Category: Los Angeles Lakers Blog

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Horse co-owned by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol set to race

A horse co-owned by Los Angeles Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol is set to run in Sunday’s first race at Betfair Hollywood Park.

[Siempre Mio] is trained by Doug O’Neill, who guided I’ll Have Another to recent victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

[Siempre Mio] will take on five other older horses at six furlongs in the $12,500 claiming race. He will be ridden by Joy Scott. The 4-year-old gelding won his March 31 start by 2 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita.

Bryant and Gasol are part-owners along with Santa Anita CEO Mark Verge, who says Gasol has been a regular visitor at O’Neill’s barn since the Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Vanessa and Kobe Bryant divorce is off

kobe bryant

Vanessa Bryant will NOT sign documents to make her divorce final … at least for now … because TMZ has learned, she and Kobe are working on a full reconciliation.

We’ve learned Kobe and Vanessa are trying to work out the issues that caused her to file for divorce back in December. They spend a lot of time together but he has not officially moved back in with her.

Under California law, Vanessa has to wait 6 months before she can file final docs making the divorce official. The 6-month mark hits this weekend, so Vanessa could end the marriage as early as Monday … but we know she won’t.

— Reported by TMZ

LeBron James not Most Hated in OKC

ron artest

Despite what might happen in other cities, there is a zero-percent chance LeBron James will ever be the most hated player in the eyes of Thunder fans.

The current titleholder likely will never relinquish the crown. Man by the name of Metta World Peace. Nobody elbows “The Beard” without suffering the consequences.

Folks around here have zero reason not to like Bron-Bron, other than he plays for the opposing team.

James invited Kevin Durant to his hometown last summer for a “Hell Week” of training sessions in Akron, Ohio. James’ team beat Durant’s team 70-63 in a flag-football game, but James immediately offered a rematch.

— Reported by John Rohde of the Oklahoman

Deron Williams to Lakers not likely

deron williams

Will Lamar Odom join the Lakers? Probably not. What about Deron Williams? Ditto.

Lakers fans won’t want to hear it, but their off-season remodeling project remains as difficult as ever.

Williams, a likely free agent this summer and one of the NBA’s top point guards, was cognizant of the Lakers’ limited purchasing power. They have very little to spend on free agents because they are so far over the luxury-tax threshold. Their biggest tool is the $3-million “mini” mid-level exception.

“I know they don’t have any money to just go out and sign me. It’ll have to be some kind of [trade],” Williams said Wednesday at the E3 Expo, where he promoted the video game “NBA Baller Beats.”

Williams, 27, has a player option for $17.8 million next season with New Jersey. He averaged 21 points and 8.8 assists this season.

— Reported by Mike Bresnahan and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times

Penny Marshall ripped off by scammer pretending to work for Lamar Odom

Attention filthy rich LA Lakers fans — Lamar Odom does not have a cash-strapped assistant … something director Penny Marshall learned after getting jacked for several thousand bucks.Sources tell TMZ the double-cross started at a Lakers game last month … when a man claiming to be LO’s assistant gave Penny a phone number he said was Lamar’s.

We’re told Penny and the person she thought was Lamar texted back and forth for several days — when finally “Lamar” asked her to loan his assistant a chunk o’ cash. Ever the faithful Lakers fan, Penny forked over more than five grand to the faux “assistant.”

Hook. Line. Sinker.

— Reported by TMZ

Lakers exercise Andrew Bynum contract option

andrew bynum

The Los Angeles Lakers made an expected moved today, and kept their young, promising center on the roster for another season.

The Lakers today exercised a team option on Andrew Bynum’s contract for the 2012-13 season. The Los Angeles Times reports that the option is worth $16.1 million for the season.

Bynum, an early entry candidate for the 2005 NBA Draft, became the youngest player in NBA history to be selected when the Lakers used their first round pick (10th overall) to acquire the 7-foot center.  A two-time NBA Champion with the Lakers, Bynum signed a multi-year contract extension in October of 2008.

In 60 games this season, Bynum averaged career-highs in points (18.7) and rebounds (11.8) while ranking among league leaders in scoring (20th), rebounding (3rd), field goal percentage (4th/.558), blocked shots (6th/1.93), double-doubles (5th/37) and minutes (24th/35.2).  The starting center for the 2011-12 NBA Western Conference All-Star Team, Bynum was named to the All-NBA Second Team following the season, receiving 33 First Team votes and 400 points overall in award balloting (6th highest point total).

Tim Duncan passes Kareem for no.1 on all-time NBA playoff blocks list

tim duncan

By blocking Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha’s driving layup attempt with 6:42 left in the third quarter of Thursday’s Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, Spurs captain Tim Duncan became the career leader in playoff blocks.

He finished the game with five, giving him 478 playoff rejections, two more than former leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Hall of Fame center for the Bucks and Lakers.

That the career milestone came in a 102-82 loss took most of the meaning from the accomplishment. Duncan’s response was dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes,” he said, in mock surprise. “Finally. Truly? That’s great.”

Teammate Stephen Jackson said Duncan would appreciate the milestone soon enough.

“He won’t enjoy it tonight,” Jackson said. “Wait until we get another win.”

— Reported by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News

Phil Jackson turns down executive job with Orlando Magic

phil jackson

Phil Jackson reportedly has bowed out of an opportunity to join the Orlando Magic in a front office position.

Sam Vincent, who played for the Magic as well as Jackson, presented a scenario that appealed to Magic CEO Alex Martins, the Orlando Sentinel reported Friday.

However, before Martins could discuss the proposal with Magic owner Rich DeVos, Jackson withdrew from consideration Thursday night.

“It drew some interest from Phil,” Vincent said. “But in the end, Phil decided to go with another opportunity.”

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Lakers promote Glenn Carraro to Assistant General Manager

The Los Angeles Lakers have promoted Glenn Carraro to Assistant General Manager, it was announced today by Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Carraro, who spent last season serving in a dual role as both the Director of Basketball Administration for the Lakers and as the General Manager of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, will retain his title of General Manager of the D-Fenders.

Carraro, who has 17 years of NBA experience, has been a member of the Lakers front office staff since 2000. Originally joining the team as the Assistant to the General Manager/Director of Camps, Carraro was promoted to Director of Basketball Administration in 2006. In addition to his duties with the Lakers, Carraro served as the D-Fenders Assistant General Manager from 2006-2010 and was named General Manager of the Los Angeles D-Fenders at the start of the 2011-12 season. In his first season as GM of the D-Fenders, the team finished with the best regular season record in NBA D-League history (38-12) and had a total of eight GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA. The D-Fenders also received the NBA D-League Development Champion Award.

“Glenn has done an excellent job in every position he has had in the organization, and he’s become a valuable part of our staff,” said Kupchak. “This is a well-deserved promotion for him, and I expect he’ll do an excellent job in his new position.”

Prior to joining the Lakers, Carraro served in various positions with the New York Knicks from 1995-99, starting off as a Sports Management Trainee, then Player Personnel Coordinator/Manager of Knicks Camps and eventually as Manager of Basketball Operations. With primary responsibilities including the creation and management of player personnel databases as well as separate salary cap reports, in his time with New York’s front office, the Knicks posted a 174-122 (.588) record and made at least the Eastern Conference Semifinals in all four seasons while appearing in the 1999 NBA Finals.

A graduate of SUNY-Stony Brook after transferring from NYU-Polytechnic following two seasons on the men’s basketball team, Carraro completed his graduate coursework in Athletic Administration at St. John’s University (1991-94).  Carraro also spent time working in the USBL and in the CBA for the Hartford Hellcats and Connecticut Pride.