The goal remained clear cut in Andrew Bynum's eyes. Playing on the NBA All-Star team would validate his arrival as an elite center. Yet, that stint kept delaying through six NBA seasons because Bynum couldn't stay healthy. That point finally arrived Sunday when Bynum appeared in his first All-Star game in the West's 152-149 victory Sunday over the East. Yet, the same story ensued. Bynum's zero points on zero -of-three shooting, three rebounds and a block on Dwight Howard revealed little. Bynum remaining limited to six minutes revealed everything. He sat out after the 6:29 mark in the first quarter... Continue reading

NBA All-Star Chat: Will Kobe Bryant get his 5th MVP? Continue reading

A-Rod: Kobe Bryant considered retirement last season Continue reading

This is the first in a series of posts awarding midseason grades to some members of the Lakers. Player: Kobe Bryant How he performed: Averaged a league-leading 28.7 points per game on 43.5% shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists. The good: Bryant discovered the fountain of youth again after having innovative procedures this off-season on his surgically repaired right knee and left ankle. Even with a torn ligament in his right wrist, Bryant strung a four-game stretch where he scored at least 40 points, the first time he's done so since 2007. As erratic as the Laker offense is, they would... Continue reading

Lakers Chat: Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Continue reading

The Lakers are on the road, so you know what that means. Another Lakers loss? It sure is plausible considering their 5-11 road record. But the Lakers (19-13) have other reasons to view Wednesday's game ata Dallas with added importance. This is the first time the Lakers play the Mavericks at American Airlines Center since falling to Dallas in a four-game sweep in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers held an informal players-only meeting after the Lakers' 103-92 victory Monday over the Portland Trail Blazers after a pretty eventful week. Kobe Bryant publicly stewed at the front office. Pau... Continue reading

Steve Blake appears sharper in Lakers' win over Portland Continue reading

There's not a whole lot to talk about regarding the Lakers. Pau Gasol remains in trade limbo. Kobe Bryant remains upset that the front office hasn't formally stated that they'll keep Gasol or trade him before the March 15 deadline. Lakers General Manager said in a statement that to "say publicly that we would not do this would serve no purpose and put us at a competitive disadvantage." Oh yeah, and the Lakers have concerns on the basketball court too. They host the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night at Staples Center a night after losing 102-90 to the Phoenix Suns.... Continue reading

With a stern look and an agitated tone, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant hardly opened the 2011-2012 season in a happy mood. "I don't like it," Bryant said regarding the Lakers' decision to trade Lamar Odom and a second round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for a $8.9 million trade exception and a first-round pick. There were plenty of reasons. The Lakers lost a reserve whose versatility extended from his jack-of-all trades role to his strong locker-room standing. The Lakers received little in return. Dallas, who eliminated the Lakers in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals en route to an NBA title,... Continue reading

Kobe Bryant's presence remains strong in China Continue reading

The Lakers and Suns play again, but before you click below to join the chat, here are a few pre-game notes: *The Lakers are 6-2 in their last eight games at US Airways Center. *Kobe Bryant has dropped 48 points and 36 points, respectively in two games this season against Phoenix. There's no reason to expect Bryant can't duplicate a similar effort the third time around. *Bryant became the ninth guard in NBA history to grab 6,000 rebounds. This might be a bad omen for the Lakers. They also played Denver in consecutive games, winning the first and losing the... Continue reading

Game stories --The Times' Mike Bresnahan credits Kobe Bryant's strong scoring effort in the Lakers' 111-99 victory Friday over the Phoenix Suns. --The Orange County Register's Janis Carr notices the Lakers having fun against Phoenix. --The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro notes how it's common for Bryant to go on a scoring spree against Phoenix. --The Daily News' Elliott Teaford notices the Lakers' progression. Notebooks --The Times' Bresnahan focuses on Derek Fisher's decreased playing time. --The Arizona Republic's Coro highlights Steve Nash's praise for Jeremy Lin. --The Daily News' Teaford notes Nash would make a great addition for the Lakers. Sidebars... Continue reading

