Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world. In order to compete in a city full of celebrities, you need a star. The Lakers franchise have been lucky enough to land some of the best players in basketball throughout their storied history. From Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson to Shaquille O’Neal to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, the Lakers have had a superstar headliner for the past 50 years.

LeBron is now in the twilight of his phenomenal career. His individual statistics still look good, but he is no longer an elite player. He is 40 years old and his star is slowly fading. The Lakers needed a new box office headliner to lead the Lake Show. Enter Luka Doncic.

ESPN reporter Shams Charania, Adrian Wojnarowski’s protégé, dropped an epic “Woj bomb” shortly after midnight eastern and 9 p.m. L.A. time. The breaking news post said the Dallas Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the L.A. Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick.

The post, which was viewed by 81 million users, was so unbelievable that Shams had to immediately do a follow-up post just to let everyone know that he didn’t get hacked. It was real.

The multiplayer blockbuster deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and shipped Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks not only sent shockwaves around the basketball community but it ushered in a seismic shift in L.A. LeBron’s Lake Show residency is expiring soon, and Luka steps in as the new face of the team tasked with keeping the championship window open.

“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come. His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement.

Doncic, who turns 26 this month, is just entering his prime. He’s coming off a season in which he led the NBA in scoring (33.9) and made his first NBA Finals appearance. He was named to the All-NBA first team five times in his seven seasons in Dallas.

Only time will tell if the Lakers’ Luka gamble will pay off and result in an NBA title. Where does the Doncic-for-Davis trade rank in Lakers lore? OMFB examined five blockbuster trades in NBA history involving the Lakers and what were ultimate payoffs.

Lakers traded for Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 — Wilt the Stilt was 31 years old and still in his prime when the Philadelphia 76ers sent him to the Lakers for Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark, Jerry Chambers and cash. Four years later, the Lakers won an NBA title with Chamberlain teaming up with fellow Hall of Fame Jerry West on a squad considered by many as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. With Chamberlain as the anchor, the Lakers won a record 33 straight games and finished with a then-record 69-13 mark. Bill Sharman’s group capped off the season with a convincing series victory over the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

Lakers traded for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 — The Kareem trade altered the fortunes of two franchises. The Milwaukee Bucks, which received Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith and Brian Winters from L.A., would go more than 50 years before winning their next championship. Meanwhile, the Kareem trade was the foundation of the Lakers’ dynasty in the 1980s. Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA MVP in each of his first two seasons in L.A. and never missed the playoffs in his final 13 seasons. Kareem and Magic Johnson became one of the greatest duos as the pair led the Showtime Lakers to five NBA championships and eight appearances in the NBA Finals in a 10-year span.

Lakers traded Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat in 2004 — One month after losing to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, the Lakers jettisoned Shaquille O’Neal to Miami for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future first-round pick which turned out to be guard Jordan Farmar. The Heat clearly won the first half of the trade, winning a title in Shaq’s second year Miami. But the Lakers might have had the last laugh. The first season without Shaq (2004-05) the Lakers went 34-48 and earned a lottery pick, a pick they used to select center Andrew Bynum. Bynum, Odom and Farmar became part of the core group, spearheaded by Kobe, that reached the NBA Finals three straight years and won championships in 2009 and 2010.

Lakers trade for Pau Gasol in 2008 — In one of the most surprising in-season trades in league history, the Lakers swung for the fences and hit a home run by acquiring Spanish big man Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010. Pau instantly clicked with Kobe, seamlessly fitting in without a hitch. He quickly picked up Phil Jackson’s complicated triangle offense the moment he arrived, and the Lakers went from pretenders to contenders almost overnight. Gasol, Bynum and Odom formed one of the best frontcourts, and the Lakers won 57 games in Gasol’s first four seasons. Gasol, whose No. 16 was retired by the team, will be remembered for his heroic 19-point, 18-rebound performance in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Lakers traded for Anthony Davis in 2019 — Prior to the mega deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers acquired LeBron James in free agency in the summer of 2018. LeBron wanted an All-Star running mate and he found it in AD. The Lakers gave up a big part of their young talent – Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart – plus three first-round draft picks (one a first-round swap) in order to get AD. But it was worth the gamble. The Lakers went on to win the NBA title in 2020 inside the Disney World bubble in Davis’ first full season teaming up with LeBron. Davis’ six years in L.A. was a mixed bag. He played in only 132 games from 2021-23 due to an assortment of injuries. When he’s healthy, he was outstanding. He played a career-high 76 games in 2023-24, a season the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup, and made second team All-NBA.

Russell Westbrook is named MVP of the NBA All-Star Game in New York. (GETTY IMAGES)

When it comes to celebrating its players, past or present, no league does it better than the NBA. And this weekend was no exception.

