Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 65 – NBA Blog

Pau Gasol continues rehab on knees

With [Dwight] Howard’s departure, it’s presumed Gasol will have a larger role in the post, a key factor that ensured the Lakers to three Finals appearances and two NBA championships. But an important variable remains unanswered in determining how successful Gasol becomes next season in what will be the last year of his contract worth $19.3 million.

His health.

Gasol recently posted a video on Vine showing his rehab efforts surrounding his knees, which suffered from tendonitis and tendonosis last season. Yet, it remains to be seen how fully healthy he can become.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Clippers not expected to sign Lamar Odom

This hardly seems to be the episode Lamar Odom wants aired out on reality television.

Amid reports that Odom has suffered from drug addiction, it appears fewer and fewer teams are less interested in his services. After planning to officially sign veteran forward Antawn Jamison Wednesday at the veteran’s minimum worth $1.4 million, the Clippers no longer are interested in resigning Odom, according to a league source familiar with the team’s thought process.

Once Jamison’s signing becomes official, the Clippers will have 14 players under contract, one player shy of the NBA’s imposed maximum number of players allowed on a roster. But the Clippers plan to fill out the last roster spot at some point during training camp, which begins in late September, according to a source. The Clippers would welcome Odom to training camp, though it remains unclear if he’d be interested in just that. Odom’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, hasn’t responded to numerous requests for comment regarding his client in recent days.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Pau Gasol to be Madrid spokesman for 2020 Olympic bid

Pau Gasol will sit out of the FIBA EuroBasket Championships in September in hopes of fully rehabbing his knees, but the Lakers forward plans to help his native Spain in a different way.

Madrid’s 2020 Olympic bid committee has appointed Gasol as one of its spokesman and will address International Olympic Committee during Madrid’s final presentation in Buenos Aires next month. Gasol provided an impassioned statement and indirectly suggested how hosting the Summer Games would provide a significant financial boost to Spain, which has battled a recession for most of the past four years and has a 26.3 percent unemployment rate.

“The Olympic Games are more than sport – I know this personally as an Olympian. Spanish sport and the people of Madrid need the boost the Olympic Games would provide, and Madrid is ready to face this challenge,” Gasol said in a statement. “But Madrid will also give something back to the Olympic Movement – we are a city that is prepared with a responsible bid plan that will help develop sport far into the future.”

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Prosecutors will not file assault charges against Scottie Pippen

Prosecutors have slapped down allegations that retired hoopster Scottie Pippen assaulted an autograph seeker outside a Malibu restaurant last June.

The Los Angeles District Attorney said Tuesday it will not press charges against the former Chicago Bull because the man who claims he was roughed up was legally drunk at the time, may have been the aggressor and did not have injuries consistent with the beatdown he claimed he suffered.

An investigator also found that while alleged victim Camran Shafighi complained of severe pain to his ankle and demanded a splint after the incident, staff at UCLA Medical Center later saw him walk without a limp.

The emergency room staff also said Shafighi faked seizures that would mysteriously disappear when a doctor ordered him to “stop it,” a DA filing obtained by the Daily News states.

Reported by Nancy Dillon of the New York Daily News

Elias Harris already working with Lakers coaching staff

Recently-signed Lakers rookie Elias Harris is spending off-season time with the coaching staff to improve his game before training camp.

“We see Elias almost every day, and he’s talking all the nuances of what (assistant coach) Dan D’Antoni is teaching him,” said Mark Madsen to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.

Harris is working to make “his shot a more balanced and consistent shot,” according to Madsen. “His driving game is something he’s spending a lot of time with (player development coach) Larry Lewis on.”

Reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

TMZ releases alarming report on Lamar Odom

TMZ are one of the world’s leading kings of gossip. They have extremely good sources, and a long period of time have proven themselves to be right far more often than they are wrong.

That said, we at InsideHoops.com hope that the following report about Lamar Odom is inaccurate:

The marriage of Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom is in crisis, and TMZ has learned … the core reason is hardcore drug abuse.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Lamar has had a problem for 2 years. It got so bad, last August Khloe pressured Lamar to go to rehab. Lamar went to a facility in San Diego, but he was so resistant Khloe hired private investigators to secretly stand guard at the rehab place to make sure he didn’t leave. The P.I.s stood guard 24/7.

Our sources say Lamar constantly threatened to leave and Khloe made several visits to prevail upon him to stay. We’re told after 3 weeks, Lamar left for good.

Reported by TMZ.com

We wish the best for Odom, and will keep an eye on this story if anything additional develops.

Kobe Bryant meets with terminally ill Army Sergeant

Suffering from terminal cancer, Army Sgt. Anthony Zavala dreamed of meeting Kobe Bryant.

Last week, nonprofit organization Hounds and Heroes made it happen.

Visiting with Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, at Nokia Theatre prior to “Kobe Up Close Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel,” Zavala was overcome.

“After being diagnosed, I’ve been so depressed knowing I’m going to die,” Zavala said. “This is the best day of my life.”

Reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

Steve Blake named to NBPA executive committee as a vice president

Lakers guard Steve Blake has been named as a vice president on the National Basketball Players Assn. Executive Committee.

Welcome #thenbpa two newest Executive Committee members VP @SteveBlake5 @ATolliver44!!! #nbpa2013

— NBPA (@TheNBPA) August 22, 2013

Meeting in Las Vegas, the union voted Clippers all-star Chris Paul as president, replacing Derek Fisher of the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose term expired.

Free agent Roger Mason was named first vice president. Blake joins Anthony Tolliver of the Charlotte Bobcats as the two new vice presidents.

Reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

Lakers will wear short-sleeve jerseys in several games next season

The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the richest histories in the NBA with Hall of Famers and championships galore, but even historic franchises can be fashion forward.

The Lakers will wear short-sleeve jerseys next season in “several” games, according to a team source.

The jerseys will be white, the same color as the alternative uniforms the Lakers introduced for the 2002-03 season and traditionally wear on Sundays.

The Golden State Warriors were the first team to wear the adizero short-sleeve jerseys designed by adidas last season.

Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Kobe Bryant begins running on treadmill

Questions remain on when Kobe Bryant will actually step foot onto a basketball court. But he provided yet another example Monday on how he’s made tangible progress surrounding his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon.

Bryant posted a video on his Instagram account that showed him at the Lakers’ practice facility running on a weight-bearing treadmill. Bryant then added the hashtags, “#mambamental” and “#vinoclock.”

In a sit-down interview with comedian Jimmy Kimmel last week at the Nokia Theatre, Bryant said he’s unsure whether he would suit up in the Lakers’ season opener Oct. 29 against the Clippers at Staples Center.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News Blog