Frank Vogel

Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo (9) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Ky Bowman (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Lakers G Rajon Rondo breaks thumb in practice, out 6-8 weeks

Jul. 13, 2020 2:40 AM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rajon Rondo broke his right thumb in practice with the Los Angeles Lakers in Florida. The veteran point guard will be out for six to eight weeks, the Lakers said Sunday night. Rondo will have surgery this week. Rondo has been a key backup during his second season with the Lakers, who...

FILE - In this March 3, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis celebrates after scoring during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, in Los Angeles. Jusuf Nurkic is back and healthy. So are Zach Collins, Meyers Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and plenty of others. If the four-month NBA shutdown had a silver lining, it’s that a lot of ailing players got well.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

NBA teams on the cusp of having real practices again

Jul. 7, 2020 3:58 PM EDT

Practice facilities in the NBA have been open for a couple of months, with one major element missing from them. No team has had an actual practice yet. Most of the work that has gone on in those buildings during the NBA’s shutdown has been voluntary, and all of it has been of the individual variety...

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2018, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith dribbles to the basket during the first quarter of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Cleveland. J.R. Smith has joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their championship push. The Lakers announced their long-anticipated signing of Smith as a substitute player on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the first day allowed under the rules of the NBA's summer restart. (AP Photo/Scott R. Galvin, File)

JR Smith overcomes 'very depressed state,' lands with Lakers

Jul. 6, 2020 9:01 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — JR Smith was not ready to wrap up his 15-year NBA career when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers in late 2018, and the ensuing 20 months were not much fun for the veteran shooter. “I went through a very depressed state for a long time," Smith said Monday. "I’m a big video...

FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2019, file photo, Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton (22) shoots after driving past Minnesota Timberwolves' Jake Layman during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers already have just about guaranteed themselves the top two playoff seeds and face a delicate balancing act when the NBA returns to action. They must try to shake off the rust after a 4 ½-month hiatus while also staying as healthy as possible for the postseason.(AP Photo/Aaron Gash, File)

Bucks, Lakers look to shed rust, be healthy for playoffs

Jul. 3, 2020 6:11 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers have all but guaranteed themselves the top two playoff seeds and face a balancing act when the NBA returns to action. While other teams will be fighting for a postseason berth or playoff seedings when they play the final eight regular season games...

FILE - In this March 6, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, right, shoots as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. Davis and the Lakers were leading the Western Conference when the coronavirus pandemic caused the suspension of the NBA season, but he is confident they’ll be able to resume their title chase. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Anthony Davis: Lakers' title chances improved after break

Jul. 2, 2020 9:01 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The sudden suspension of the NBA season was a double disappointment for Anthony Davis. “It happened on my birthday, which is kind of a bummer because I couldn't do anything,” the Los Angeles Lakers' seven-time All-Star big man said with a laugh. Davis turned 27 on March 11...

FILE - In this June 6, 2006, file photo, college players scrimmage during an NBA pre-draft basketball camp at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Kissimmee, Fla. Most of the 22 remaining NBA teams were taking the court for the first mandatory workouts in nearly four months Wednesday, July 1, 2020, as the league continued prepping for the restart of the season at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida. Workouts are still individual in nature, but are no longer voluntary. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

Asterisk on the NBA title? Coaches, players say not a chance

Jul. 1, 2020 7:32 PM EDT

The 2020 NBA champion, if one is crowned, will have emerged as the ultimate winner from a season that lasted more than a full year from start to finish. A season that saw political unrest between the NBA and China, the deaths of David Stern and Kobe Bryant,racial issues across the nation and, if that...

Lakers add veteran J.R. Smith for Orlando championship push

Jul. 1, 2020 5:03 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.R. Smith has joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their championship push. The Lakers announced their long-anticipated signing of Smith as a substitute player Wednesday, the first day allowed under the rules of the NBA's summer restart. Smith is the Lakers' roster...