New York City hosted this year’s festivities, and the Big Apple got a real treat. It started with a spin move by a 13-year-old Little League World Series sensation in the Celebrity Game that nearly blew up Twitter. It progressed to a spectacular All-Star Saturday Night with a stacked field in the 3-point shootout and a one-man show in the dunk contest. And it culminated in a record-setting All-Star Game on Sunday that nearly saw Wilt Chamberlain’s 53-year-old scoring record.

Here are the five best moments from the 2015 All-Star Weekend:

Russell Westbrook earns MVP after 41-point performance
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard lit up Madison Square Garden with a performance for the ages, joining Wilt and Michael Jordan as the only players to score 40 points in an All-Star Game. Westbrook made 16 of 28 shots from the field, and he could have easily surpassed Wilt’s 42-point mark set in 1962 had he not missed at least four easy layups. Westbrook started simmering in the second quarter when he knocked down back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from Midtown Manhattan. He broke the record for most points in one half when he had 27 after the first two quarters. Westbrook also delivered two monster dunks that got the Garden crowd on its feet. On one of his dunks, the Thunder guard was up so high he hit his head on the backboard cushion. LeBron James called Westbrook “unbelievable.”

Steph Curry proves he’s best shooter in the world
With a lineup featuring the NBA’s leading scorer, last year’s All-Star Game MVP, a player who recently set a record for points in a single quarter, last year’s champion, two MVP candidates, and perhaps the greatest 3-point shooter ever, the Footlocker 3-Point Shooting Contest figured to be one of the greatest the event has ever seen. And it certainly didn’t disappoint. You know this contest was serious business when 22 wasn’t enough to make it to the final. The competition came down to Kyrie Irving and a pair of Splash Brothers — Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry bested his GSW teammate when he swished 13 straight in the finals en route to 27 out of a possible 34 points. The win cemented Curry’s place as the game’s best pure shooter.

Zach LaVine puts on out-of-this-world dunk act
Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Zach LaVine entered the Sprint Slam Dunk Contest as the heavy favorite, and he lived up to the hype. The competition had three other worthy challengers in Orlando’s Victor Oladipo, Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (aka The Greek Freak), But as soon as LaVine — who is only 19 years old — dropped his “Space Jam” dunk in the opening round it was crystal clear he was going to walk away with the title. TNT analyst Kenny Smith said: “When you got Jordan on you back this better be special.” When you have fellow NBA players reacting with the stink face, you know you’ve pulled off something real special.

Gasol brothers make All-Star Game history
One of the coolest moments came on Sunday when Pau Gasol started the game at center for the East and his younger brother Marc Gasol started the game for the West. The Gasols are the first brother combo to start an All-Star Game, a feat that may not be duplicated again.

Little League sensation Mo’ne Davis schools actor Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart may have walked away with his fourth Celebrity Game MVP award, but he was on the receiving end of a spin move that got social media world buzzing. Little League World series darling, 13-year-old Mo’ne Davis, showed off her hoop skills when he took Hart off the dribble, spun past him, and rolled in a layup. Davis’ dream is play for UConn and with moves like this Huskies coach Geno Auriemma should definitely take notice.

Marc and Pau Gasol lead a formidable Spanish frontcourt. (GETTY IMAGES)

The FIBA Basketball World Cup — known as the FIBA World Championship from 1950 until 2010 — is arguably the most intense international basketball competition in the world. And, based on the strong play during the qualifying rounds, the world can’t wait for #Spain2014.

Host team Spain — led by the Gasol brothers — captured the silver medal in the last two Olympic Games, losing both times to the United States. The Spaniards, ranked No. 2 in FIBA, will look to their home crowd to push them to their second world title, and they could likely see the top-ranked Americans in the championship game on Sept. 14.

Spain took home the FIBA gold in 2006 in Tokyo, the same tournament the last time Team USA lost an international competition.

Here’s a look at the 24 teams that will compete in Spain and where they currently rank in the world:

United States (ranked No. 1) — Team USA earned an automatic berth to the World Cup by winning the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. As usual, Team USA will be prohibitive favorites to win the gold medal — and it would be a monumental upset if they don’t. USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have dealt with withdrawals and a devastating injury to NBA All-Star Paul George this summer. The group Coach K brings to Spain won’t be as strong as his 2012 and 2008 teams, but don’t tell that to Anthony Davis, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose. Curry and Rose were on the 2010 World Cup team that took home the gold, while Harden and Davis played for Coach K in the 2012 Olympics. Those four stars will be asked to step into the vacuum vacated by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.

