Lakers

LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar don't have a good relationship, that's a known fact, in fact, it's more accurate to say they don't have a relationship.

[Lebron James' strange desire: I wish I could walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup like normal people](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2023/02/07/63e2aa38ca4741e8628b464a.html) [LeBron James](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/lebron-james.html) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar don't have a good relationship, that's a known fact, in fact, it's more accurate to say they don't have a relationship. It was ESPN's Dave McMenamin who first confirmed the presence of Abdul-Jabbar, who won five of his six NBA championships as Los Angeles' tall man. Therefore, Kareem's presence was a question mark in the first real chance that the scepter was handed out. The man born with the name Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. received a standing ovation when his presence was seen on the court and at all times he looked with a tense face as he watched on the Lakers' home screen the points that remained for his mark to be surpassed. That doesn't mean that when the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers.html) and the [Oklahoma City Thunder](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder.html) are facing off this Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena the presence of the inventor of the Sky-Hook is not important to the "King".

History awaits on Tuesday night as LeBron James puts the all-time NBA scoring record in his sights when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Oklahoma City ...

LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar could break the record as soon as Tuesday.

LeBron James is now the NBAs all-time leading scorer after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbars record of 38387 career points on Tuesday.

He averaged 20.9 points per game as a rookie, becoming the youngest player to reach 1,000 career points. He scored 16 points in the third to make history. In 2008, the youngest to 10,000. In 2006, a 21-year-old James topped Kobe Bryant as the youngest ever to 5,000 career points. He totaled 7,919 points in four seasons with the Heat. He has scored 10-plus points in every game he has played in since Jan. Between that bucket and the nearly 40,000 points James has scored since, he won Rookie of the Year, four NBA championships, four MVPs, four Finals MVPs, three All-Star Game MVPs and two Olympic gold medals. He went on to score eight straight points for the Lakers, shooting 3-for-6 over nine minutes in the first quarter. "To be able to be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me. "I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful, you guys are one of a kind," James said. "Everybody that's ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn't be me without y'all," he said. He long ago was anointed "The Chosen One."

The Lakers (25-29) return from a five-game road trip to face OKC (25-28) for the first time this season. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum Spo...

Austin, like the rest of his teammates, get a first look at OKC this season, the last Western foe the Lakers have yet to face. Nonetheless, Reaves has some particular skills on the ball, as a playmaker and a secondary scorer, that the Lakers need. But does that create a potential log jam in the backcourt? The Lakers (25-29) return from a five-game road trip to face OKC (25-28) for the first time this season. Then Wenyen Gabriel, who’d dunked seconds earlier to make it an 8-point game, threw an inbounds pass that was intercepted by Jose Alvarado, who hit a three to trim the lead down to just three points going into the fourth quarter. This season, LeBron is averaging exactly 30.0 points per game, and has scored 36 points in eight of the 43 games he’s played, or 18.6 percent of the time.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will be without Cole Swider and Scotty Pippen Jr. Four-time NBA Champion LeBron James is questionable, while Anthony Davis and Austin ...

After five games on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers are heading back home. They will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday at Crypto.com ...

- Feb 08, 2018 - Los Angeles 106 vs. Los Angeles is the favorite in this one, with an expected 6.5-point margin of victory. - Jan 17, 2019 - Los Angeles 138 vs. A silver lining for Los Angeles was the play of center - Jan 13, 2021 - Los Angeles 128 vs. - Feb 08, 2021 - Los Angeles 119 vs. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has to be aching after a bruising 141-114 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Monday. [NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/#ttag=SL19_lk_cbssports_nba_htw) for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. - Feb 10, 2021 - Los Angeles 114 vs. Both of these teams will be looking to put their recent losses behind them and walk away with a win. Allowing an average of 118.37 points per game, Los Angeles has been asleep on the defensive side of the ball and will need to wake up before the matchup. Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles

Los Angeles Lakers fans wearing LeBron James jerseys posed for photos in front of a statue of Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

When he took the court for warm-ups, James sported a T-shirt that read "Built by Black History" along with his once-customary headband. James entered the arena in an all-black suit with a gold and black pin that read "Stay present." Not everybody was overly familiar with the Hall of Fame center and his famous skyhook. Now, in a Lakers jersey, he’s set to break a scoring record some considered unbreakable. “He deserves it,’’ said Mike Ballard, who was wearing a Lakers jersey with No. “You can’t take anything away from him because he’s only been here five years.’’

