing well, doing the little things to remain connected to the team. 'I was injured, but it was the first time I was injured (in late January) where I felt like I was still playing,' Randle said. 'Because I was so engaged with the group and everybody was so welcoming. 'I didn't isolate myself. I'm on the bench, cheering guys on, dude comes off the court and I'm giving them advice. Just being in tune.' He admits he wasn't always that guy. 'No. No. No. Because I always felt like if I wasn't playing then I wasn't valuable,' Randle said. 'I didn't understand my voice and my leadership until I got here. So when I came back it was like, anything I can do to help these dudes win. I don't care if I score five points. How can I be the best version of myself and help us get wins? That was my mindset. I don't have to be anything other than myself.' It took an amazing amount of self-awareness to get to this point, and it's easy to see how happy he is to reach this level of zen. He leaned on his wife, his mother, whom he affectionately calls 'the definition of a praying mother,' and his agent Aaron Mintz to help him through each struggle, each transition. Because it was choppy at first. The early chemistry between himself and Rudy Gobert wasn't easy. The notable example being the late November game in Toronto where Gobert had a man sealed and called for the ball, but Randle didn't deliver it, resulting in a three-second violation. To be fair, Gobert doesn't have the surest set of hands, but keeping him engaged on offense means he'll be a terror on defense — a tight walk of tight walks. That was late in the fourth quarter of a loss, thus illustrating the disconnect. The concern that two players who had reputations of being moody would derail the Timberwolves' chances of getting back to the conference finals was coming to bear. 'Chemistry, we had some growing pains,' Gobert told Yahoo Sports. 'Some tough, rough patches during the season. But he's resilient, I'm resilient. Our team is resilient. And I think when he came back from injury, I came back from injury that last part of the season, I think things really started to click for us on both ends.' Losing six of eight in late February, the Timberwolves were 32-29, but Randle was seeing things positively as he was slated to return from a monthlong right groin injury. 'It was crazy, the worst of days this season. A new situation, we're not playing well, I'm not playing my best, it's ups and downs … but the support from the internal organization was always great. Very inclusive, making me feel like family.' Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly took Randle out to dinner, frequently checking on him. Head coach Chris Finch did the same with text messages during that time. 'It's never been pointing the finger, you're the reason why we're losing, you're the bad guy,' Randle said. 'No, it's, 'We got you.'' You get around a whole new group of guys, you just feel free and fresh. That's what he needed and that's what he DiVincenzo That helped ease his mind, taking more pressure off him. It led to this run, where he's averaged 18 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 52 percent shooting and 40 from 3-point range during the Wolves' 17-4 finish and continuing through to this point. 'You get around a whole new group of guys, you just feel free and fresh,' DiVincenzo said. 'That's what he needed and that's what he got. There's no baggage or anything else. It's just you. He's a good teammate, a good guy, a good player. There's nothing he had to change. He just had to be himself.' DIVincenzo and Randle arrived in Minneapolis together in the shocking pre-training camp trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. Immediately upon arrival, the doubts about Randle's fit with a team that just made the conference finals months before started sprouting. And if he had stayed in New York with higher expectations given their 2024 playoff run as Randle was out with injury, he was going to be the reason things didn't work, no matter the outcome. 'Man, I didn't even wanna answer my phone when the guys here started calling,' Randle said. He was just in the Bronx the day before for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School, where he announced he would dedicate $500 to the school for every 3-pointer he made. He'd already help raise more than $1.3 million for the school to help it open. And then, just like that, he was moved. It was almost a lose-lose situation. But immediately upon showing up, Edwards sought him out with open arms. 'Ant was dope,' Randle said. 'He was like, 'I'm happy as hell you're here,' that's the first thing he said. I couldn't practice during that time, just watching him how he interacted with his teammates, talking trash, all that stuff. I was like, oh yeah, this kid is the real deal, just from a leadership perspective.' Playing in the spotlight of New York, particularly under the circumstances of coming in as the consolation prize when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving went crosstown to the Brooklyn Nets, was glaring. He was an All-Star three times in his six years, and so much changed around him — the front office, Tom Thibodeau arriving in his second season and Jalen Brunson taking the mantle as team leader in 2023. Every Randle movement was scrutinized, every slumped shoulder was analyzed. 'It ain't fun, it ain't fun,' Randle said. 'You can't really focus on the game, you're focused on everything else other than the game itself. You're living and dying with every single shot, every single turnover, every single loss. It's not a fun way to play. 'It's exhausting.' He played for the Lakers as a young player, played his lone season of college basketball at Kentucky, so it's not as if he wasn't used to the spotlight. New York was just different, and it was probably best he got the fresh start. 'To come in with a free mind and be able to smile for his teammates, to be able to celebrate his own buckets and everybody else's buckets,' DiVincenzo said. 'It's great to see.' Both former Knicks have an eye on their former mates in the Eastern finals, with Randle only saying, 'I'm watching,' when asked. Minnesota and New York have major work to do for that dream series to happen, and, if so, Randle's competitive fires will stoke even more. 'I'm the type of person that my family don't want to play Monopoly with,' he said. 'I'm not trying to lose at anything, and if I do, cool, I'm coming back again. I'm coming back better.'
