Deadspin: Los Angeles Lakers

TNT's Slow Zoom On Mitch Kupchak's Face In The Final Minutes Of The Lakers' Season Was Sadistic

Timothy Burke — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:03:47 EDT

Only true Lakers believers (or the truly blind) couldn't see the Lakers' season was nearing an end long before the horn sounded on last night's 106-90 series-seizing Thunder victory. Yet it seems the moment of truth for Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak came at a time that TNT producers jumped upon for maximum effect (and, in a critical media sense, affect). Cheer up, Mitch. Kobe's about to clear out your sandbox and you can start playing again without all those cat turds. [TNT] More »

The Los Angeles Kings Are A Hotter Ticket Than The Clippers

Dom Cosentino — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:20:00 EDT

All three of the professional teams that call LA's Staples Center home are in the playoffs, and all three are scheduled to play host to opponents this weekend—a total of six games in four days, in fact, beginning with last night: More »

Yes, Chicago's ABC Affiliate Identified Metta World Peace As "Lakers Idiot"

Timothy Burke — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:10:00 EDT

Last night the internets buzzed about the veracity of a photo showing the lower third graphic from a TV newscast identifying Lakers ne'er-do-well Metta World Peace as "Lakers Idiot." Our pals over at Busted Coverage asked this morning if it was real, and as the video above will show you, it is indeed legit. More »

If The Lakers Lose Tonight Mike Brown Will Be Out Of A Job, Says Lakers Vice President (Magic Johnson)

Sean Newell — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:46:11 EDT

Last night, Magic Johnson had some relatively strong (hypothetical) words for the Lakers coach and key big men. More »

Kenneth Faried Appeared To Be Broken After Being Flagrantly Fouled By Kobe Bryant

Timothy Burke — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT

Kobe Bryant earned a flagrant foul call for this hit on the Nuggets' Kenneth Faried, a shot that—for a moment, at least—made some wonder if Faried would be able to return to the game. More »

Last Night JaVale McGee Did A Lot Of Great Things, At Least One Bad Thing, And A Very Strange Thing

Timothy Burke — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:45:00 EDT

The Denver Nuggets forced a Game Six in their series with the Lakers last night with a 109-99 win at Staples Center, and JaVale McGee played a big part in the team's success with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and a number of highlight reel plays you can view here. More »

Kobe Bryant Makes Himself Disappear

Dom Cosentino — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:10:00 EDT

This happened during the telecast of the Lakers' game at the Warriors last week, but it was just brought to our attention. It's pretty much your standard scene shot of Kobe walking earnestly through the hallway at Oracle Arena, readying himself for ... poof. More »

Why Did We Ever Think Ron Artest Was Interesting?

Drew Magary — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:48:39 EDT

I was one of those Internet people who participated in the rebranding of Ron Artest when he arrived in L.A. a couple years ago. I wrote a sidebar to this Maxim article that branded Artest as the NBA's most lovable goofball, an article included bullshit quotes like this one from Phil Jackson: More »

Metta World Peace's Elbow Waged War On James Harden's Head

Timothy Burke — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:08:12 EDT

Metta World Peace earned an ejection from today's Lakers-Thunder game when his celebration after a second-quarter dunk included an elbow to the side of James Harden's head. More »

Tony Parker's Crossover Of Ramon Sessions Is So Good, Sessions's Teammate Applauds

Dom Cosentino — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:25:00 EDT

Parker goes from left to right so quickly, Sessions is left with an instant to wonder what happened before he makes a too-late attempt to recover. But what about Jordan Hill, in the headband on the Lakers' bench? Parker's move also seems to fake him into cheering for the wrong team. More »

Kobe Bryant Has Some Very Telling Thoughts On How To Achieve World Peace

Sports Radio Interviews — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:15:05 EDT

Every morning, the fine folks at Sports Radio Interviews sift through the a.m. drive-time chatter to bring you the best interviews with coaches, players, and personalities across the sports landscape. Today: Global domination, Kobe style. More »

Andrew Bynum On Pulling Down 30 Boards: "I Shot The Ball Like Shit, Man"

Erik Malinowski — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:34:02 EDT

Lakers center Andrew Bynum is not interested in your accolades regarding his 30-rebound game tonight, joining Wilt, Kareem, George Mikan, and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers to accomplish such a feat. No, he'd rather focus on his poor 7-for-20 effort from the floor. More »

Metta World Peace Nearly Threw Away A Win With This Terrible Inbound Pass Against The Hornets

Timothy Burke — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EDT

When he's not suggesting Lamar Odom be a ball boy, Metta World Peace is sharing the love—even with opposing teams. More »

Blake Griffin Returned Pau Gasol To A Very Bad Place With Another Posterizing Dunk

Timothy Burke — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:22:40 EDT

Okay, Blake. We get it. [ESPN] More »

Blake Griffin Put Pau Gasol In A Very Bad Place With This Vicious Dunk

Timothy Burke — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:38:14 EDT

Not many people had the chance to see this live, because the Lakers-Clippers game tipped off before the thrilling Thunder-Heat game in Miami had reached its conclusion. So here you are: devastation on a basketball floor as Blake Griffin puts back a miss over the head of Pau Gasol, which may or may not have been a foul—but in this instance, I think we'll let it slide. [ESPN] More »