Former Lakers stars and NBA Hall of Famers give their impressions of LeBron James overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scoring leader.

But I think that with him he just has respect for the game. I think maybe from the time he was probably 10 years old he never was overlooked. He’s going to play a lot of years.’ And I walked out of the gym. He has to have a soul. And I don’t think this is the end of it, at all. … People are going to see a record broken that I never dreamed possible. “I knew LeBron was going to be great, but I didn’t think he was going to be like this. LeBron is one of the few that built his own.” Anybody who comes in the game with the hype, with the name the ‘Chosen One, King James,’ he was one of the few players who lived up to what the hype was all about. But I think the most amazing thing is for him to play this long and never really get in trouble is crazy. The five-time NBA champion grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and has known LeBron James since he was in high school. I need to be on both ends.’ So, I just think over time, man, he just took that on.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James became the NBA's career scoring leader on a stepback jumper late in the third quarter, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record ...

Oklahoma City jumped to a 15-point lead in the first half and hit nearly 60% of its shots. Anthony Davis managed just 13 points, and the Thunder never trailed in the second half. ... Russell Westbrook had 27 points and eight assists. And while James hit his mark, the Lakers took another discouraging loss. Abdul-Jabbar then joined a clearly emotional James and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the court after the historic basket. “I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful," James said.

LeBron James became the NBA's career scoring leader on a stepback jumper late in the third quarter, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record during his 38-point ...

Oklahoma City jumped to a 15-point lead in the first half and hit nearly 60% of its shots. … It (stinks) we didn’t get the win on a night like this, but there’s a lot of things to pull from it, a lot of things to take away.” “Well deserved to a guy who puts in so much work on and off the floor. The game was stopped for about 10 minutes while James hugged his family and participated in a brief ceremony with Silver and Abdul-Jabbar. But he scored only two points in the fourth quarter, putting him atop the career scoring list with 38,390 points — three ahead of Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar then joined a clearly emotional James and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the court after the historic basket.

Photos of all the celebrities at Crypto.com arena to watch LeBron James surpass Lakers' legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time NBA Scoring title.

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For Lakers fans and the many celebrities in attendance, watching LeBron James become the NBA's all-time leading scorer was a thrilling experience.

Davon Hill put his faith in James to break the record Tuesday, flying from his hometown of Atlanta to L.A. The only thing he wanted was to be in attendance to watch James break the record. When fans sitting near the top of the arena saw James’ first shot graze the outside of the net thinking that it was good, they cheered, but sheepishly retreated into their seats when they realized Anthony Davis scored on a put-back. Last-minute ticket prices soared for Tuesday’s game as James approached the record. Had James come up short, Hulbert wouldn’t have stayed for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The [Lakers](https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers) faithful wasn’t here to just cheer for a victory. The New Jersey native who flew to L.A. He extended his arms to the rafters, then doubled over, putting his hands on his knees and bowing his head. The longtime Lakers fan cheered the team during the Showtime Era and through the Kobe Bryant years. The two Lakers stars posed for a photo, with Abdul-Jabbar wrapping an arm around James’ waist and holding up one finger. Abdul-Jabbar joined James and NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the court for an in-game presentation. “It’s almost inconceivable almost,” said the elder Rastegar, who bought two tickets for Tuesday’s game for $1,100 two months ago.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet from LA where LeBron James needs just 36 points to break the All-Time Scoring record.