Once he slipped a well-placed pass from Kobe Bryant out of his hands, Pau Gasol picked it up and smacked it against his palms. A few moments after Steve Blake threw an unreachable lob over his head, Gasol slumped over on the bench on the next timeout. When former teammate and Phoenix guard Shannon Brown snuck behind for a put-back dunk that cut the Lakers’ lead to five points with 4:28 remaining, Gasol stared off into the distance. Plenty of images defined Gasol’s frustration on a night the Lakers exuded positive energy everywhere else in their 111-99 victory Friday over... Continue reading

For all the fun surrounding the Lakers-Suns game, join the chat below the jump. But for now, here are a few notes from Mike Brown's pre-game press conference: --Lakers guard Derek Fisher will play tonight despite missing Thursday's practice from a sinus infection. Though Brown said Fisher won't face any limitations, the Lakers' starting point guard has seen a drop-off in his playing time at 22.4 minutes per game. That's a drastic drop-off from his season-average of 25.7. --Brown said he's not worried about Kobe Bryant's drastic dropp from January to February in points per game (31.2, 24.5) and shooting... Continue reading

The shots rarely go in for Kobe Bryant these days, but he remains insistent they'll find its way. "We'll free me up a little bit more," Bryant said after shooting 37% in the past month. "Get some more screens. Get me some easier looks so I don't have to look at traps all night." The Lakers' team balance has swayed overwhelmingly toward Bryant's end. He's logged a 38% usage rating, his highest since the 2005-06 season. He leads the league in scoring. Bryant also holds that honor in field-goal attempts. Lakers forward Pau Gasol sounds ready for a change, but... Continue reading

The day he announced Devin Ebanks as his starting small forward, Lakers Coach Mike Brown issued this warning. "If he messes up," Brown said, "I'll pull him so quick that he won't play." Brown surely backed up the tough talk. Two months after Ebanks started the first four games, the Lakers sent him down to their Development League, the D-Fenders. Brown spouted the cliches after Thursday's practice about the need for Ebanks to sharpen his post presence, outside shooting and defense. But as far as what that means for Ebanks' future playing time with the Lakers? It's very likely anything... Continue reading

Exiting the players' lounge, Metta World Peace stood before a mirror, kissed his biceps and then quickly walked out of the locker room. He then followed a shooting routine before the Lakers-Hawks game Tuesday night at Staples Center, consisting of post-ups, elbow jumpers and three-point attempts. World Peace had made 11 of his first 15 attempts, prompting a nearby fan to shout, "Keep it going, baby. Let's go." After talking with Coach Mike Brown during morning shootaround Tuesday over frustrations regarding his role, World Peace contended he only wants to help the team win. But his comments during training camp... Continue reading

There Kobe Bryant stood laughing with Pau Gasol over a miffed alley-oop lob. There the bench looked sharp as an actually cohesive unit. There Metta World Peace drove the lane and threw a one-handed dunk. The Lakers' 86-78 victory Tuesday over the Atlanta Hawks featured several facets the team hardly displays on a regular basis. And not just the first appearance at a Lakers game this season of Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's estranged wife, who sat behind the team bench and later was seen outside the locker room. Bryant and Gasol, for once, didn't fret over silly mistakes. The bench, near... Continue reading

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant Lakers forward Pau Gasol Lakers forward Metta World Peace Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock --Mark Medina E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com Continue reading

Join the Lakers-Hawks chat in the jump below! RELATED: Lakers inconsistent in closing out games Five things to watch in Lakers-Hawks matchup Lakers may have to attack point-guard deficiencies collectively --Mark Medina E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com Continue reading

Five things to watch in Lakers-Hawks matchup Continue reading

Fox Sports West's Joe McDonnell talks to an unnamed Laker who mentions that several players want the front office to part ways with Metta World Peace. The Times' Ben Bolch reports that the Lakers don't have serious interest in free-agent guard Gilbert Arenas. Continue reading

Lakers still don't have an identity. Continue reading

Lakers Chat: Lakers vs. Bobcats Continue reading

Laker fans predict first-round exit Continue reading