An woman whose life was forever changed the instant a stranger grabbed her and gave her a celebratory kiss. The educator who inspired many, despite the odds being against them. A coach whose guidance was revered off and on the basketball court. Entertainers who fought their personal demons, and lost their lives too young. A visionary photographer, a soul singer with deep roots in his community, a small-stature star from a remarkable film, and our Chief during some of the city's most turbulent times. more ›

You most certainly don't have to be a Bruin to mourn the loss of UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden, who died yesterday at age 99, but for many Bruins, the loss is powerful. more ›

John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood, has died 6:45 pm at the age of 99 - five months short of his 100th birthday. Wooden was taken to the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in grave condition on Friday suffering from dehydration. The official cause of death has not been released. more ›

99-year-old UCLA coach John Wooden is reportedly hospitalized and in grave condition at UCLA Ronald Regan Medical Center, according to the LA Weekly. "It's understood that he hasn't eaten in the last couple days and is very ill," notes cbs2, however UCLA has not confirmed the reports nor issued a statement regarding Wooden's health. The storied basketball coach has been nicknamed "The Wizard of Westwood." His long-running career includes a number of accolades and an amazing team record for UCLA. Wooden was "first person selected for the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach." more ›

Arguably the best coach in sports history, former UCLA men's basketball head coach John Wooden turns the big 99 today. Born on October 14, 1910 in the tiny town of Hall, Indiana, his family would move to Martinsville, IN where he would play in the state high school championships for the Martinsville High School basketball team 1926-1928 winning only once in 1927 against Muncie Central 26-23. more ›

Cleveland Cavaliers defeat LA Clippers 87-83. If the game ended after three quarters, the Clippers would have gotten their biggest upset of the season. After all the Boston Celtics were a little road fatigued and injured when the met in the Staples Center several weeks ago. The Clippers had held the Cavs to under 20 points in each of the three quarters and had a 19 point lead. But the fourth quarter happened, and just like that the Cavs turned it on. LeBron James notched his second straight triple-double with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. However the Cavs were only 3-for-20 behind the three point line with all three coming as they were rallying in the fourth quarter. Questionable shots by the Clippers didn't help things any especially Zach Randolph's airball from three-point land with four seconds left in regulation when down by only two points. This game was marked by the Loch Ness-esque appearance by Chris Kaman. I could have sworn he didn't really exist. more ›

• Boy am I glad I don't live in this Torrance neighborhood, where a cache of machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found in a house Friday. The residents may be terrorists, police say, but the owner of the weapons said he is just a collector. Do you think he also collects dead bodies in the basement?
• Does the name Chuck Quackenbush ring a bell? He was the Insurance Commissioner for Califorina until he was forced to resign amid corruption allegations in 2000. Gosh, I wonder what he's doing now. Probably tanning on a beach...wait, oh, um, turns out he is now a Sherrif's deupty and just shot a suspect in Florida who was allegedly resisting arrest. OK, now he can go and tan on the beach as Chuck was placed on paid administrative leave.
• More bad news for area newspapers as positions at the Long Beach Press-Telegram were eliminated recently. Earlier in February, the LA Times reported they were going to cut up to 150 jobs and this week, the Daily News cut 22 people from their staff. Christ people, don't you read on paper anymore? I mean, when you're not checking LAist and the hundreds of other sites we link to, that is?
• Speaking of the LA Times, new owner Sam Zell stands to profit to the tune of $15 million if an eminent domain a June ballot initiative passes. Just think how many strip club ads he could buy with that.
• Owing mostly to the Writers Strike, L.A. County lost more than 75,000 jobs from December to January.
• Victoria's Secret is saying its line of revealing lingerie is too sultry and will "get back to the ultra feminine and not just sexy look." In other news, 300 million men started a letter writing campaign today with Justin Timberlake as their spokesman.
• John Wooden, Bruin legend and inventor of winning, remains in the hospital but is "in good spirits" after he fell Thursday night and broke his left wrist and collar bone. I have a feeling beating Arizona tomorrow will really help lift the spirits of the 97-year-old former UCLA coach.
• Tomorrow is the L.A .Marathon. Don't say we didn't warn you. Good luck to all those running, walking, cycling and wheelchairing! more ›

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- (1) Go to Circuit City today after 2pm, (2) ask if they have Super Paper Mario in stock, (3) if they don't have it in stock ask and then receive a Circuit City $20 gift card, (4) dance around with your free $20, (5) thank your pals at LAist and at - Joystiq more ›

Tobacco Road, watch your back. Gainesville, better enjoy that trophy while you’ve got it. LA is back with a vengeance and is ready to reclaim its place atop the college basketball kingdom. With UCLA and USC both advancing to the Sweet 16 for only the second time ever, the local buzz hasn’t been this great in decades. The Bruins have been a consistently good program since the departure of John Wooden from the sidelines... more ›

Clippers 101, Heat 97 - The Clippers edged out Miami behind 33 points and 17 rebounds from Elton Brand. Dwane Wade also had 33, but missed a crucial layup in the final minute. Shaq didn't show up for a Staples homecoming because of recent knee surgery. Dodgers 1, Everybody Else 2 - Two Dodger stars are leaving for greener pastures. JD Drew will go to Boston for 5 years and $70 million, while Greg... more ›

No, not that one. The Trojans have found a new, slightly less controversial OJ to lead the Trojans to glory, this time on the hard court. But yes, he wears the same #32. Teen phenom OJ Mayo (whose high school team, serendipitously, was the cardinal and gold-clad Trojans) started generating enormous buzz before he could shave. He is a two-time All American and two-time Mr. Basketball in Ohio. He is widely acknowledged as the... more ›

Is LA really that tough of a market that no one can stand out as the perfect fit in morning radio? Is it really that hard to entertain the infamous Los Angeles morning commute? With billboards in LA proclaiming him The King of Free Media, and with KLAC's station manager calling him not just the future of radio but proclaiming that "there is not a more talented performer on the air today," starting Monday,... more ›

UCLA super soph guards Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar both declared for the NBA draft yesterday. They will not hire agents however and will be able to return to the team next season, as they are just testing the NBA waters and want to see where they would be drafted. They will hold individual workouts for scouts and GMs in May and will have until June 18th to withdraw their names from the draft. more ›

This represents another stop on what has been a long journey for Kareem. He has been so desperate for a coaching job that he once took a position as a volunteer assistant for a high school team on an Arizona Indian reservation. He applied for one coaching job after another, including at Columbia University, a job that ultimately went to Joe Jones. more ›

First off, Johnny Buss and the Sparks brain trust felt like they could wait until more than six months after the season ended to hire any head coach. This was after their bizarre "co-head coach" system led the Sparks to a first round playoff loss after Michael Cooper bolted for Denver. more ›

USC fans should be jumping for joy. more ›