Taylor Geas

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It’s been two weeks since the Lakers played in front of their home crowd but when fans arrive for Game 3, Round 1 on Thursday they’ll be met with gold t-shirts draped over their seats. Across the Playoff tees, an array of eclectic fonts forms the phrase: The Pursuit Takes Everybody.  

While a Lakers playoff run has been in question for months, the team never&nbsp;let uncertainty deter them. They stayed focused on what they could control,&nbsp;they stayed focused on themselves. The result was feeling empowered to “play free,” a phrase the players coined. It illustrates their ability to block out the noise and extract&nbsp;the shreds of joy wedged between the pressure and expectations surrounding the sport they’ve always loved. &nbsp;

“I think we’ve come together as a group,” Austin Reaves said in his walk-off interview after he and the Lakers took down the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 10th. “Throughout the whole year, we’ve had guys in and out of the lineup, but at some point, things just started clicking. We’re not really doing anything different. We’re just making more shots, playing with the extra pass, and really just enjoy playing the game together.”&nbsp;

Two months earlier, the team was in the thick of uncertainty as they faced the Dallas Mavericks in the middle of January. But that night, the streamers had fallen from high above the rafters at Crypto.com Arena. They laid,&nbsp;sprung across rows of seats and hardwood, as D’Angelo Russell left the court. Fans stretched out their arms over the stanchion side panels&nbsp;as he walked past them to the players’ tunnel. “DLo!,” they shouted. Before entering the tunnel that cast a purple and gold light on his face, he reached both hands above his head to high-five more fans shouting his name. &nbsp;

That night Russell led his team offensively and rivaled Luka Dončiċ’s 33 points with 29&nbsp;of his own. His teammates matched that&nbsp;energy and together they produced a 127-110 victory. &nbsp;

As fans still cheered behind him, D’Angelo turned the corner to the locker room and looked up at the camera in front of him to declare, “Huge, huge, tough win for us. It took everybody.”&nbsp;

It was a straightforward point, a simple observation. D’Angelo didn’t foresee what his one-off synopsis&nbsp;would become. Nobody did. &nbsp;

Now, three months later it’s&nbsp;game 82 and the Lakers defeated the Pelicans handedly in New Orleans. Because of the way the West shook out, the team remained in NOLA to face the Pelicans again in the Play-In Tournament. This game wasn’t won as easily. Future Hall of Famers,&nbsp;LeBron James and Anthony Davis, shot 12-for-36.&nbsp;

“We’ve been playing good ball,” James said. “And everybody’s been contributing. Hasn’t been many games where me and AD shot the ball like that, I think we were 12-for-36 from the field. But the rest of the guys picked us up so me and AD were just trying to do everything else that we could.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Austin Reaves confirmed LeBron’s point, “He looked at me and&nbsp;said, ‘I don’t remember the last time I shot 6-for-20’ and basically praised the team for pulling out this win,” Reaves said.&nbsp;

LeBron called their playoff berth, “An all-around team win.”&nbsp;

The next day marked the start of an entirely new season, 0-0. But the remedy for battle remained the same —success Takes Everybody. &nbsp;

Takes Everybody is when a squad, without their superstars, takes down the most dominant team in the East, 114-105 in Boston. It’s who you hear&nbsp;rivaling the “home crowd” during an “away game” to wield a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter. It’s how a team, now&nbsp;12 games over .500, battled through the merciless Western Conference to secure seventh place and a playoff push.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Takes Everybody is not this&nbsp;Kumbaya, hand-in-hand, campfire singalong togetherness. It’s how you show up amid doubt when your backs are against the wall. It’s&nbsp;an aggressive togetherness, a responsibility that fosters accountability—because if you don’t show up for your part&nbsp;in all of this, the center&nbsp;falls out.&nbsp;

Takes Everybody isn’t about when everything’s working in your favor, it’s when things are not. Takes Everybody is how you respond after watching your opponent’s game-winning shot fall at the buzzer. It’s coming home 0-2 in Round 1 to a team that you have yet to puncture—coming home to a sold-out arena who still believes. You’ll be able to hear the proof.  

“We already know what we’re going to get from our home fans,” LeBron said ahead of Game 3.&nbsp;“Felt like it’s been forever since we’ve played here to be honest.&nbsp;...Yes, that’s how long it feels, so hopefully they’re excited because we’re looking forward to it.”&nbsp;

This is the first time in two weeks, the first time all playoffs, that everybody will be together, 18,997 people packing the arena, ready to be heard; ready to respond.