It’s not every night we get to witness history, but tonight could be one of those nights as LeBron James goes for the All-Time Scoring record in the NBA, and who could think of a more fitting place to do it? Steve Kerr’s team shot 52% from downtown, hitting 26 of 50 three balls and had 43 assists in the 141-114 blowout of the Thunder. The Thunder may be floating under the radar, but their All-Star is one of the top scorers in the league at 30.8 a night, he is tied with Damian Lillard for 5th in the league. That’s two decades of wear and tear on his body, mind and personal life, but to be the best you have to put up with the ups and the downs. He went on to score almost seven thousand more points through the rest of his career and it seemed like that record may never be broken until the kid from Akron swept the NBA off it’s feet even before the Cavaliers drafted him with the number one pick in the 2003 Draft. Rumors were swirling around LA of the possibility of a reunion of LeBron and Kyrie Irving after winning a title together in Cleveland back in 2016. LeBron had 8 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second quarter. FT is good and he's 25 away from the record! It seemed like the chips were falling into place, but the Mavericks beat the Lakers to the punch and LeBron was devastated. LeBron in tranistion and he is fouled by SGA. Both FTs are goo and the Thunder lead by 12 again. It would be bittersweet to break the all time record in a game that you lose.

Lakers nation was excited about the possibilities but held him at arm's length. Part of that was the shadow of Kobe Bryant — L.A. was his town, these were his ...

LeBron James is now the NBA's all-time leading scorer after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38387 career points on Tuesday.

He averaged 20.9 points per game as a rookie, becoming the youngest player to reach 1,000 career points. In 2008, the youngest to 10,000. In 2006, a 21-year-old James topped Kobe Bryant as the youngest ever to 5,000 career points. He totaled 7,919 points in four seasons with the Heat. He scored 16 points in the third to make history. He has scored 10-plus points in every game he has played in since Jan. Between that bucket and the nearly 40,000 points James has scored since, he won Rookie of the Year, four NBA championships, four MVPs, four Finals MVPs, three All-Star Game MVPs and two Olympic gold medals. James averaged 20.9 points per game as a rookie and has topped 25 points per every season since, including more than 30 points per game three times. He went on to score eight straight points for the Lakers, shooting 3-for-6 over nine minutes in the first quarter. "To be able to be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me. "I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful, you guys are one of a kind," James said. "Everybody that's ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn't be me without y'all," he said.

LeBron James became the NBA's career scoring leader on a stepback jumper late in the third quarter, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record during his 38-point ...

Oklahoma City jumped to a 15-point lead in the first half and hit nearly 60% of its shots. Anthony Davis managed just 13 points, and the Thunder never trailed in the second half. And while James hit his mark, the Lakers took another discouraging loss. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it's very humbling." Abdul-Jabbar then joined a clearly emotional James and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the court after the historic basket. "You guys are one of a kind.

LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar could break the record as soon as Tuesday.

Ticket prices for Thursday's Bucks-Lakers game in Los Angeles just became significantly more affordable after LeBron James leapfrogged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ...

James will be the seventh name on that list, and he's likely to stay there for a long time. None of them were, or are, close to the scorer that James is. He'll almost certainly be the NBA's all-time leader in earnings whenever he retires; when adding in the $97 million he'll make over the next two seasons, he'll be past $500 million in on-court salary alone. There are 44 players to reach five digits in two of those categories. — to this this accomplishment for a guy who became a scorer because he determined that's what was necessary to win. On Tuesday, when James was still 35 points shy of tying Abdul-Jabbar, Ticketmaster had a pair of courtside seats at Thursday's game listed for $200,000, not including fees. Abdul-Jabbar held the ball aloft, then handed it to James, the ceremonial passing of the torch. James is behind only John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul on the all-time assists list. Abdul-Jabbar — a longtime Laker and one of many celebrities and sports stars who made sure they were there to see history — became the league's all-time leading scorer on April 5, 1984 and wound up retiring in 1989 with 38,387 points. James outstretched his arms after his 36th point of the night for the Los Angeles Lakers, threw both hands in the air, then smiled. Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please.' 'I just want to say, thank you to the Laker faithful.

On a night that was all about celebrating LeBron James becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader, the Los Angeles Lakers playoff hopes took a hit with a...

