Mitch Kupchak

Will Kobe Bryant be back for the start of next season? "I think that's a realistic goal for him," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Saturday. Bryant will be out six to nine months because of a torn left Achilles' tendon, the Lakers said. He...

Did Coach Mike D'Antoni run his players into the ground with heavy minutes on back-to-back nights? Sure, but did that have anything to do with the loss in Phoenix on Monday night? "We've been playing a seven-man rotation, and I think it caught up with...

The hand that once wrote about daily NBA schedules on a greaseboard in the Lakers' locker room now composes daily specials on a surfboard propped against a sunset-colored truck. Kona Sunset Shrimp Tacos, two for $7. The distinctive voice that once...

I'm thinking the best place for Dwight Howard's statue outside Staples is right beside Oscar De La Hoya's 7-foot likeness. That way they can keep the guys together who have been beaten up the most in the building. De La Hoya was 0-1 in Staples and so...

1979-80 FINALS Lakers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 An old dog, a new trickster and birth of 'Showtime' "Showtime" began as 20-year-old rookie Magic Johnson inspired this talented team to first in the Pacific Division. After four close games in the...

Time Warner Cable SportsNet is scheduled to air a "special tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Jerry Buss" on Wednesday's episode of "Backstage: Lakers." Buss died last week after a lengthy battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. Set to air at...

The week opened with the sad news that Lakers owner Jerry Buss had passed away. The NBA world responded with an outpouring of appreciation for Buss and his legacy. Jerry West said he was "blessed" to work for Buss. The Lakers will wear a commemorative...

With the Lakers facing tremendous luxury taxes next season, could the team cut ties a year early with Kobe Bryant? Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban suggests that it's not necessarily a black-and-white issue. "If you look at their payroll ... you've...

The Lakers (26-28) host the Portland Trail Blazers (25-29) on Friday night at Staples Center. The two have met two times already this season, both teams winning on their home floors. The Lakers recently climbed into ninth place in the standings, ahead...

The Lakers held pat at the trade deadline, sticking with their 14-man roster. With the deadline passing, the team will lose a pair of trade exceptions. The Lakers lose one for $854,000, gained when they traded Jason Kapono to the Cleveland Cavaliers for...

Former Lakers Coach and Miami Heat President Pat Riley reminisced about the late Jerry Buss on Thursday before he spoke at Buss' memorial service. "It’s just a forever and for-always relationship," Riley said. "I just think he was an incredible...

He was speaking only for his weary and rumpled self, speaking in the singular, sorrowful tones of someone who just lost a boss and friend of more than three decades. But, in one poignant moment while publicly mourning the death of Lakers owner Jerry...