Spain (No. 2) — The Spaniards are the biggest threat to the U.S., and they will have an entire nation behind them. Injuries are a concern for head coach Juan Antonio Orenga. Pau Gasol, the cornerstone of the program for a decade, is dealing with tendonitis on both knees and point guard Ricky Rubio is coming off ACL surgery. Rubio came back to play in the 2013 EuroBasket and he appears to be close to 100%. The good news for Spain is that Rudy Fernandez looks rejuvinated, and Marc Gasol seems to embrace the leadership role. Pau and Marc anchor a formidable frontline that also boasts the NBA’s leading shot blocker in Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka. Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro are a bit past their prime, but they’re still considered two of the best guards in the world.

Argentina (No. 3) — Manu Ginobili decided not to participate in this year’s World Cup, which is a huge blow to the Argentines. Ginobili is coming off minor knee surgery, and the San Antonio Spurs would rather see him rest his knee this offseason. Without the Great Ginobili, the South Americans will look to veterans Andres Nocioni, Walter Herrmann, Pablo Prigioni and Luis Scola for leadership. Scola, 34, is one of the last links to the golden age of Argentine basketball, a decade that saw the team win a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, silver at the 2002 World Cup, and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Argentina has a proud tradition, so don’t expect them to lay down in 2014.

Lithuania (No. 4) — The Lituanians boast one of the biggest, if not the biggest, team in international competition. They have four NBA-type centers on the roster: Darius Lavrinovic, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto Raptors), and Dontas Motiejunas (Houston Rockets). The Raptors have high hopes for Valanciunas, and the 21-year-old is the present and future of Lithuania basketball. Teams that played against Lithuania have to expect a rough-and-tumble game, and you better have some size to combat their size. Linas Kleiza is the team’s best scorer, but he goes hot and cold. Point guard Mantas Kalnietis, who led Lithuania to a 2006 European U-20 Championship title, is the catalyst on offense and plays with a ton of confidence.

Greece (No. 5) — The Greeks remain the last team to beat the United States in FIBA competition, pulling off the monumental upset during the 2006 World Cup. But that core group — led by Dimitris Diamantidis, Teo Papaloukas and Vassilis Spanoulis — that shocked the world is lone gone. This year’s national team is headed by former Florida standout guard Nick Calathes, 7-foot center Giannis Bourousis and 20-year-old phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo (aka the Greek Freak). Antetokounmpo was one of the stars of the Las Vegas Summer League, playing everything but center for the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-11 guard-forward is growing leaps and bounds, and he could be the breakout star of the 2014 World Cup.

Turkey (No. 7) — The silver medalists in the 2010 World Cup enter this year’s tournament on a downward spiral. The Turks went 1-6 in the exhibition season, tying Finland for the worst record. Hedo Turkoglu, Irsan Ilyasova and Mehmet Okur are no longer fixtures on the team. Center Omer Asik (now with the New Orleans Pelicans) is now one of the leaders on a Turkish team that may not be as talented as the 2010 team that reached the gold-medal against Team USA but is solid enough to move on to the knockout stage. Turkey will get tested early when it faces the United States in pool play on Aug. 31.

France (No. 8) — France heads into the World Cup on an emotional high after capturing the country’s first EuroBasket title. Given the number of NBA players on the national team and the amount of talent they possess, the French should be ranked much higher than No. 8 in the world. But for whatever reason, France keeps disappointing at the World Cup and Olympics. This year, France had high hopes until star point guard Tony Parker decided to take the summer off and not compete for his native country. Thomas Heurtel and Antoine Diot will share the ball-handling duties for coach Vincent Collet. France boasts two of the most versatile forwards in the world in Boris Diaw (San Antonio Spurs) and Nic Batum (Portland Trail Blazers), and both are expected to do most of the heavy lifting in Spain. Another player to watch is 7-1 center Rudy Gobert, 22, who had a strong summer league. On paper, despite the loss of Parker, France still looks like a medal contender.

Australia (No. 9) — The bad news for the Aussies is international veteran Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs) is out of the tournament because of a shoulder injury. The good news is this could mean more playing time for the country’s next big superstar: Dante Exum. The 19-year-old combo guard, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA draft, showed flashes of brilliance during the Las Vegas Summer League. Exum will team up with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova in the starting backcourt. Maccabi Tel Aviv standout Joe Ingles — Australia’s second-leading scorer behind Mills during the 2012 London Olympics — and three-time Euroleague champion David Andersen, 34, bring plenty of international experience.

Brazil (No. 10) — The Brazilians are still reeling from the 7-1 beatdown they suffered at the hands of Germany in the FIFA World Cup, and the Samba nation is hoping its basketball team will restore some pride in Spain. Brazil will have its hands full in Group A (tagged the group of death), competing with powerhouses such as Spain, France and Serbia. But Brazil has enough talent to qualify to the knockout stage behind four NBA players: Nene, Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa and Tiago Splitter. Barcelona point guard Marcelo Huertas, 31, is regarded as one of the best point guards in the Euroleague. With Nene, Splitter and Varejao, Brazil is one of the few teams that can match up with Spain in the frontcourt.

