The Lakers 2016 season launched with Media Day on Monday and here are some of the best quotes from the exciting day
With the Lakers’ 2016 Media Day finally wrapped up, we can say with confidence that the one thing connecting all of the players is excitement for the upcoming season.
To get everyone up to speed on what the Lakers roster looks like going into the 2016-17 season here is what it looks like:
Lakers Roster Numbers 20:
Not returning:
Added:
- Jose Calderon
- Luol Deng
- Brandon Ingram (No. 2 pick overall Rookie)
- Yi Jianlian
- Timofey Mozgov
- Ivica Zubac (Rookie)
Staying:
- Jordan Clarkson
- Larry Nance Jr.
- D’Angelo Russell
- Tarik Black
- Nick Young
- Julius Randle
- Lou Williams
- Marcelo Huertas
Fighting for a Roster Spot
- Metta World Peace (Lakers)
- Anthony Brown
- Zach Auguste (Notre Dame Rookie)
- Travis Wear (UCLA)
- Thomas Robinson (Nets, Kansas)
- Julian Jacobs (USC Rookie)
As always, the Time Warner Cable team interviewed as many players and coaches as they could, here’s what they had to say!
Lakers Head Coach “Cool Hand” Luke Walton (Ladies, he is nice to look at, and that voice!)
On starting the season – “This is beautiful — This is why we wanted to go away for training camp. Start the bonding, start the togetherness, start the brotherhood.”
On being head coach – “I’ve had experience doing that — I’m ready to do it!”
Luke said he made a general comment on Ingram not starting. – “Look we’re going to training camp, and if he’s the best player on the court, he’s going to start. I’m just speaking more generally from what I know about the NBA, It takes young kids some time to figure this game out.”
New #Lakers boss Luke Walton about to join @geeter3 & @JamesWorthy42 on the desk. #LakersMediaDay pic.twitter.com/fFqakbpTyf
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 26, 2016
Walton used Kobe as an example, “Look at Kobe Bryant, the greatest of all time, he didn’t just come in day one like that — He had to work his tail off to get better to sharpen his skills, and then eventually he becomes one of the all-time greats.”
On D’Angelo Russell’s transgressions – “I haven’t seen anything, all that stuff happened last year, and from my understanding, they’ve moved on, and as long as nothing is disrupting what we’re doing as a team going forward, I don’t see any reason to bring it back up.”
Brandon Ingram
On the pressure of being the No. 2 draft Pick -“Feels great, just coming in here just knowing there’s a lot of pressure on me, but just handling it, because I have good pressure. Coming in here and working hard every day and do what the coach asks me to do.”
Up first at the desk is @B_Ingram13. Welcome to #Lakers Media Day, young fella. pic.twitter.com/7xOxAbgoOj
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 26, 2016
On coming to the Lakers – “I’m excited — I’m ready to see what these guys have and just keep working hard.”
On Expectations – “Just be the hardest worker on the floor — trying to fight for 50-50 balls — do the dirty work and try to be the best player on and off the court.”
Julius Randle
On season expectations – “We’ve been hungry — We are a young, hungry, energetic team – we all want to play for each other, we all want to be unselfish, and it’s about winning and getting better every day.”
On Coach Luke and getting along with him off the bat – “As a coach he has all the belief in you in the world, he wants to see you succeed every day.”
Ivica Zubac
On his first Lakers tweet — “I left my phone to my girlfriend — I told her to tweet purple and gold — she tweeted gold and purple.”
On living in Hollywood – “It’s like my hometown is in whole this gym — so many people, the traffic, the city is beautiful, the weather is beautiful, Lakers are the best franchise in the world.”
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D’Angelo Russell
Who’s the princess (Prima Donna) on the team – “I don’t think anyone is like that — I think everyone is a king!”
On being eager and lead – “Opportunity is key in this league — there are so many routes to get here.”
On Nick Young — “Honestly, I think we are both past it, I’m past it. He’s my teammate — Off the court, we really don’t have to be friends, but on the court, it’s all about coming together as a team and make the best run we possibly can. I’m over it if he’s over it.”
