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The Los Angeles Lakers play their longtime rival Boston Celtics on Sunday, but all anybody wanted to talk about following the team’s light practice Saturday was what was talked about at the team’s meeting between players and coaches Thursday in Minnesota.
The Lakers canceled practice Thursday following back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington on their three-game road trip that ended with a 105-102 win over the Timberwolves on Friday.
In place of practice, Lakers coach Mike Brown scheduled a film review at the team hotel and invited players and his coaching staff to speak their minds.
Part of the assistant coaches’ message was urging the players to curtail any “external chatter,” according to a source.
“It wasn’t an airing out session,” Brown said Saturday, downplaying its significance. “It was a film session.”
The session was mostly X’s and O’s based and run by Brown until he handed over the floor to his assistant coaches.
“I utilized my assistants a lot because I don’t like the players hearing my voice a lot,” Brown said. “I talked a lot. I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to have someone else talk.’ After two losses like that everybody’s feeling kind of down. So, I wanted to hear other guys’ voices.”
— Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles