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Lakers Game 3 Takes Everybody 

Returning to a place can be startling. You’re met by the realization that not much has changed, but you’ve changed entirely.  D’Angelo Russell arrived in Los Angeles at 19 years old as a rookie on the Lakers. He was a decent three-point shooter with playmaking potential who averaged 1.5 steals a game. Nine seasons later, he’s an assassin from the arc; he’ll make you pay from all over the floor as he’s been hitting 45.9% of shots from the field this season. And his playmaking is no longer just potential. His passing has become a legitimate craft as he averages 7.1 assists, one percent less than his teammate and the NBA’s fourth all-time leader in dimes, LeBron James.   

Russell first became a Laker ten years ago when Los Angeles picked him second overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He was traded after two seasons and bounced around the league between three different teams until last year when he returned to the Lakers during the most active trade deadline in the team’s History.  The lefty point guard rejoined Los Angeles and was an avid contributor in changing the trajectory of the Lakers season from a team that originally had a .3% chance of making the Playoffs to a team that forged their way into the Western Conference Finals. Even so, when this year’s free agency period rolled around, people outside of Russell's orbit speculated about his future. He was unflappable. He was stone cold. Russell said, “I don't care at all. I’m going to show up to work. That’s it. I can’t control that my contract makes sense to be traded. I can’t control that. I can just play.”  Eventually in life you realize there are only so many constants, only so many things you can control, only so many things you can find stability in. And for Russell, his constant has always been playing basketball. “I know my credibility,” Russell confirmed. “I know what I’m capable of, I never forget it; I’ll never forget it. My confidence will always be high. And I’ll walk like that, talk like that, and try to play like that too.”   After suffering a tailbone injury that sidelined him for three games at the end of December and early January, Russell hit the floor again on January 7, 2024. From that point until the trade deadline on February 8, 2024, he averaged 22.2 points, 6.4 assists, and shot 44.9% from three-point range. He responded to uncertainty with blatant confidence.  “Nothing changes,” Russell said about how he was feeling after the trade deadline. “Emotionless, still.” The world watched in awe as D’Angelo gave adversity the cold shoulder. He hit scrutiny with the silent treatment. Everyone wondered “How?” Was his performance ruled by frustration? Inspired by proving people wrong? Everyone asked “DLo” for answers, but his response was simple, “I can always control my own energy,” he said. “It’s just coming in and playing hard, I don’t think there’s a play you can draw up to play hard. For me, it’s continuing to chip away day by day, it’s just who I am. I play hard, I’ve always played like that. It’s just a part of me I guess.” 

He’s talked a lot about “flow state” this season, a mode where the body and mind are connected, focused beyond the point of distraction. Russell explained how he enters this mode often on the floor. It’s a place where he feels nothing and thinks about nothing. He used to be a player who overprepared, overwatched film, overthought, overshot. He used to be a player who tried to outthink the game. But he recently began studying psychology, specifically flow state, and now he’s a player who finds composure and confidence in preparation.  “Honestly there’s no thought, there’s no extra will,” he said. “I’ve just found a pocket that I can reach my flow state around these guys in the game. When I’m out there I’m not thinking about anything, I’m not thinking about scoring 20 points consecutively, in 12 games, and all that extra, I really just play; these are the results.” D’Angelo carries himself with an evenness. It’s clear he cares about basketball. He cares about his teammates. He cares about hooping. But he doesn’t need validation. He doesn’t let his value waver—ever. That’s hard. But it’s important—a skill most people go their whole lives without practicing. “For me to care about what people say about me now after people have been wrong about me for so long, I don’t care regardless—even for the praise. I just don’t care,” Russell said. With the highs and lows that come with being a professional athlete, Russell’s unapologetic demeanor is something his younger teammates look up to. And where he was once one of those young guys, now he’s a leader on this team.  D’Angelo credits his leadership to that of 2X NBA Champion, Rajon Rondo. Rondo and Russell had the same high school coach, Doug Bibby, back in Louisville, Kentucky. “We come from the same backyard,” Russell explained. Coach Bibby instilled confidence at a young age and “sprinkled the same sauce,” on each of them.  

When D’Angelo was in ninth grade, Rondo used to come to practice and pick him up full court. Rondo left for boarding school the next year, but he had laid the blueprint for young players coming out of Kentucky. “I wanted to follow that,” Russell explained.  He did. DLo’s a pro who recognizes what his teammates need. “I just notice throughout the game or throughout the organization the players that need a little confidence, a little battery in their back. I feel the most confident, good, bad, or in-between kind of games—always. On my way home, I don’t lose confidence. So, finding ways to sprinkle that on young players whenever I can or recognizing when someone might need it, I just keep those words of encouragement going and I keep being selfless, I think it’s contagious,” he said.  D’Angelo’s demeanor has been a big reason he’s forged relationships with his teammates, especially, he and Austin Reaves, who have developed a close friendship. They have similarities in their games, they share a love of golf, and they often do their postgame press conferences as a duo.   “It’s a beautiful thing. I like the way he plays the game,” AR commented on Russell's approach. “He’s one of the smoothest players I’ve ever seen and been around. It’s a testament to what he does when nobody’s watching.” This is D’Angelo Russell. But has it always been? When you return to the place you started, maybe it’s startling because you reflect on how much you’ve changed and because you can see now how everything you’ve achieved has always been inside of you. All the dreams and goals he had a decade ago are real now and he made them happen. Russell launched his own podcast, The Backyard, to share his truth and reflect on his journey. He’s joined the NBA’s 10,000-point club. He’s made Lakers History with the most three-pointers in a season, 208 and counting. And he’s become a father.  Countless times this season, fans have watched Russell scoop up his son, Riley, and have him on his hip while doing the postgame presser. His teammates have been gathered in the locker room and joined by D’Angelo and Riley after the game. Riley’s first birthday party was Lakers themed. His family and basketball, these are his constants right now. Everything else is just noise.  As for what he’ll do next, “I’m preparing myself for what he’s going to see,” D’Angelo said of his son. “I try to prepare myself to be the person I may have not had, or I know that I wanted to have. Everything is based around him now, he’s added structure. I plan out things now and I was never that guy.”  

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How D’Angelo Russell Brought Unshakeable Confidence to the Lakers  

In their last regular season home game, where every contest counts, the Lakers dropped an important one to the Warriors, 134-120.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“They had guys step up and make shots. It’s a make or miss league. It is what it is. It’s a tough loss for sure,” Head Coach Darvin Ham said in his postgame press conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Los Angeles is at a point in their season where every game they play has implications on their standing and what they could face in their pursuit of a playoff push.&nbsp; A win tonight would’ve moved the Purple and Gold into eighth place, but this loss keeps them in ninth place for now. With two remaining games, there are a lot of unknowns as the Lakers head toward the postseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And before the game started, uncertainty lingered, LeBron James and Anthony Davis were questionable to play. About an hour and forty-five minutes before tip, Davis scratched due to a headache and nausea, Jaxson Hayes started in place of AD, he brought 11 points, six rebounds, a block, a steal, and an assist.&nbsp;&nbsp;

About 45 minutes before the game, James was upgraded to available despite flu-like symptoms. But LeBron didn’t play like a man who was suffering from an illness, he produced 33 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds to try and wield his team to victory. But ultimately, the Lakers struggled to control Golden State’s impressive 26-of-41 outside shooting from the jump.  

There were moments throughout the game when the Lakers were within striking distance. Rui Hachimura charged his team with 20 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and one assist. Austin Reaves kept everybody steady with 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. And D’Angelo Russell presented surges of energy with 14 points and seven assists. But LA was never able to breakthrough. 

As LeBron laid out, “it’s impossible to make up for what AD provides offensively and defensively.”&nbsp;

Steph Curry was perfect from three on the night. His six-made threes were more than half of his 23 total points. Klay Thompson made 5-of-10 from outside on his way to 27 points.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the first quarter alone, the Warriors shot 77.8% from three, giving them a nine-point lead heading into the second. They never cooled down. They never gave up the lead. In fact,by halftime, Draymond Green shot perfectly from the field on his way to 15 points. It was the first time since May 4, 2017, that Green hit five threes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“They exploited our game plan,” James said afterward, “and so you tip your hat to them.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Lakers head to Memphis next to face the Grizzlies on Friday and to New Orleans on Sunday. Their schedule after that is unclear.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It is what it is,” LeBron said of the teams standing in the West. “We know we’re as good as any team in the league when we’re whole.” They may have the chance to prove that.   

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Golden State’s Firepower Keeps Lakers in Ninth Place—For Now 

“Shut up you haters, we’re on top right now. And we will be for a while.” - Lakers Gaming&nbsp;

On March 16, 2024, Lakers Gaming defeated Magic Gaming to become Slam Open Champions in the first 3 vs. 3 tournament of their season.&nbsp;

Now, more than a week later, amid week two of their second tournament, the Switch Open, they are still undefeated.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Even with this success, the week of practice preceding the tournament was concerning.&nbsp;

“It didn’t look, it didn’t sound good. It didn’t look good at all,” Shooting Guard, Dhwan White (ShiftyKaii) said. “But we kept working towards it, we fixed our communication, we fixed our gameplay. And then as we got closer and closer to the tournament, we realized we were getting better and better.”&nbsp;