But the story for the Lakers was the same as it has been all season: James doing everything he can to help them win, but the talent around him coming up short. James did allow himself to get emotional in the wake of his personal achievement. Despite the historic moment for James, the Lakers are still reeling as they try to make some headway into the playoff race.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-time scoring record was passed by LeBron James on Tuesday in the latest achievement of a remarkable career.

While LeBron James got Crypto.com Arena excited on Tuesday by breaking the NBA's career scoring record, the Lakers fell to the Thunder.

Although they couldn't imagine a time where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not No. 1 on the list, several standouts from L.A.'s 1980s teams support the NBA's new ...

“If you took away his sky-hook, he would spin the other way for turnaround jump shots. “If you took away his left shoulder, he would just pivot and go the other way,” Thompson said. The only way you might be able to get it is if you got behind him. LeBron is the greatest from this era. Kareem is the greatest from my era. “He had the size and talent to step right into the NBA, and he immediately started to have his effect. “We always thought he was strange with doing yoga,” Thompson said. “Magic was screaming at me to get him the ball,” McAdoo said, chuckling. “Kareem is the greatest from my era. But they weren’t staying as long as 38 or 40 years of age to chase the record.” You have to give him credit for the way he’s played to last and dominate.” So did Magic Johnson, who hugged James shortly after he broke Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record in the third quarter.

In the first half, Westbrook and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy got into their second heated discussion on the bench over the past few weeks. James' co-star ...

Now that James has accomplished his goal, all that remains for this season is whether he and the Lakers — potentially with the help of a pre-deadline trade — can accomplish their collective one. [LeBron James had every intention of breaking the NBA scoring record against the Thunder. It’s difficult to separate the two, as the Lakers showed in recent weeks. But it’s been a talking point for weeks, with James, Ham and the rest of the team being asked about it during every press availability. With players increasingly sitting out regular-season games for load management, along with the increased severity of lower extremity injuries due to the game’s spread out nature, there’s a chance that James’ record — which he’ll continue to build on for at least two more seasons — Lakers staffers compared the anticipation and atmosphere to Kobe Bryant’s final game in 2016 and Bryant’s jersey retirement in 2017. But the Thunder, who used the momentum of the moment to their advantage, separated themselves once again with their ball movement and 3-point shooting in the fourth. With just 27 games remaining in the season, the Lakers now sit two games out of the final Play-In Tournament slot and four games back of the No. In addition to James’ wife, Savannah, children, Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri, and mother, Gloria, he had dozens of friends and family members in attendance. “Our offense, I think got stagnant and the guys, they wanted to see LeBron do what he did tonight,” Ham said. Davis spoke with the media afterward, saying all of the right things about James breaking the record. In the first half, Westbrook and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy got into their second heated discussion on the bench over the past few weeks.

Russell Westbrook and Lakers coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated exchange in the locker room during halftime of Tuesday's game, sources told ESPN.

[133-130](/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401468976), the game was highlighted by L.A. star [LeBron James](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james) scoring 38 points and surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the [No. Ham closed the game with Westbrook, who had 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter.

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham reportedly were involved in a “brief, heated verbal exchange” at halftime in the locker room during Tuesday ...

LeBron James got the scoring record Tuesday, but all was reportedly not well among the Lakers vs. the Thunder.

Lake Show Life's Jason Reed came up with a trade proposal that would send a benched Lakers starter to the Boston Celtics for picks and salary filler.

Two future second-rounders would be great value for Walker if L.A. Boston is looking for wing help behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Walker is no longer the starter in Tinseltown due to knee issues that have persisted throughout his five-year career split between San Antonio and L.A. Reed suggests the Lakers pull off a deal with Boston that’d see the Cs absorb Walker into the fold while sending out two future second-round picks and Justin Jackson:

LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer by scoring 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder and passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Tuesday at ...