Andrew Bynum Is Disgruntled

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:30:29 EDT

Andrew Bynum attempting a three on a meaningful possession was funny to most of us, hilarious even. Bynum pouting on the bench and refusing to join the huddle was even better. A mutinous Lakers star pulling a power move on his hapless coach, and Kobe Bryant wasn't involved? The Lakers are the best. More »

Josh McRoberts Hit One Of The Weirder Buzzer-Beaters You're Going To See

Timothy Burke — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:21:50 EDT

A behind-the-back crossover/spin combo buzzer-beater isn't all that impressive when Dwyane Wade or Derrick Rose pull it off, but when it's reserve Lakers frontcourter Josh McRoberts, you pay attention—for a few seconds, at least. He really does exhibit some solid ball control, but it mostly serves as a reminder that Magic was that tall and did this sort of thing every game. [NBA TV] More »

Here's The First Authentic Smile In Los Angeles Since The Birth Of The Film Industry

Timothy Burke — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

The Lakers threw Derek Fisher a party upon his return to Los Angeles, only to see their esteemed guest have his cake and eat it too. The Thunder escaped from L.A. with a 102-93 victory, and Fisher played his part by scoring seven points in his first seven minutes of action after entering the game in the second quarter. It's Oklahoma City's fifth straight win, while the Lakers have now dropped three of their last four at Staples Center. More »

Cheer Up, Lamar Odom And Derek Fisher: Kobe's Going To Bring You Back Home

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:15:00 EDT

The Lakers are like a progressive, experimental insane asylum already run by the insane, but then the incarcerated insane take over from the insane running the place, and agree to a power-sharing program where nobody's quite sure which of the insane people are in charge. All of which is to put this in context: Kobe Bryant wants to be the GM now. More »

Andrew Bynum On Kobe: "You're Always Having Issues With Him If You're Playing Poorly"

Sports Radio Interviews — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:05:00 EDT

Andrew Bynum Does His Best To Let Us Know He's Not Doing His Best

Dom Cosentino — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST

So one night after they were beaten by the lowly Pistons, how exactly did the Lakers blow a 21-point lead to lose to the even lowlier Wizards? That mutiny that seems to be building among the players over coach Mike Brown? The obvious tension between Brown and Kobe Bryant? The distraction of the constant trade rumors involving Pau Gasol? What say you, Andrew Bynum: More »

Kobe Bryant Will Wear A Black Mask Tonight

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:30:01 EST

Bad guys wear the black hats. Maybe black masks too. Kobe's been rocking the standard clear facemask the past few games. But who says you can't protect a broken nose and be stylish at the same time? This is the guard Bryant will don tonight, and it has more than a whiff of MF Doom about it. More »

In The 1985 NBA Finals, A Respectful Boston Garden Applauded An Injured Laker. Not Young Bill Simmons.

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:10:00 EST

Game six, the deciding game of the Lakers' 1985 championship, saw Los Angeles's Michael Cooper carried to the dressing room with an injury. Despite the rivalry, most of the Boston fans gave Cooper a nice hand. But 15-year-old Bill Simmons, sitting in the fourth row from the court, merely waved—the most tentative taunt ever taunted. More »

NBA Open Thread

Sean Newell — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST

Jeremy Lin and the Knicks take on the Celtics at 1:00 p.m. followed by the peerless Kobe Bryant taking on LeBron and the Miami Heat. Chat it up. More »

Shaq Speaks: I'm At A Low-C Performance Level As An Analyst, And I Don't See How The Fuck Steve Nash Won Two MVPs

Jack Dickey — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:40:00 EST

Shaq's been pretty bad on Inside the NBA. He's playing the Barkley role at a sub-Barkley level, and Barkley's right over there, anyway. Thankfully, Shaq knows it, he tells Vibe. More »

Kobe Can't Find The Phone Numbers He Probably Got At Halftime

Dave Shireley — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:05:00 EST

Your morning roundup for Feb. 27. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors. More »

ESPN Inadvertently Mic'd Two Mavs Fans Last Night, So Here's The Highlights Of Their Commentary

Timothy Burke — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:15:00 EST

The Lakers' 96-91 win over the Mavericks last night ended up being more interesting late than it should have been—mostly due to L.A.'s inability to hit free throws down the stretch. Yet there was another, more unique narrative taking place on one of ESPN's audio channels. More »

Lakers Radio Guy Vigorously Applies Makeup Without Knowing He's On Camera, Realizes It Soon Enough