Each tournament is three weeks, and each week is considered a round. The first week is seeding games while the second and third weeks are double elimination brackets, and by the end of week three, a champion is crowned.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In week one of the Slam Tournament, Lakers Gaming played the Warriors Gaming Squad, Blazers Gaming, Kings Guard Gaming, and Jazz Gaming. They went 4-0 and earned the top seed in the bracket for week two. They stayed undefeated through week two, beating Team Glitchy, a community (amateur) team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That Saturday of the following week they were in the Finals and set to play Magic Gaming. This was their first series against them, and the loser was set to move down to the loser's bracket.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lakers Gaming Center Veron Coates (YooVc) said how their game plan “is to always make the other team uncomfortable.” The series went to Game 5, with Magic Gaming falling from the winner’s bracket. Magic Gaming then faced the top team in the lower bracket, beat them, and had the opportunity for redemption against Lakers Gaming.  

It was Lakers Gaming against Magic Gaming again in the winner’s bracket, with the Lakers up 1-0 in the double elimination round. They needed one more to take it all but lost 1-3. Now 1-1, they had to face Magic Gaming for a third time that Saturday. It was win or bust.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Like the Lakers and ShiftyKaii, Magic Gaming’s strongest player is their guard. In an effort to disrupt everything Magic Gaming thought they knew about them, ShiftyKaii had be willing to share the ball, and his teammates YooVc and Arshia Karimi (Krazy) had to be willing and able to hit big shots.&nbsp;

Wondering how that game plan panned out?&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We swept them,” Krazy said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“3-0,” Guard Vincent Magnaldi added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Yeaaaaah,” YooVo chimed in.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sweeps are rare in the 2KL because of the level of talent and the intricate details needed to secure a win: Best of 5 series. Games are to 21. Win by 2. But Lakers Gaming grabbed their first title in less than 20 minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I knew if we were going to beat them,” ShiftyKaii explained, “We’d have to give them our all. And we did.”&nbsp;

Winning this championship awarded the team $100,000 and qualified them for the Playoffs in May.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most of the guys were aligned on saving their portion of the money, investing it and letting it grow. But Rookie Dvnxsty has other plans, “I’m going shopping: new going out clothes, some jewelry, probably get a necklace or chain or something.&nbsp;

That’s the difference between the vets and the Rookies,” he pointed out with a laugh.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Trell’s rookie year he bought shoes that glowed,” General Manager Matt Makovec pointed out and everyone broke out in laughter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I made a lot of dumb purchases,” Trellyb said with a smirk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Make no mistake though, it’s not always laughing and joking in this league.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trash talk comes in different levels in the 2KL. Twitter trash talk is very prevalent. There’s trash talk in sub chats with no public access. Then there’s in-person game play where you’ll get a distinct advantage if you can break another player down.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The team is used to going to Washington DC and playing in person and trash talking in person. There, things can get incredibly heated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“In person, it’s at its peak,” YooVc said. Charging the stage, swearing, threatening, etc. constitutes a fine. “If you say certain things, it will hit you over the head,” YooVc continued, explaining that one time in the Playoffs, 2KL officials worried he and an opponent were going to fight; he was hit with a $700 fine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I like trash talking. …I like to hit them where it hurts, you know what I’m saying?” Trellyb added.&nbsp;

One time Lakers Gaming was facing 76ers GC, and they knew their center was getting traded so during the game Trellyb was telling him, “You’re gone after this game. This is your last time wearing these colors.” The team explained how you get distinct advantages if you can break an opponent down and how primarily, trash talk is just in the moment. It’s to throw opponents off their game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But sometimes, as Krazy put it, “Sometimes I don’t like somebody.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The thing about trash talk is it only means something if you have the skills to back it up.  

Lakers Gaming is a team made up of highly intelligent players. They are dedicated to their craft; Krazy, YooVc, and ShiftyKaii play three scrims (scrimmages) together every day, solely focused on improving their shooting. Dvnxsty explained how there are ways to get better outside of merely playing. He prides himself on being a good shooter and he explained how there’s a point in the jump shot where when you release the shooting button, it’s a perfect release every time. It looks the same every time. However, the timing of the jump shot changes due to other factors including contesting, the preceding dribble move, etc. So, Dvnxsty takes a picture of the perfect jump shot to study and examines the form when it is a perfect release, giving him higher chances of replicating during game time.&nbsp;

