News & Rumors

After 4 games in the D-League the Lakers have seen the last of Derrick Caracter. Today the team waived the second year forward leaving room on the roster for a new addition. Caracter’s hoops career will always be marred by that ugly P-word: Potential. Once upon a time DC was a highly sought after baller that was on the hoops radar as early as 8th grade. However a questionable work ethic and an attitude problem have led him on a basketball odyssey that might have come crashing down after an ugly incident at a New Orleans IHOP last year. Caracter [...]

Rumored for the last few days now, Mike Brown has confirmed that the Lakers have had contact with unemployed head-case Gilbert Arenas. Looking to land more scoring punch the Lakers seem highly desperate if Arenas is their best bet. The Van Nuys Grant alum was once an elite scorer in the NBA but has since fallen on hard times due to injury and off-court issues. Last season it was the Orlando Magic that took the Arenas challenge only to discover that all the rumors were true. Gil’s skill level has eroded while his ego only continues to grow. But that [...]

One man’s trash is another’s treasure. What’s true in life is equally truthful in the NBA. Currently the Cleveland Cavaliers see little value in having Ramon Sessions behind top pick Kyrie Irving. Just a few years ago Sessions, a former second round pick from Nevada, was good enough to earn a four-year deal valued at $16-million. Pretty good for a guy that entered the league with nothing more than the promise of getting an invite to camp. Two years into that deal and Sessions has played for two different teams. Originally he inked his contract with Minnesota but the Wolves [...]

When David Stern denied the Lakers the services of Chris Paul most could read between the lines of Dan Gilbert’s e-mail as to why that moved didn’t go down. In the end the Hornets did deal Paul and it was to a big market. While Gilbert may have said he didn’t want to see another marquee name go off to the City to play hoops, the real reason (according to Stern) for denying the deal had to deal with “basketball related reasons”. After it was all said and done the Hornets got more youth in return for CP3. The thinking [...]

Just as quickly as the Lakers seemed to have landed Chris Paul they were denied his services and now seem unlikely to pursue any trade to acquire the point guard. After resubmitting a trade for league approval, the Lakers mysteriously backed out of the Paul sweepstakes. On the glass is half full front the hope is that the Lake Show will now set their sights on Dwight Howard. Andrew Bynum would likely be a part of any package to acquire Howard. From the glass is half empty perspective the Lakers were denied an opportunity improve and as a result have [...]

Back in the summer of ’05 myself and a few friends decided to roll down to Long Beach so we could get our first look at the Lakers’ top pick in the draft, a young man named Andrew Bynum. We were all curious to know what Mitch Kupchak saw in the teenage 7-footer from New Jersey. As amazed as we were to see how advanced the young man’s post game and footwork were there was something even more shocking we saw during the summer league contest. During the game Kevin Garnett wandered into the Pyramid. Soon he followed Lakers’ trainer [...]

Javaris Crittenton was in Los Angeles while Atlanta PD scoured the city looking for the prime suspect in a shooting that resulted in the death of a 22-year-old mother of four. Notice the past tense of that previous statement as the former Laker is now heading back to Atlanta. But that’s what you’d expect once the FBI gets involved. Javaris was picked up in the O.C. by the Feds at John Wayne Airport on Monday night. He was detained without incident and is being returned to his native Atlanta where the details of the tragedy will be sorted out in [...]

Some NBA players are planning on taking their talents overseas during the NBA work stoppage. Others are finding creative ways to make the most of their time off. Then there’s Luke Walton who is taking this forced time out to get his coaching career under way. Walton is reported to be headed to Memphis where he’ll assist former Arizona alum Josh Pastner. The hiring is still pending approval by the university and of course is only good as long as the NBA is mired in the lockout. Over his career Walton has gone from promising to problematic as in injuries [...]

Forget about Europe. Kobe Bryant was as likely to play in Turkey as Donald Sterling is to be named owner of the year. It always made much more sense for KB24 to take his talents to China. Bryant’s stature in China rivals that of Michael Jackson most anywhere on the planet. The hoops crazed nation holds Kobe in high regards for his talent but most important of all is his success. Unlike our country where hype is king, the Chinese actually celebrate winning. You know. The reason why you play the game and all? Anyhow… Rick Bucher speculates Bryant could [...]

According to the Los Angeles Times the San Diego PD are investigating an alleged altercation involving Kobe Bryant at church in Carmel Valley. The report claims Bryant confronted a man whom was assumed to be taking pictures of Kobe and his wife via cellphone. Apparently unhappy with the invasion of privacy, Bryant supposedly grabbed the phone from the man causing a wrist injury of some sort. There were no photos of Bryant found on the man’s phone. Who knows what really happened? At this point there is no reason to assume anything more than what has been reported. High profile [...]