Dom Cosentino — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:55:00 EST

John Ireland, who doubles as a TV sportscaster, thinks out loud: (sigh) Damnit. I just HATE the way this cold weather dries out my skin. My forehead, especially. I mean, pretty much everything below the eyes is OK, but all it takes is even a few hours in one of these northern hellholes to make my forehead look like one of those dried-up rivers in a drought. It's just the WORST. Geez! Where ARE we, anyway? Toronto? I can't keep track whenever we go on one of these extended road trips. Thank GOD we're finally heading home soon. And, good grief, I just can't get this ... (grunt) OK, there it is. Finally. (sigh) All right. Wait. We've been on camera the whole time? Shit. Really? How long has that thing been rolling? Did anybody see that? Nobody saw that, nobody saw that, nobody saw that. PLEASE fucking tell me nobody saw that... [via] More »

How Boring Are The Mike Brown Lakers? They Put Jack Nicholson To Sleep

Timothy Burke — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST

We first became aware of this via a tweet from The Score's Scott Lewis, and went to the video to see if, indeed, Jack Nicholson was sleeping courtside in the fourth quarter of last night's 111-99 Lakers win over Phoenix. It sure looks like he's napping, though if you look closely Jack's reading something before closing his eyes for a quick doze before coming-to just before action resumed oncourt. [ESPN] More »

Bristolmetrics: At Least Tom Brady Beat Eli Manning In SportsCenter Mentions

Patrick Burns — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:50:28 EST

SportsCenter Mentions" alt="Click here to read Bristolmetrics: At Least Tom Brady Beat Eli Manning In SportsCenter Mentions" src="http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/images/11/2012/02/small_a537bcbca4bbc7b905b5f6c7d4ad6879.jpg"/>

This is a regular feature breaking down, minute-by-minute, the content that appears on ESPN's 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter throughout the week. Graphic by Jim Cooke. More »

"He Should Wear Leather Pants": Metta World Peace Has Some Fashion Advice For Jeremy Lin

Dom Cosentino — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Linsanity met some real insanity last night at the Garden. The basketball cognoscenti has zeroed in on Kobe's postgame tip of the cap to Lin's sudden greatness, but the dong-texter formerly known as Ron Artest has also weighed in with his thoughts. And, like much of what's floating around inside the head of Metta World Peace, those thoughts were at once hilarious and batshit crazy. So much so that Ken Berger of CBSSports.com dispensed with trying to summarize them and just transcribed the entirety of the interview. More »

Jeremy Lin Is Eating Derek Fisher Alive

Timothy Burke — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:19:04 EST

Jeremy Lin has 18 points at the half of the Knicks' home battle against Los Angeles, and the Lakers' strategy of having Derek Fisher guard the New York sensation isn't working out so well—as you can see with this spin-o-rama drive. Expect Kobe to be be on Lin for the second half in an attempt to cut the Knicks' eight-point lead at intermission. [ESPN] More »

Kobe Bryant Has Never Heard Of Linsanity

Jack Dickey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:25:00 EST

We can confirm Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin wasn't with Kobe shooting in the gym, either. Because some reporters asked Kobe—whose Lakers will play the Knicks tonight—what he thought of Linsanity, and he had no idea: More »

Don't Tell Rodney Harrison, But Rob Gronkowski Posed For A Photo Last Night With Kobe

Dave Shireley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:15:00 EST

Your morning roundup for Feb. 10. Photo via Larry Brown Sports. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors. More »

Lakers Coach Mike Brown Earns One-Game Supension, $25k Fine For Saturday Outburst

Timothy Burke — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:10:09 EST

CSN Philly is reporting Lakers head coach Mike Brown will miss tonight's game against the 76ers while sitting out a league-issued one-game suspension for the above incident in which Brown made contact with an official during the Lakers' loss in Utah. More »

Mike Brown Earned His Ejection With This On-Court Meltdown

Timothy Burke — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:32:10 EST

The rage came forth from Lakers coach Mike Brown in the final period of L.A.'s 96-87 loss to the Jazz tonight in Salt Lake City. It's unclear whether Brown made contact with the referee—which would earn him at least a one-game suspension—but his outburst earned him a double-technical, immediate ejection, and a sarcastic standing ovation from the Utah crowd. [Root Sports] More »

This Celtics Fan Must Not Know That Boston Has A History With Kings

Sean Newell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST

Your morning roundup for Feb 4, the day we learned we were elite, too. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors.. More »

Ricky Rubio Talks Some Olympic Trash To Kobe Bryant: "You Know You're Getting The Silver Medal"

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:05:00 EST

After the Laker game in Minnesota, Pau Gasol was catching up with countryman Ricky Rubio when Kobe Bryant strolled over. The friendly conversation, as transcribed by Complex: More »

Metta World Peace Is Bored

Dom Cosentino — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:15:00 EST

The former Ron Artest's game is slipping. His numbers are down, and even his trademark defense isn't what it once was. Is it because he's 32 now? It is because he arrived for training camp out of shape after spending the offseason changing his name, doing stand-up, and texting his dong? Nope. World Peace had just gotten to be too good at what he does, according to what he told ESPN Los Angeles: More »

Pau Gasol Passes Like Ricky Rubio

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST

There must be something in the water, since all shaggy-haired Spaniards seem to have a preternatural ability to find an open teammate without having to actually see them. A cutting Gasol drew both his man and Andrew Bynum's, and a nifty little over-the-shoulder dump to Bynum was pretty and pretty effective. More »