And every player on the team can identify what archetypes their opponents are. Archetypes depict the players' play styles characterized by player behaviors. The team analyzes the statistics, patterns, and behaviors of their opponents in order to determine what each one is going to do, when, and how—and then they make high-IQ adjustments to stop them entirely.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The most rewarding part is waking up and getting paid to play the game every day.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“…it’s still hard work, I feel like people don’t think it’s hard work,” ShiftyKaii explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The job takes discipline and a desire to get better. And getting better can be brutal sometimes explained Head Coach Brian “Nacho” Traynor.&nbsp; The success of the team is rooted in player trust and open communication. Sometimes criticism and accountability can be ruthless, but it’s always for the betterment of the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“There needs to be a tough skin. There needs to be a tough skin because there’s a common goal,” Coach Nacho said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This is a squad that understands that; they have that. They genuinely care about one another and put team success before individual accolades. As mentioned above, this is the point in their season where the tournaments are 3 vs. 3, 5 vs. 5 will start in May, which means two players are on the bench right now. Krazy, YooVvc, and ShiftyKaii have been in the starting lineup and the guys that played in the championship.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But Trellyb and Dvnxsty were a part of the victory, a part of the win, their knowledge of the game, their encouragement, their energy. They all brought this ship home.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“To me,” Dvnxsty said, “it doesn’t feel like I won because I didn’t play but everybody else won.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Hey, we’re a team bro,” Trellyb declared.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Everyone’s always talking about changing the culture,” Trellyb continued, “We did that.”&nbsp;

At the conclusion of the interview, the team rose from their seats and made their way to the door but paused for a moment and looked back before leaving. They had one more message to share: They’ll be back in here again, for another interview—because more content, more praise, more success is coming.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“What we’re looking for is just to get respect as a franchise,” Makovec stated.   

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Give Lakers Gaming Their Flowers 

Since 1987, one of the two voices you’d hear in the background of a Lakers game is that of Color Analyst Stu Lantz. But on February 14, 2024, you heard a different voice; you heard Allie Clifton’s voice.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Lakers broadcast booth is legendary. The seats are coveted. Francis Gayle “Chick” Hearn’s reign as the Lakers play-by-play announcer set a standard for anyone who was going to enter the space and pick up that headset. Bill Macdonald, Chick’s successor, knows that only experts are called upon to sit in those seats and help provide the “words eye view” that Chick had once given to Lakers fans. And so, on that second Wednesday in February when Stu, the 37-year vet was out for a few games due to a routine medical procedure, the decision for his replacement was not taken lightly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That night, the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 138-122. Clifton, a Spectrum SportsNet studio host, called the game alongside Macdonald, and became the first woman to call a Lakers game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But this story isn’t about congratulating a woman for being the first to call a Lakers game. This is about examining how prepared this person was to do her job. 

Clifton started in sports as a college basketball player at the University of Toledo. So much of her family worked in education, her dad retired as an administrator after forty years, that Clifton was studying at UT to become a math and science teacher for grades 4-9. But one day before the final semester of her senior year, when a calculus four exam kept her for two hours to solve one problem, she had a change of heart.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“When my career was coming to an end as a player, I was like ‘I need something to keep me in sports,’” she said.&nbsp;

That summer she was struck by broadcast journalism. And her plan to break into the field was this: throw herself into it entirely.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clifton went back to UT to earn her master's in liberal studies, she worked in the weight room as a grad assistant to get her school paid for. At night, she worked for BCSN, a small sports station that would air all the high school and college sports on their network. She primarily covered high school girls' and boys' basketball, and college basketball. Her first sideline gig was the UT college football spring game. And in the summers, Clifton covered baseball as a sideline reporter for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.&nbsp;

She did so many things during those two years, “I was actually a reporter for Channel 13 ABC News and covered a double homicide murder,” Clifton commented.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Her first two games as a color analyst were two high school girls' basketball games for BCSN. Afterwards, she met up with her friends and told them, “I’m not going to make it in this career. This is hard. There’s no way, I’m not good at this.”&nbsp;

She didn’t think she could do it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“But then I put my heels in the mud and just continued to dig and work at it,” Clifton said. “Two years later, it was then that I got my opportunity with the Cavs.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2012, Clifton landed at Fox Sports Ohio as a sideline reporter for the Cleveland Cavaliers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“My first year to my second I had taken a big leap and jump, a lot of it was just being confident, understanding that I could do this, and getting over my own mental hurdles,” she explained. And right on time, as Clifton found her center in this new space, LeBron James returned to Cleveland.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That July, the world waited for LeBron to announce his plans during free agency. Clifton stayed ready anticipating his return to Cleveland, but then a few days had passed so she figured it was safe to head south to a friend’s lake house. She had driven a few hours and stepped onto a pontoon boat that began making its way to the middle of the lake when she got the call. She was needed back in Cleveland immediately. The pontoon turned around and headed back to shore and Clifton headed back north for three hours until she was standing on the lawn in front of the arena capturing the fan reactions around her.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It was that day that I was like ‘Oh this is different,’” She explained.  