Former Lakers forward Mike Muscala made four three-pointers and had 16 points in 17 minutes as the Thunder improved to 26-28. Lakers guard Dennis Schroder said earlier Tuesday that the Lakers were aiming to be 19-9 over their final 28 games. It seemed like a reach for a team four games below .500 before Tuesday’s tip-off, though the Lakers finally had the benefit of a fully healthy team with the return of Austin Reaves from a strained hamstring. From there, though, the Lakers couldn’t stop Oklahoma City. Then he returned to the fans. Abdul-Jabbar became the all-time leading scorer in April 1984 by passing Wilt Chamberlain. Indeed, Abdul-Jabbar made only one shot behind the arc of his entire career — against Phoenix in February 1987, two months before his 40th birthday. “I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful. The game was stopped nine minutes for a ceremony at midcourt. It became ink at halftime when James was overheard asking his sons if he should break the record. The Lakers, however, lost to the young, irreverent Thunder, 133-130, in what could simply be described as par for their season so far. James became the new No.

Charania notes that discussions have also included the potential of the Jazz's Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt going to the Lakers in a deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz are finalizing a three-team trade that would send Russell Westbrook to Utah, D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to L.A. He is currently in his fourth season with the T-Wolves and has averaged 17.9 points on .465 shooting, 6.2 assists and 3.1 boards over 32.9 minutes per game in 54 games. In 43 games this season, he is averaging 10.7 PPG on .408 shooting, 7.7 APG and 2.5 RPG over 29.7 MPG. Coming off of the bench for the first time in his career, the nine-time All-Star is averaging 15.9 PPG on .417 shooting, 7.5 APG and 6.2 RPG over 28.7 MPG in 52 games. ESPN Sources: The Lakers are finalizing deal to land Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade including Mike Conley and picks to Timberwolves and Russell Westbrook and a lightly protected 2027 LA first-round pick to Jazz.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) and Mike Conley to Minnesota, according to multiple reports.

The Lakers could potentially add Russell and lose Russ at the trade deadline.

But the Timberwolves still traded a 26-year-old point guard for a 35-year-old point guard that is not significantly better here and now. It doesn't quite get the Lakers into the championship picture, but it costs them a very valuable asset that might have helped them get back into contention later, either as an offseason trade piece or as a pick during an extended rebuild years down the line. [Raptors](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/TOR/toronto-raptors/), 2020 Lakers and 2022 [Warriors](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/GS/golden-state-warriors/) have in common? [ESPN's Zach Lowe](https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/1623507164097818625), the 2027 pick the Lakers sent Utah in this deal will not roll over to 2028 if it does not convey. And yet, the Lakers are faced with the uncomfortable reality that they needed 3-and-D players, not 3-or-D players, and the players they acquired are all therefore difficult fits. They moved off of Westbrook, a player whose raw value is debatable but whose fit with this particular team simply didn't work, in exchange for three players that each provide traits that the Lakers badly needed. In a vacuum, the Lakers probably got more value out of a single first-round pick than they reasonably could have expected. So essentially, the Jazz gave away three inessential role players during a season in which they probably would've preferred to tank anyway in exchange for a potentially very valuable first-round pick and $14 million in savings. There were rumors in the offseason that they were close to dealing Westbrook and two first-round picks to [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/), [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/MIN/minnesota-timberwolves/) and [Utah Jazz](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/UTA/utah-jazz/) are finalizing a three-team trade that would send [Russell Westbrook](/nba/players/1622555/russell-westbrook/) and a top-four protected 2027 first-round pick to the Jazz, [D'Angelo Russell](/nba/players/2152730/dangelo-russell/), [Jarred Vanderbilt](/nba/players/2892548/jarred-vanderbilt/) and [Malik Beasley](/nba/players/2202574/malik-beasley/) to the Lakers and [Mike Conley](/nba/players/1231861/mike-conley/) Jr. As such, they grade out as the obvious winner of the deal. In Conley, the Wolves get a point guard who just spent three seasons next to [Rudy Gobert](/nba/players/2067669/rudy-gobert/) with the Jazz, so Minnesota knows that they can play together.

The Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers.

