According to Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers failing this year is not going to happen. Rumors have it that the Lakers may sabotage their season in order to get a high-round draft pick; like Kobe would EVER let that happen.
To squash those lies, Mitch Kupchak insists the team has no intention to tank. Kupchak said the following on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Thursday morning:
“We have a lot of financial resources a year from now. […] I’m very comfortable with our flexibility.”
Former Laker great Shaquille O’Neal spoke to Time Warner Cable SportsNet, and he talked about what he expects from the team moving forward. The former Laker great, although optimistic, thinks this season is going to be tough. Injuries and age are factors to still really consider.
Part of the problem may also be the coaching staff. Improvements have been made this offseason, but Kupchak admitted the fiasco around last year’s hiring of D’Antoni was “clumsy.” With how respected Phil Jackson is about the Buss family, fans, and players, the Lakers organization laid an egg in the way that situation was handled.
Today, the NBA released its full preseason schedule, which includes 116 games from October 5 through October 25. Eight games will be played overseas, and the Lakers will play in two of them against the Golden State Warriors on October 15th and 18th. To get some more details on the upcoming preseason match-ups, click here.
Tonight Jimmy Kimmel will interview Kobe Bryant live at the Nokia Theatre and the program, “Kobe Up Close”, will appear on AXS TV at 8:30 PST. Check out the trailer for the event.
Dave and Dana Pump, in memory of their father Harold Pump, have hosted a star-studded charity event to benefit the treatment and cure of cancer. This year’s honorees included 15-time NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal, as well as a number of other star-studded guests. Lakers Nation caught up with the stars on the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Check out the video.
Lakers Nation News
Lakers News: Kobe Up Close Will Air On AXS TV At 8:30
VIDEO: 2 Chainz Compares Himself to Kobe Bryant
VIDEO: Nick Young, Wesley Johnson Shooting at Lakers’ Facility
Robert Horry Describes Game Winning Shot Over Sacramento Kings
Mitch Kupchak: Hiring Process For New Coach Last Season “Was Clumsy”
NBA Releases Full Pre-Season Schedule With 8 International Games
Throwback Thursday: Minneapolis Lakers Win First Ever NBA Championship
Lakers News: Mitch Kupchak Insists Tanking Is Out Of The Question
VIDEO: Shaq, NBA Legends And Celebrities Line Up For Harold Pump
Lakers News: Shaquille O’Neal Expects Tough Season For The Lakers
Lakers News
Free Agents Doubt Lakers are ‘Cutting Edge’ [Silver Screen and Roll]
Mike D’Antoni Urged Jordan Hill to Work on Jump Shot [Silver Screen and Roll]
Jim Buss says Dwight Howard Was Never a Laker [Silver Screen and Roll]
Lakers Coach Discusses Mike D’Antoni, Phoenix Suns Influence on Offense [Silver Screen and Roll]
Is The 12th Seed Prediction Too Low For Lakers? [Forum Blue and Gold]
Lakers Biggest Challenge: Adapting Tradition to Changing Times [ProBasketballTalk]
Lakers Assistant Larry Lewis Says Kobe Bryant is a Basketball Genius [latimes.com]
Kobe Bryant of Los Angeles Lakers Reacts to Dismal Projection [ESPN Los Angeles]
Shaq Says He’s ‘sure’ Kobe Will Return Early from Achilles Injury, Believes He’s Targeting Opening Night [ProBasketballTalk]
Jim Buss Says Dwight Howard Was ‘never really a Laker’ [Eye on Basketball]
Kobe Bryant: Achilles Feels ‘Good’ [ESPN]
Not That He Was Expected To, but Kobe Not Playing in World Championships [ProBasketballTalk]
Lakers Let Trade Exception for Christian Eyenga Expire [latimes.com]
The NBA, A-through-Z: Kobe Bryant [Ball Don’t Lie]
Phil Jackson has a Message for Kendrick Lamar After Being Mentioned in His Latest Song [ProBasketballTalk]
Jordan Hill’s Summer Assignment [Los Angeles Lakers Blog]
Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Celebrates His 54th Birthday [latimes.com]
Lakers Announce Signing of Elias Harris [ProBasketballTalk]
NBA News
Bill Simmons Confuses Dreads for Cornrows, Gets Called Out [Yahoo! Sports Minute]
Al Harrington Says Winning Wasn’t on the Agenda in Orlando Last Season [ProBasketballTalk]
NBA: 2013 Summer Forecast — West Standings [ESPN]
Report: Jim Cleamons to Join Milwaukee Bucks As An Assistant [latimes.com]
Martin Looking Forward to Reclaiming Scoring Touch [Yahoo! Sports]
Stackhouse Says LeBron “Misinformed” About State of Union [ProBasketballTalk]
The Portland Trail Blazers’ Rose Garden Sells Corporate Naming Rights, Renamed Moda Center [Ball Don’t Lie]
Pistons Unveil Navy Blue ‘Motor City’ Uniforms [The Point Forward]
Nikola Pekovic Agrees to 5-year, $60 Million Deal with Timberwolves [ProBasketballTalk]
Pek Gets Five, Love Got Four, So Do The Timberwolves Get Some Angst? [Hang Time Blog]
Jerry Stackhouse says LeBron James’ Comments About the Players Association Felt Like a ‘kick in the stomach’ [Yahoo! Sports]
Adam Silver Says NBA Not Aware of Any Biogenesis Link, Working on HGH Testing [ProBasketballTalk]
Al Jefferson Knows He’s Bad on Defense and Even He Seems Surprised by How Much Bobcats Offered [Ball Don’t Lie]
Grading the Miami Heat’s Offseason [The Point Forward]
In 2012, Magic Had Deal in Place to Trade Dwight Howard to the Rockets [ProBasketballTalk]
Smith Early in Recovery After Surgery [NYTimes.com]
The NBA, A-through-Z: Jeremy Lin [Yahoo! Sports]
2013 Offseason Report: Memphis Grizzlies [CBSSports.com]
Pistons Ready to Make Mark on Central Division [NBA.com]
Summer Dreaming: Coach Of The Year [NBA.com]
Dwight Howard After Workouts with Hakeem Olajuwon: ‘It’s not about emulating Dream.’ [ProBasketballTalk]
Biggest Challenges for New Coaches in NBA’s Western Conference [SI.com]
The NBA, A-Through-Z: Minnesota Timberwolves [Ball Don’t Lie]
Brad Stevens Mails Letter to Former Celtics Players [SI Wire]
Grading the New Orleans Pelicans’ Offseason [The Point Forward]
Time for Innovative Tactics [TrueHoop Blog]
Protected Picks Encourage Tanking [ESPN]
Unlike LeBron, Dwight Howard Faces No Derision After Decision [CBSSports.com]