LeBron led the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016. That following January, Cavs small forward, Richard Jefferson, approached Clifton at practice and asked if she’d consider hosting a podcast he was planning to launch with his teammate Channing Frye. “Absolutely not,” Clifton replied. She normally likes staying under the radar but will then remind herself that she must step outside of her comfort zone, and when she does, really special things happen.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A nudge from her inner self and the encouragement from Jefferson convinced Clifton to give the podcast a try. Now more than seven years later, “Road Trippin” is one of the most popular athlete-driven podcasts. And for a long time, it was the only athlete-driven podcast hosted by active players. It completely disrupted the industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That opportunity that Rich afforded me, and that they both had been so gracious with me on over the years, changed the trajectory of my career. …I take nothing about that lightly. …it’s something very, very special,” Clifton said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Then in 2018, after their first year of “Road Trippin”, when LeBron left for the Lakers, Clifton landed in Los Angeles too, as Spectrum SportsNet’s studio host. She’s been in basketball for over a decade, covering, analyzing, and calling games— once for the Cavs, frequently in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks, and now for the 17x champs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I know that I’ve put in some work,” Clifton said. “I still have so much to do obviously, and I’m willing and ready for that, I just think the moment, it met me at the right time. I was just so hopeful that I could rise to the occasion. And I think I did that.”&nbsp;

When she received the call that second Monday in February about her upcoming assignment two days later, Allie had confidence from her prior work experiences, and she also found poise in her preparation. From the call on Monday morning to the game on Wednesday night, she didn’t stop thinking about the job she had to do. Her prep was a bit different than normal; she studied boards covered with numbers and personnel for both teams. She had to absorb information to be used at a moment’s notice. She had to be ready to push herself to step outside of her comfort zone—live, in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“My biggest thing is sometimes I don’t talk as much. Because I’m still, especially in that space, trying to find my voice.”&nbsp;

But Clifton had learned already how what you demand from yourself in moments of apprehension is what’s going separate you from who you’ve been and who you’re about to become. What you decide to do in that moment will either nourish the trepidation or suffocate it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That was my thing too,” Allie said, “Just knowing myself, I was like ‘you have to talk, Allie.’ And it’s a lot of talking. …I was just hoping that I could meet the moment and fill my role, which meant I had to use my voice.”&nbsp;

Clifton explained how she’s listened to “Stu and Billy Mac” every single game since she arrived in 2018, she knows their style. That night, she wanted the lineup change to feel seamless, “I just wanted to follow his lead,” she said. “But the biggest thing with him is, it’s not about him. From the second he found out I was doing it, he said ‘Talk as much as you want. This is your opportunity. It made me feel so comfortable.’&nbsp;

And the whole time she was in the booth, she didn’t think about the specialness of the moment, her phone was on do not disturb, she didn’t check in on social media, she didn’t think about anything but doing her job. Because Clifton said, “Whether I did good or not, I still needed to put my head down and grind.”&nbsp;

But her grind was met with applause from around the league, including a tweet from her friend and fellow Ohio native, LeBron. In between a slew of clapping and fire emojis, James said how “super happy” and “proud” he was of her. And she expressed her gratitude for him in return.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clifton explained how Bron’s second stint in Cleveland, set an example for her: “...He showed me a different side of a grind. Whether it was him in his space of the game, to me and my craft, if you put in the time, if you put in the work, it will pay off.&nbsp;

When he put out that tweet for me after I did the Lakers game, it was more than just a tweet. You think back to all this time covering him, and sometimes what I need to do a better job at is probably saying thank you to him a little bit more often because I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in in a lot of ways if it wasn’t for him and what he showed me in terms of that grind and that preparation and what it takes to be good at something you’re passionate about.”&nbsp;

Included in the outpouring of love from her friends and colleagues, Allie also got messages from moms and dads who had been showing their kids that this happened; that a woman was in the booth calling the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That’s what it’s about, to know that we can, that you belong, and that it’s possible because I had that growing up. ...and without that, who are we, what are we doing?”&nbsp;

By preparing, pushing past your fear, by putting your focus on your work, you show yourself that you belong, and you show everyone else that they belong too. 