That would give the Wolves much more flexibility to work with in trades and roster construction moving forward, in addition to landing a player they believe would be a big help for the stretch run. And now, that’s one more quiver in the bow for this offseason and in offseasons to come. [John Wall](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/john-wall-Hi3iaXUQCSafuGlJ/) to be. Plus, [Paul George](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1/) has supported Westbrook throughout his rough times with the Lakers. And on a team that hopes to have another player who takes a lot of shots in Karl-Anthony Towns returning sometime after the All-Star break, bringing a more classic quarterback to help run the offense could help smooth things out. It took the Wolves months to figure out how to tinker with the offense after losing Beasley’s volume 3-point shooting in the Gobert trade last summer. Conley and Gobert played together in Utah and built a pick-and-roll synergy that, to this point, Russell and Gobert have not been able to develop. The need for improved guard play pushed the team to be involved in trade talks for [Kyrie Irving](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD/) from Brooklyn before [he was dealt](https://theathletic.com/4158002/2023/02/05/kyrie-irving-trade-nets-mavericks/) to the [Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/) on Monday. The Lakers improved their roster and didn’t have to empty their asset cupboard. [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/) trade deadline. The situation had become untenable over the past week or so, multiple team and league sources close to the situation told The Athletic. He averaged 14.3 points and 4.0 assists per game with the Lakers in his first two seasons in the league before being traded in 2016.

The get-in price for Thursday's contest stands at just $100 after peaking at $796 before James' historic night — an astounding 87% drop.

Bucks on Thursday was pacing to be one of the most expensive games on record, if not the most expensive,” TickPick brand manager Kyle Zorn said in an email. Those who pulled the trigger on tickets before Tuesday night are probably having buyer’s remorse Wednesday — especially one fan who purchased two courtside tickets for $24,781 a piece — adding up to an astounding $49,562. Before Tuesday night, one couldn’t purchase tickets in the 100 level for less than $1200; now, 100-level seats are going for as low as $253 — a 78% discount for those who waited.

In order to understand the breaking trade news delivered by The Athletic's Shams Charania, we need to know what happened last night during halftime of the ...

[LeBron James](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2023/02/08/63e3debb22601d42668b461c.html) was the main story of the night, which may be a reason this story was mostly ignored. D'Angelo Russell was an All-Star in 2019 and his performances have the Minnesota Timberwolves in ninth place of the Western Conference. But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported coach Darvin Ham and [Russell Westbrook](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2023/02/05/63df815a22601df32f8b45ad.html) had a heated argument right before halftime of the game. [Lakers](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers.html?intcmp=MENUPROD&s_kw=en-nba-los-angeles-lakers), Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and draft compensation such as a first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. Considered one of the 2015 Class most talented players, Russell eventually left to play for the Brooklyn Nets' exciting project in 2017. Ongoing discussions have included Utah's Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt as part of the potential three-team deal to the Lakers, sources said.

With the Lakers outside of playoff position just before the trade deadline, the organization is reportedly in talks over a major deal that would land a trio ...

Tuesday night was all about LeBron James breaking the NBA scoring record, but now it's morphing into something a little bit different.

LeBron debate, but this time with James coming to Charlotte and winning the first title in NBA history for the team Jordan owns. I could end this with a “nuff said,” and you’d get it — but imagine what getting the Knicks over the hump would mean for LeBron’s legacy. LeBron is not the problem on the Lakers, it’s the talent around him. The Hornets are ass-bad and they are desperate to assemble superstar talent around LaMelo Ball. The team is already built to compete with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, and Cleveland has been curiously keeping its 2024 pick in their pocket — which is the first year Bronny James could enter the NBA. LeBron” debate, then what better way that coming to Chicago and winning a title in Jordan’s house? LeBron can be traded in the off-season, should he decide to force his way out — or Los Angeles will have almost max-level money in free agency, should they trade Westbrook. However, while other teams in the conference are making moves to get better, Los Angeles has largely been treading water, with their most notable move being a trade for Rui Hachimura. The way I’m feeling the way my body’s been reacting to me throughout the course of the season I know I can play a couple more years. The team’s grand plan to assemble a championship-winning big three of LeBron, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook has been nothing short of disastrous. Davis has been brilliant when available, but routinely injured since joining the Lakers — while Westbrook has been a shadow of his former self over the last two years, and perennially in trade rumors. Not “the Lakers,” not “this group of guys,” but anyone.