On Julius Randle — “We were in the bathroom, and I said to him, I realize it’s about defense. We start getting stops on defense and running and making those exciting plays, the easier it will be on offense.”
Yi Jianlian
On the season and being a Lakers — “Name all over the world I hope we have a great year a great season — a lot of fans a lot of focus, all they want is to win some more games.”
On China and love of the Lakers – “In China, there’s a lot of fans because of Kobe — a lot of focus.”
Larry Nance Jr.
How to make up for toughness in practice without Kobe – “You saw a little of that this summer with the breakfast club, holding each other accountable for, look, if I’m up at eight lifting and you’re not? And you can live with that? Okay, but we all were kinda pushing each other on the weight room , and if someone was struggling, we would all gather around.”
More from Lake Show Life
- Darvin Ham adds to Max Christie hype train after Lakers preseason opener
- Is LeBron James playing tonight? Latest Lakers vs Warriors update
- Can Darvin Ham put all of the Lakers puzzle pieces together?
- Lakers news: Darvin Ham knows his fifth starter, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino praise
- Michael Malone’s painfully ironic comment has Lakers fans heated
On using ‘Breakfast Club’ but being too young to understand it – “We weren’t in detention, we were in the extra credit class.”
On coaches – “Coach Scott did a lot for me. Coach Luke does things a bit different.”
On great dunks and threes – “I appreciate that, that’s my thing, I think this year we will see more of the same and plenty more. . . When I come down the lane, and they don’t step up early, they know what’s going to happen — I worked on the euro step, I worked on the right-hand floater.”
Jordan Clarkson
On his defense and what he’s worked on – “I think I’m right there, we were all pretty terrible defensively last year. I sucked defensively last year, no lie. The proof is in the numbers. It’s in your chest and in your stomach, I worked a lot on it this summer.”
On the summer – “Practice, watch video, we did a lot of five on five stuff with coach. It’s been a process for me, but it’s coming.”
Metta World Peace
On being back – “Eighteen professional seasons, It’s good, I’m staying in shape ready to go.”
On age It’s just about taking care of your body — “but nowadays you just take care of your body, you’d be surprised how long it can last.”
On Brandon Ingram – “He’s a baby — he has way more tools .”
On being tough on defense – “I still bite when I’m on a court, I’ll be running next to a Lion and the lion says, ‘respect Metta.'”
Timofey Mozgov
On Injuries – “I’m perfect, I have no injuries, ready to go. Whatever coach tells me what to do, if he tells me to shoot three’s I’ll shoot three’s.”
On living in LA – “Before the season starts you want to be in your home. My wife working on it, she is , that’s why she’s my wife, you know?”
Nick Young
On D’Angelo – “I’m a team player, I’m here for the team, and all that stuff off the court, just put it in the past. I’m trying to get myself right and focus on more years in the NBA,” he said giggling a bit.
On being here – “Feeling good! I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
On what Mitch and Luke have told him — “Staying focused, staying ready — there’s a new system here.”
Offseason on the beach he worked on slides, and he worked out in Thousand Oaks, “To avoid the 405.”
On championship — “I want to be on top of the bus, like yeah, let’s do it.”
On Luke — “Pac-12, and I played against him, he’s a cool dude. He’s a players coach — get on the same page, that happens so fast with him.”
Fresh from The Drew League, breaking ankles:
Luol Deng
On Brandon – “He’s going to be great — he’s always in here at night, he’s going to be a great player.”
On Luke – “I think Luke’s shown last year what kind of coach he is and the guys love playing for him. I know a lot of guys on that team that I spoke to that speak highly of him and love playing for him.”
On D’Angelo possible having a breakout season – “Why not? The kid has been working hard all summer, running at night — working out — he’s put in the work, I won’t be surprised if that happens.”
Tarik Black
Tarik talked a lot about playing for Luke Walton in college at Memphis. He told the Lake Show Life more in this interview.
Must Read: Lakers Media Day: Larry Nance Jr.on Health ‘I’m 100 Percent’
There you have it, the report from James Worthy and Chris McGee’s Lakers Media Day report. Look for more on Media day from The Lake Show Life!