Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 103 – NBA Blog

Lakers assign Darius Morris to D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned guard Darius Morris to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Morris, a rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in 13 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points and 1.1 assists in 10.3 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (41st overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, Morris appeared in 67 games (53 starts) in two seasons at the University of Michigan, averaging 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Morris became the 51st Wolverine to be drafted into the NBA and was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection last season. The first Wolverine to lead the Big Ten in assists since Gary Grant in 1988, Morris set a Michigan record for assists in a single season (235) last year.

This is the third Lakers’ player assignment of the season for the D-Fenders, who at 28-11, currently own the best record in the D-League. Morris will be available when the D-Fenders take on the Dakota Wizards on Saturday, March 10th at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, CA.

Odom says meeting with Carlisle before extended layoff was positive

Lamar Odom

Keeps up with the Kardashians

Lamar Odom said his meeting with Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle on Feb. 21 was positive despite the nature of the discussions.

The meeting came the day before the Mavs played the Lakers, a game Odom missed when he returned home to Los Angeles to tend to a personal issue.

“I had to make myself think it was a positive that he’s coming to talk to me,” Odom said before Monday’s game against Oklahoma City. “When you’re in this business and when they don’t talk to you is when it’s a problem.”

Odom said he knew he had a decision to make, but he didn’t inform Carlisle at the time.

“We had a great meeting with him to make sure that he understood that our expectation is not that he be concerned about his stats,” Carlisle said. “It’s that any time he steps on the floor he’s completely into the game playing full out with as much intensity and presence and energy as he can, and the other stuff will take are of itself.

“We had a very positive meeting that day and the next morning he got a phone call that there’s a serious thing going on and he had to leave us for a while.”

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Kobe Bryant’s mask may be upgraded

For all the Lakers fans who’ve grown quite fond of the “Kobe Mask” through three exciting post-All-Star games, even its job isn’t secure as Bryant searches for the best way to maximize his performance while not 100 percent.

Lakers trainer Gary Vitti plans to meet Monday with the innovator of the basketball mask, Detroit-based Jerry McHale, to look into possible upgrade from the mask Bryant has been wearing to protect his broken nose.

McHale first introduced the mask into the NBA world for the Pistons’ Bill Laimbeer to play with an orbital fracture, and McHale also designed Richard Hamilton’s famous mask that is helped the Pistons beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals and Hamilton continues to wear despite his broken nose having healed.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register

Lakers recall Devin Ebanks from D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have recalled forward Devin Ebanks from the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

A second year player out of West Virginia, Ebanks has appeared in 12 games (4 starts) with the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 12.6 minutes. Assigned to the D-Fenders on February 15, Ebanks averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 32.0 minutes in three games. Currently on a nine-game win streak, the D-Fenders hold the best record in the NBA Development League.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Ebanks appeared in 20 games last season, averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.9 minutes.

The D-League assignment was the second of Ebanks’ career, having previously been assigned to the Bakersfield Jam last season. In six regular season games with Bakersfield a year ago, Ebanks averaged 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.50 steals in 27.7 minutes.

Kobe Bryant suffers broken nose in 2012 NBA All-Star game

Kobe Bryant

Competitive.

Kobe Bryant added another milestone to his career Sunday as he passed Michael Jordan to become the all-time-leading NBA All-Star game scorer.

But did it come at a price?

Bryant skipped a postgame media session after his 27-point performance, and was taken for further evaluation after he said he was “experiencing headaches.” The Lakers announced later that Bryant had suffered a nasal fracture and would be reevaluated Monday after he returned to Los Angeles by an ear, nose and throat specialist.

It’s believed Bryant was injured with 8 minutes 48 seconds to play in the third quarter when he received a hard foul from Dwyane Wade. Bryant sank the first free throw then went to the bench to have a trainer look at his bloody nose. He returned and made the second free throw.

About four minutes later he beat Jordan’s mark of 262 points on a breakaway slam off a pass from Kevin Durant. Bryant, who also played more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter, had 271 career points by game’s end.