Clifton is a complete professional. Her composure is almost disarming. And she’ll talk to you the same way she talks to a professional basketball player, it’s always relatable, inquisitive, smart, conversational.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clifton said she’s always modeled her approach to that of Hall of Fame NBA Broadcaster, Doris Burke.&nbsp;&nbsp;

She explained how Burke “comes prepared. She knows what she’s talking about. Her delivery. Her cadence. Her intellect. She’s the total package. To be able to have that and be able to give it, that’s the other thing she does so well, she takes the time.”&nbsp;

Burke has been a basketball analyst and commentator for over 25 years. She’s been with ESPN, ABC, and CBS and started in men and women’s college basketball, moved on to the WNBA covering the New York Liberty before landing in the NBA. Burke’s career has been riddled with firsts: She was the first woman to call Knicks radio and television broadcast, the first woman to call a BIG EAST men’s basketball game on TV. She was the first woman to be a fulltime national NBA analyst, and she was the first woman to serve as an analyst for the NBA Finals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The work that Burke puts in is evident to Clifton who explained that she admires and tries to emulate her work ethic, drive, and ability to strike&nbsp;the&nbsp;balance between no nonsense and entertaining—a balancing act Burke does so well.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I’m so proud of her,” Doris said of Clifton’s accomplishment. “And what I’d tell Allie and all women of her generation is I so admire their approach to things. Their professionalism and their work habits because they wouldn’t be there without that. But more importantly, they seem to have this innate confidence that I never possessed, and what that does is inspire me.&nbsp;

Like people say, ‘I look up to you,’ and that’s very nice to hear but I didn’t enter the business for that reason, I just love basketball. But when you meet nice people like Allie who want so badly to be great at what she does, and then to see her go out and execute it, it’s joyful for me. I’m close to the end of my career and knowing that the next generation is going to take us to places we haven’t been, is just the best.”&nbsp;

Chasing a dream is tricky because there’s a million little stops along the way and at every stop, you’re someone different. It’s a constant state of transformation. Sometimes the next stop is scary and you second guess yourself, and even there on your journey, you have someone looking to you from the place you once were.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s so emotional to hear that someone I’ve looked up to and I’ve idolized, and I’ve strived to be, has those words to say about me,” Clifton said, “because she showed me that I can be confident, and I do belong.”

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When Women Call the Shots

After defeating No.2 in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, the Lakers kept their win streak rolling with a 120-109 win over No.2 in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves.&nbsp;&nbsp;

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both questionable coming into tonight’s game, and Minnesota was without Rudy Gobert (hamstring tightness) and Karl Anthony Towns after he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But by game time James and Davis we upgraded to available; they both played– and that’s putting it extremely lightly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On the eve of his 31st birthday, Davis had a historic night. His 27 points, 25 rebounds, seven steals, five assists, and three blocks cement him as the only player in the history of the NBA to ever garner this stat line in a game. In fact, since the 1983-84 season, the only two players who had 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 7+ steals were Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Head Coach Darvin Ham explained AD’s performance as the big man “just being a monster all night.”&nbsp;

When asked after his performance if he was aware he was making history during the game, AD’s response was a simple, “No.”&nbsp;

LBJ led the team with 29 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. But he only had eight points at the end of the first half, and at halftime the Lakers were up by just one point. They had been outscored in the paint by two. They shot 66.7% from the field but Minnesota had stuck in the game because of 11 Laker turnovers, lackluster perimeter defense, and their eight second-chance points compared to the Lake Show’s 0.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Naz Reid also held it down for the TWolves in the first, he led the team with 21 first-half points. He was 71.4% from three (5-for-7) and 70% from the field (7-for-10). But Reid only had four more points for the rest of the game and the second half belonged to the Purple and Gold.&nbsp;&nbsp;

James got going early and tipped off the third with a triple, and 18 points to follow in the second half. But still, at the end of the quarter the Lakers were down by one.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Then the game was blown wide open in the final frame when Davis declared this game his. The big fella’s ten offensive boards left everyone stunned—and gave the Lakers a 16-point lead at one point.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Ten offensive rebounds is crazy,” Austin Reaves said after the game. “I did feel that during the game, anytime we shot and missed he was there to give us another opportunity.”&nbsp;

Reaves finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists, and was the third leading scorer behind the duo that is Bron and AD.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Now, the team has a few days off before they travel up North and reencounter the Kings this Wednesday in a rematch where they’ll be looking for redemption after dropping the game against Sac just a week prior.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Now, six games over .500, in terms of this team becoming one of the best in the league, “We gotta just keep stacking the days,” Coach Ham said after another promising performance this Sunday night.

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Anthony Davis Makes History and Lifts Lakers over TWolves

The height planes fly in the sky, the weight of two African elephants, and if you live until you’re 110, the number of days you’ll have in your life...forty thousand—and the number of points LeBron James has scored in the NBA.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It was 11 years ago on January 16, 2013, when LeBron passed Kobe Bryant as the youngest player to reach 20,000 points. And now in his 21st year, the King of Scoring is the only player in the history of the league to more than double that number.&nbsp;

“To be able to accomplish things with the greatest players who have ever played in this league, the NBA, has been a dream of mine. To hit feats and have milestones throughout my career, they all mean something to me,” LeBron said of his achievement.&nbsp;

