The LA Times has just confirmed the rumor that the 9 million dollar statue of Kwame Brown has just been traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, along with 2007 first round draft pick Javaris Crittenton and 2008 and 2010 first round picks. In exchange, the Lakers are picking up the way more competent Pau Gasol. This could do a lot to energize the Lakers, who lost the first of their nine games on the road last night by ONE POINT after rallying back from a 17-point deficit. more ›

Suns 106, Lakers 98 - Maybe Mitch Kupchak isn't a cupcake, but an evil genius. After mis-managing the Lakers in recent years, it turns out he was right about Andrew Bynum. He refused to trade the young center, and all of a sudden the kid got GOOD. Unfortunately, he's out with an injury and his backup was worthless against Phoenix (hence the evil part). Kwame Brown had seven turnovers and missed an open dunk. Bravo. He was already being booed in the first quarter, and was booed when he sat down for good in the third after committing his fifth foul. It's a tough cowd, and he's got large shoes to fill. Literally. As for the rest of the game, Kobe had a typical 30 point night, and Steve Nash had a typical 20 assist night. more ›

What to do, Lakers fans! As the countdown to tip off commences against evil vampire leader Steve Nash and the rest of the Suns (ironic, isn’t it? That they’re named the Suns? Because Vampires HATE sun!), the faithful should cherish the Laker’s tentative hold on that first place spot in the western conference. We ain’t gonna have it long, folks. more ›

Bruins 83, Colonials 60 - UCLA (ranked #1 by ESPN/USA Today and #2 by the AP) hammered George Washington at home and got a lot of players involved. Darren Collison returned from a pre-season knee injury to score 14 and Alfred Aboya had six points despite a broken bone under his eye. Three other players scored in double digits, including highly touted freshman Kevin Love who had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Kings 3, Sharks... more ›

Three losses in a row. A close loss in Milwaukee. A thrashing at the hands of the Boston. Then losing a 14-point lead and the game to New Jersey. That’s what last week brought the Lakers, pain and misery. And now a 7-6 record after a promising start. more ›

- Green LA Girl takes her show to the LA Times via The Emerald City - congrats Siel! - LAT - Laker center Kwame Brown gets popped for Disorderly Conduct in Georgia on Saturday after his cousin was charged with drunk driving after going the wrong way down a one-way street. Laker fans would like to see that sort of effort in the paint - AP - Even though it's only 56-years old, and... more ›

First off this LAist was running late this morning and left his camera at home. Since I had to go to the Grove straight from work to make it on time, there is no photo of the event. No photo of me planting John Amaechi a wet sloppy kiss. So sorry folks. Amaechi’s appearance at Barnes & Noble at the Grove concluded his whirlwind promotional tour for his memoir Man in the Middle which... more ›

Lakers? Out. Clipper? Out. Hometown hero Baron Davis? Out. What's an NBA fan from Los Angeles to do? Go to the Santa Monica Pier. NBA Nation is on tour and they're here for the weekend. You never know who might show up. Rumor has it the Laker's Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown were spotted on Saturday. On Sunday the Clip's Cuttino Mobley is scheduled to be there from 2:00pm-3:00pm. Among the hoops themed activities, the... more ›

Now that the Lakers have been eliminated from the playoffs after last night’s 119-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns, local sports writers weighed in this morning about where to place the blame. columnist J.A. Adande joins a growing number of people who are looking to coach Phil Jackson for some answers. Jackson is a Hall of Famer and is considered by many to be one of the best coaches in NBA history, but lately some have been questioning the efficacy of his triangle offense with the current Lakers team. Adande thinks the Lakers certainly have the right players, but proposes that Jackson rethink his coaching style. “Something different than the erratic, three-point jacking under former coach Rudy Tomjanovich, but not as limited as what they’re doing now,” he suggests. more ›

Right around the start of the second quarter of game three between the Suns and Lakers last night, a wave of desperation washed over Laker fans -- lose this game and it’s over, and the good guys were down by 17. more ›

Lakers 95, Suns 89 - After getting smacked around in the first two games of the series, the Lakers were looking up at a 17 point Phoenix lead in game three. Then something snapped. Kobe went on a 45 point rampage and -- surprise! -- Kwame Brown had 19. Lamar Odom had 18, but more important were his 16 rebounds (6 on the offensive glass). Los Angeles finally has the spark of hope that sometimes... more ›

There was a strange look in Kobe Bryant’s face during Friday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns: It was a look of defeat. Kobe seemed tired and listless, playing only 17 points in their 93-85 loss. We shouldn’t waste too much sympathy on a multi-millionaire, but it’s been hard not to feel for Kobe, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career without getting any consistent help from the rest... more ›

Though the two teams were neck and neck most of the night, the Lakers ended up falling to the Denver Nuggets 111-105 Tuesday night. The game was especially important since both teams are jockeying for sixth place in the Western conference. This loss leaves the Lakers at 39-35 W-L and the Nuggets at 37-36 W-L. The game was fast and competitive all night and with the league’s two top scorers – Kobe Bryant and... more ›

While Kobe had an “off night” when he put up 43 against Golden State on Sunday, breaking his streak of games scoring 50 or more at four, he could return to his high scoring ways tonight against Memphis. The same Memphis he dropped 60 on last week. more ›

Maybe it’s time to call in a Shaman, or a voodoo priestess with a few live chickens, or go riding down a hill in a beat-up VW van with Hurley from Lost. The Lakers need to do something to break the curse that keeps raining injuries down on them the second half of this season. After two games where Lamar Odom finally started to look like the aggressive Odom the Lakers patiently have been... more ›

There have been plenty of excuses: Luke Walton and Kwame Brown are out with injuries; Kobe Bryant had to miss a game because he can’t control his arms; Lamar Odom is not 100% from his knee problems; it was a long eight-game road trip to cold places; Mercury was retrograde so the stars were lined up against the Lakers. more ›

The Lakers are halfway through the “Coldest places in North America during the dead of winter” road trip to the Midwest and East. So far: four games, two wins. Not a stellar outcome, but not bad considering they have two starters (Luke Walton and Kwame Brown) watching games in street clothes, plus had to play one without Kobe Bryant (for an infraction far less serious than what LeBron James got away with without a suspension,... more ›

Lakers 108, Warriors 103 - The Lakers kicked off a slow week in local sports (only five pro games in total) by pulling out a win against the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles had lost two in a row, but hasn't dropped three consecutive games all season. LAist was in attendance and watched the Lakers once again play to the level of their opponent. While the Warriors are better off since a massive eight player... more ›

Lakers 100, Spurs 96 - The Lakers opened a three game road trip by surviving a late San Antonio rally. Both teams suffered from ball control issues. The Lakers dropped the rock 17 times (7 by Kobe), and the home team had 19 turnovers resulting in 25 points. Before the game, Kobe threw a lot of cliches at the press about getting back to basics. While the turnovers didn't live up to the expectations,... more ›

Like blockbuster movies, the NBA is marketed around its superstars — it was Magic and Bird more than the Lakers and Celtics 20 years ago. Then it was Jordan vs. the world. Kobe and Shaq. The LeBrons. more ›

Most of us are making New Year’s resolutions. And most of us are not keeping them. If you and I can make and then abandon them, no reason we can’t come up with a few for the Lakers — and if they would actually keep a few of these they may get to play a few more games this spring. more ›

For the first time this season the Lakers are on a “bring the large pullman bag” road trip, six games between now and Dec. 29. more ›

We're now about one quarter of the way through the insanely-long NBA season, a time fans can usually get a pretty good a read on what kind of team they are rooting for and if they should really focus more on a team that can win a title next spring. While this blogger knows the biggest tests lie ahead, what we’ve learned so far about the Lakers should have us excited — not just for... more ›

Sure, the Lakers are 19 games into their season, but so far it has been the equivalent of a lazy Sunday morning. They've barely had to leave home (only four games away from Staples Center, like only leaving the house to grab the paper), and they've faced the second easiest schedule in the league so far, like making a cup of Pete's to sip while reading said paper. The young team got to gel... more ›

Laker fans, you can exhale now. more ›

Maybe there is something to this Laker/Clipper rivalry thing after all. Didn’t used to be that way, a few years ago Laker players and fans were more worried about Duncan in San Antonio or cowbells in Sacramento or if Lara Flynn was still sitting with Jack. The Clippers weren’t even on the radar. more ›

Lamar Odom has been the John Travolta of the Lakers: For the first three games of the season it was an amazing performance, such as Pulp Fiction (or averaging 28 points per game); for the next three it was more like Battlefield Earth (averaging 13.3). It wasn’t just this season — inconsistency was Odom’s middle name last year as he deferred to Kobe and couldn’t find his space. more ›

Tuesday night: Andrew Bynum has a career best 20-point, 14-rebound game in a win against Minnesota and at age 19 is the toast of Staples Center. more ›

Turns out it’s fitting that the Lakers and Phoenix Suns are opening their seasons on Halloween: Both are dragging battered limbs and other body parts into the Staples Center. And it’s going to be dark. more ›

Laker fans can seem impatient. Sure, fans of lesser franchises would probably go with the word "spoiled", but in the past Laker fans simply ignored those comments as they were driving to parades through downtown. They even thought Mark Madsen's dancing was cute; winning will cloud your judgment that way. But after two whole seasons without a Finals appearance some fans this summer called for a BIG move. Fortunately, the more rational fans among them... more ›