— Reported by John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times

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Andrew Bynum thinks it’s terrible that DeMarcus Cousins has to play in Sacramento

DeMarcus Cousins

Must tolerate being on Kings

Lakers All-Star center Andrew Bynum was asked for his opinion of Kings center DeMarcus Cousins.

I guess he feels bad for Cousins.

“He’s a good player, definitely coming up,” Bynum said. “It’s terrible that he has to play in Sacramento. He could take his talents somewhere and really help a team.”

Terrible?

“Yeah,” Bynum said. “It’s not working out.”

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

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Lakers want Brendan Haywood foul on Pau Gasol reviewed

Pau Gasol

Finesse big-man

The Lakers would like the NBA to take a closer look at Brendan Haywood’s hard foul against Pau Gasol late in Thursday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. Haywood knocked Gasol to the court with a double forearm shiver to the head.

Brown said he believed it should have been ruled a flagrant foul, with Haywood perhaps drawing an ejection for thumping Gasol.

The officiating crew, led by veteran Mike Callahan, whistled Haywood for a shooting foul, however.

“After reviewing it on tape, I think the refs missed that,” Brown said. “I don’t know how anybody could think he was going for the ball. I don’t think it was intentional, but that’s not the definition of a flagrant foul.”

Brown said he expected a league review.

“That was definitely not a normal foul,” he said.

— Reported by Elliot Teaford of the LA Daily News

Kobe Bryant sarcastically praises Shawn Marion’s defense

Kobe Bryant

Not lacking in confidence

Shawn Marion is a good defender, but Kobe Bryant wasn’t about to give the Mavericks’ defensive anchor any credit.

After the Lakers’ shootaround, Bryant held court – pulling about 20 media members away from coach Mike Brown just as Brown was getting going with his interview scrum – and his best line came when he was asked about Marion and the Mavericks’ touting Marion as a defensive player of the year candidate.

“Oh, man, I agree,” Bryant said, sporting a grin. “I think tonight they should not double me at all or zone me. Just play one on one because he’s such a terrific defender, he doesn’t need any help.”

The sarcasm was dripping.

— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News

Magic Johnson to launch TV channel

More than 20 years after he last played pro basketball, former Lakers star Magic Johnson is ready for a whole new game: running his own TV network.

The Hall of Famer, who has become a successful business mogul, is preparing to launch Aspire, a 24-hour channel with a focus on what Johnson called positive, uplifting images of African Americans. The basic cable outlet will join other channels targeting black viewers, such as BET and TV One, and will offer opportunities for blacks who have struggled to find work in mainstream Hollywood.

“This is so exciting for me, I’m pinching myself,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “This is big for myself, for the African American community and the African American creative community. I wanted a vehicle to show positive images and to have stories written, produced and directed by African Americans for our community. Aspire — that’s how I’ve been leading my life.”

Aspire’s mix will include film, TV, music and comedy, with a combination of acquired projects and original programming. “There will some performing arts and shows about faith,” Johnson said.

— Reported by Greg Braxton and Meg James of the Los Angeles Times

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak responds to Kobe comments about Gasol

Pau Gasol

Finesse big-man

In response to comments made by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol after last night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak issued the following statement today:

“As a former player, I understand how the days leading up to the trade deadline can be nerve-wracking for an NBA player. Nonetheless, as General Manager of the Lakers, I have a responsibility to ownership, our fans and the players on this team to actively pursue opportunities to improve the team for this season and seasons to come. To say publicly that we would not do this would serve no purpose and put us at a competitive disadvantage. Taking such a course of action at this time would be a disservice to ownership, the team and our many fans.

According to the Los Angeles Times Blog, Kobe had said the following: “It’s just tough for a player to give his all when you don’t know if you’re going to be here tomorrow. I’d rather them not trade him at all but if they’re going to do something, I wish they would just … do it.”