Russell Westbrook and Lakers coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated exchange in the locker room during halftime of Tuesday's game, sources told ESPN.

[133-130](/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401468976), the game was highlighted by L.A. star [LeBron James](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james) scoring 38 points and surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the [No. Ham closed the game with Westbrook, who had 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter.

LeBron James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record in the third quarter of the Lakers loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles. On hand for the ...

The Lakers are trading Russell Westbrook to Utah in three-team deal that sends Mike Conley to Minnesota and former No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell to L.A..

The Lakers traded him to Brooklyn after just two seasons, and the Nets dealt him to Golden State as part of the deal that allowed the Nets to sign Kevin Durant. Russell was on the move again in 2020 when Golden State traded him to Minnesota in the deal that sent Andrew Wiggins to the Warriors. He wasn’t a fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Lakers missing the playoffs last season, resulting in coach Frank Vogel’s dismissal, and the Lakers are just 25-30 and in 13th place in the Western Conference this season. Russell returns to the Lakers, the team that drafted him with the No. The Westbrook experiment never quite yielded the results the Lakers sought when they acquired him from Washington in the summer of 2021. The Lakers will also get Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from Utah.

D'Angelo Russell is heading to L.A., but the other two pieces bound for the Lakers could be the real key here.

He also doesn’t need the ball in his hands as much as Russell did, so it allows [Anthony Edwards](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/anthony-edwards-od38ONt5aEAWM6H0/) to have the ball more. They can figure out a buyout and let him go sign wherever wants to take a chance on him ( [maybe L.A.’s other team?](https://twitter.com/LawMurrayTheNU/status/1623495680307396608)) He would do more of what [Donovan Mitchell](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/donovan-mitchell-c5XmTqu40nNV02JE/) couldn’t and find the passing angles or passing gumption to send that thing into the big man. [Rudy Gobert](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/rudy-gobert-HoB7w4Z5ROZnzHO4/), often as the guard who had no problem passing to him. He’s a 6-foot-6 wing with good playmaking skills, and he’s shot the ball well this season in limited minutes. Russell’s role would be to run the offense when James isn’t on the floor and knock down shots whenever a defense swarms James and [Anthony Davis](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/anthony-davis-YhDofdcmUKoYKV18/). Back when the Jazz were trying to compete on a grander scale, they played way better basketball with Conley on the court, and that was a pretty deep and loaded team (even though they faltered in the postseason). Minnesota would get Mike Conley Jr., [Nickeil Alexander-Walker](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/nickeil-alexander-walker-HdXueFndMt2cxLGS/) and three second-round picks in the deal, and the Jazz would receive [Russell Westbrook](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook-6Eb0XPY16UzzJWbc/) and highly coveted draft compensation. I would wager Conley starts seeing more of that type of impact on/off the court with a team like Minnesota that is hoping to be far more competitive and successful than this current Jazz team. [LeBron James](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/lebron-james-dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr/) on the floor, but he was not always the primary point guard with Minnesota. Even if Russell is more of a flop, having way more of a playoff rotation with these guys in the mix does constitute a significant upgrade. Russell has been brutal for the Wolves this season as he tries to capitalize on a contract year.

The Lakers have agreed to a deal to land point guard D'Angelo Russell in a three-team trade involving the Timberwolves and Jazz, sources said.

