The Lakers held an awkward media day in a needed messy contrast to the rest of the upbeat sports landscape in Los Angeles.
,” as Mark Heisler called it in the title of his 2004 book about “The Inside Story of the Lakers’ Dysfunctional Dynasties.” And these are not the good times, with the team having followed up its 2020 NBA championship with a two-year slide to 33-49 last season.
Into this comes Darvin Ham, a first-time head coach, and Patrick Beverley, the guard whom columnist Jim AlexanderBeverley has feuded with new backcourt mate Russell Westbrook and made his debut in purple and gold yesterday by questioning the “will” of some of last year’s Lakers. As for Westbrook going into his second year with the Lakers: Beat writer Kyle Goon ranked him No. 1 … among Lakers personnel
entering training camp. Goon listened yesterday and concluded it’s still a strained relationship between the former UCLA star and the team that’s due to pay him $47 million this season.from media day in El Segundo, “the Lakers and Westbrook are all business and little warmth – and maybe mutual tolerance is the best it’s going to get between a former league MVP fallen from grace and the franchise that strongly considered trading him this summer.
L.A.’s pro basketball teams present quite a contrast, the Clippers projecting the happy mood that permeates Southern California sports, the Lakers bringing the dark drama needed to keep it all real.•start their last homestand of the season against the A’s . They have to win six of their last nine games to avoid 90 losses.open a series at San Diego . The Padres hold the second of three NL wild-card playoff spots, 1½ games up on the Phillies and 3 up on the Brewers.
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