At 39 years old, James’ career points are more than all of his Lakers teammates’ combined. In 21 seasons, he’s scored 12,291 two-pointers, 8,296 free throws, and 2,381 three-pointers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While his first 20,000 points included 1,273 dunks and 1,136 three-pointers. His second 20,000 has had 898 dunks and 1,145 three-pointers. As the years have passed, LeBron has had more chances from three than throwing one down at the rim like he had done in the first half of his career. His shooting has evolved with the league’s standards.&nbsp;

LeBron played for Cleveland, Miami, and is in his sixth season in Los Angeles, but outside the cities he’s called home, LBJ has scored most of his 40,000 points in Chicago with 996 points in 34 games. The Bulls were the Cavaliers’ divisional opponent, Bron played in Chi-town twice a year for eleven years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The second city that got to see the best of LeBron’s scoring was Orlando with 893 points in 33 games. Not only were the Magic a divisional opponent of LeBron’s during his four seasons in Miami, but a small portion of his points in this city came from the non-playoff games in the Bubble before the Lakers notched their seventeenth title in the 2020 NBA Championship.&nbsp;

But tonight’s points were at home in Los Angeles. LeBron’s final nine points to 40K came in the Lakers matchup against the Denver Nuggets, on the same day Wilt Chamberlain made NBA history with his 100-point game 62 years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;

James didn’t look overzealous offensively, he stayed with his usual plan—he let the game come to him. His first two points came off a bounce pass from Rui Hachimura at 6:20 in the first quarter. He drove swiftly through the lane and put in a right-handed layup, giving the Lakers an 18-12 lead over the defending champs. Bron’s following points were off a smooth triple at 5:15, pushing the lead to 23-14.&nbsp;&nbsp;

His sixth and seventh points were the results of a floater at the start of the second, and the points to deem LeBron the King of 40K? A lefthanded layup about a minute later. The crowd stood but LeBron and the Lakers didn’t flinch, they kept playing, kept maintaining their lead over the Nuggets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

More than a minute later, at 9:16, Head Coach Darvin Ham called a timeout. It was then LeBron finally let himself crack a smile. The arena rose to their feet again. James pointed to the crowd, he waved to his family, he pointed to the sky, and then he got back to business. Because that’s what legends do.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While the Lakers were unable to secure a victory over Denver, King James finished his historic night with 26 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals. And he brought the crowd to their feet several times.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“You’re only going to get out of the game as much as you put into it,” LeBron explained. “...For me, I wanted to be great, and you can’t be great if you don’t punch your clock in. ... I think that’s the most important thing I can give to the younger generations: Just put the work in.”&nbsp;

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The Legend of LeBron James Continues 

Head Coach Darvin Ham’s advice to his team is exactly what they did tonight in the second game of their back-to-back, “Fight energy with energy.” The fight brought them a 123-118 victory over the Spurs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Where it felt like Los Angeles controlled the game, San Antonio managed to hang on and stay right in it, the Lakers only led by four at half and then by four again heading into the final frame.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Spurs biggest threat was found in Victor Wembanyama who by half had 16 points and seven rebounds to Lakers big man, Anthony Davis's 13 points and three rebounds. They battled in the paint, but the Lakers ultimately owned it with 60 to San Antonio’s 50 points and 55 to the Spurs 53 boards.&nbsp;&nbsp;

AD nor Wemby ever took their foot off the gas; Wembanyama finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and five steals and Davis had 28 points and 13 rebounds even while sitting the entire fourth quarter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

What made the difference Davis vs. Wembanyama? Davis’ supporting cast outplayed Wemby’s.&nbsp;&nbsp;

LeBron James, who missed last night’s loss in Golden State because of his left ankle returned with a fury tonight. Despite their loss, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich commented how much he enjoys watching the All-Time Scoring Leader, “LeBron’s been spectacular for so long, and he’s done it with class” He led the game with 30 points. Six of those points were two-made threes, lifting LeBron past Nick Van Exel as No. 3 on the Lakers' All-Time Three-Pointers List.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Davis and James combined for 58, nearly half of the team’s total points.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And where the duo brought power and finesse, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura brought energy and aggression.&nbsp;&nbsp;

D’Lo, who turned 28 today, brought a style that felt like a metronome for the conduction of this game—he’s been bringing it. As he confidently shot from three, he kept the crowd engaged. He finished 42.9% from the arc along with 22 points, six assists, three rebounds, and a steal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And then there was Rui Hachimura’s aggression that infused urgency into the game during his 31 minutes of play. Rui finished the night with 17 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. He attacked the basket fiercely and made three of his four three-point attempts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Lakers will face Phoenix on Sunday. Both LeBron and Ham’s advice for the team heading into their next slew of competitive games, “Everyone needs to do their jobs.