His 41.7% shooting is in the bottom 10 among players averaging at least 12 field goal attempts this season. Westbrook can still fill up the stat sheet in his 15th NBA season; he's one of just six players to have at least four triple-doubles this season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. 2 overall by the team in the 2015 NBA draft and played two seasons for Los Angeles before being traded to the ends less than two years after the Lakers acquired the former MVP in the hopes of vaulting the franchise back into title contention. [Donovan Mitchell](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3908809/donovan-mitchell) and [Rudy Gobert](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032976/rudy-gobert) era in Utah and has helped lead the Jazz to a surprising spot in the play-in race. He's also finishing at an elite rate -- his 65.4% shooting on layups and dunks this season ranks in the top 10 among guards (minimum 125 field goal attempts). If the Lakers' pick to the Jazz is not conveyed in 2027 -- if it falls into the top four -- the pick immediately converts to a 2027 second-round pick, sources told ESPN's Zach Lowe. [LeBron James](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james) and [Anthony Davis](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6583/anthony-davis) led to the Lakers missing the postseason last year and have them in danger of doing the same this season. This will be Russell's second stint with the Lakers. Westbrook's tenure in L.A. [Los Angeles Lakers](/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers) have agreed to a deal to land [Minnesota](/nba/team/_/name/min/minnesota-timberwolves)'s [D'Angelo Russell](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3136776/dangelo-russell), [Malik Beasley](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3907822/malik-beasley) and [Jarred Vanderbilt](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278077/jarred-vanderbilt) in a three-team trade also involving the [Utah Jazz](/nba/team/_/name/utah/utah-jazz), sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Lakers are reportedly trading Russell Westbrook to Utah and reacquiring guard D'Angelo Russell from Minnesota in a three-team, eight-player deal.

The Wolves eventually acquired Russell at the deadline in February 2020 and teamed him with his draft-class pal, Karl-Anthony Towns. The 35-year-old Conley is averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 assists in his fourth season with Utah. The Russell-Towns pairing never really took off, in part because of injuries for each player that often kept them from being on the court at the same time. His style on both ends of the court also could complement James and Davis better than Westbrook, although the Lakers will have little time to figure it out. The 34-year-old Westbrook is making about $47m in the final year of his contract. The Lakers fell to 25-30 on Tuesday while

Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star, would head to Utah after not fitting smoothly with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Minnesota's D'Angelo Russell will return ...

He is a more traditional point guard than Russell and may fit better next to Anthony Edwards, the [third-year guard](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/edwaran01.html) who has emerged as a franchise player for the Timberwolves. The Lakers traded him to the Nets in 2017, before his third season. Russell’s replacement in Minnesota would be Conley, who started 42 games at point guard for the surprisingly resilient Jazz this season. The Jazz will mark Westbrook’s fifth team in five years, an unusual level of movement for a former M.V.P. The Washington Wizards traded Westbrook to the Lakers before the 2021-22 season, giving the Lakers high hopes that he would be part of a so-called superteam with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Only months into the 2019-20 season, Golden State traded him to the Timberwolves, where he played alongside his close friend Karl-Anthony Towns. The Westbrook trade will also send to the Jazz forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center Damian Jones and a first-round pick in the 2027 draft. Crucially for the Lakers, he will provide another shooter as they attempt to salvage their season: He is shooting 39.1 percent from deep this season. That, along with his below-average perimeter shooting, sunk the chances of him fitting with James and Davis. Westbrook averaged 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game off the To acquire Westbrook, the Lakers traded multiple players who were crucial to their championship run in 2020. But in Los Angeles, Westbrook struggled to adjust to coming off the bench and not being the primary ballhandler.

The Los Angeles Lakers have finally pulled off a trade that should lift this team back into playoff contention.

However, he won’t be leaned on heavily on the defensive end and he’ll only expected to be the ball-handler when James is not on the floor. Since the Westbrook trade prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, the Lakers have fallen on hard times. This is a win in a number of ways for the Lakers. The loss was notable because Los Angeles is in direct competition with Oklahoma City for one of the play-in spots in the Western Conference. Los Angeles won an NBA title a little more than two years ago with the James/Davis pairing, but it feels like a decade ago. Sparsely-used Lakers big men, Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson [will also be traded](https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623490103216676866) to the Jazz, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker will go to the Timberwolves.