Serbia (No. 11) — Former New Jersey Nets and current CSKA Moscow center Nenad Krstic is the anchor on both ends of the floor. Krstic is the leading scorer and rebounder of the team, and even though he’s slowed a bit with age he still finds ways to score in the post or the baseline. His CSKA teammate Milos Teodosic, considered one of the best point guards in Europe, missed the 2013 EuroBasket tournament because of a calf injury but should be ready to go for the World Cup.

Slovenia (No. 13) — Goran Dragic holds the key for the Slovenians, as he’s the engine that drives the whole program. The team feeds off his energy, and when he’s able to get in the paint with his dribble penetration he can cause a lot of problems. Dragic was sensational during EuroBasket 2013, leading his country to a fifth-place finish and earning all-tournament honors. Dragic’s brother, Zoran, is a 6-5 shooting guard who plays in the Spanish League. Uros Slokar, 31, is Slovenia’s best inside player.

Angola (No. 15) — Since becoming a FIBA member in 1979, the Angolans have built a very successful program that has dominated the African region. The team has captured 11 FIBA Africa tournament gold medals, including the 2013 championship. The Angolans have come a long way since getting elbowed by Charles Barkley and the 1992 Dream Team.

Croatia (No. 16) — Once a basketball power during the 1990s led by Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, Croatia has gone relatively quiet for a long time. Since winning a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and bronze at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Croatia hasn’t been much of a factor . . . until now. The team finished in the top four at 2013 EuroBasket for the first time in 18 years, and the resurgence is led by forward Bojan Bogdanovic, 7-footer Ante Tomic, and 20-year-old sensation Dario Saric. The 6-10 Saric, the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has a terrific all-around game and makes good decisions with the ball. Roko Ukic, who had stints with the Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks, is a big guard (6-5) who can play either point or shooting guard, and naturalized player Dontaye Draper gives Croatia a quick, dynamic ballhandler and defender off the bench.

Puerto Rico (No. 17) — Guard play is very important at the FIBA level and Puerto Rico has two good ones in Carlos Arroyo and J.J. Barea. Arroyo had a long NBA career, playing for seven teams, while Barea currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets forward Renaldo Balkman provides the team with lots of energy and passion, and scores most of his points in transition. He now plays professionally in Puerto Rico with hopes of making it back to the NBA.

New Zealand (No. 19) — With half of the roster playing for the New Zealand Breakers, the Tall Blacks have a lot of familiarity and continuity. One tall guy who won’t be playing in Spain is 7-footer Steven Adams. Adams chose to train with the Oklahoma City Thunder summer league team instead of his national team, which baffled New Zealand officials. But head coach Nenad Vucinic fields a solid squad led by an experienced starting backcourt in shooting guard Kirk Penney, 32, (who played at Wisconsin) and point guard Lindsay Tait, 31.

Iran (No. 20) — Behind 7-2 center Hamed Haddadi, the Iranians captured the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship held in Manila. In the finals against host nation Philippines, Haddadi took advantage of a Gilas Pilipinas team without starting center Marcus Douthit and completely took over the game. As long as the Phoenix Suns big man is on the court, the Iranians can compete against other Wold Cup teams but Haddadi will need help from his guards if Iran wishes to advance past some of the European, North and South American teams.

Mexico (No. 24) — The Mexicans pulled off a minor upset at the 2013 FIBA Americas tournament when they finished first, outlasting favorites Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Gustavo Ayon, who is under contract with the Atlanta Hawks, was named the FIBA Americas tournament most valuable player, scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the final against Puerto Rico. Former UCLA standout Lorenzo Mata may not be skilled offensively, but plays hard all the time.

Dominican Republic (No. 26) — The Dominicans have a solid roster, but their coaching staff is more impressive. Head coach Orlando Antigua was known as the “Hurricane” during his playing days, which included a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. Antigua was the first Hispanic player to play for the Globetrotters. Prior to joining Antigua’s coaching staff, Rod Strickland was regarded as one of top point guards in the NBA. Strickland played for 10 NBA teams, including the Knicks, Spurs and Blazers. The most intriguing player for the Dominicans is 18-year-old Karl Towns, but the 7-1 high phenom from St. Joseph High School in New Jersey decided not to play in the World Cup. Towns will play next year for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky.

South Korea (No. 31) — The Koreans finished third at the FIBA Asia championships in Manila, losing in the semifinals to Gilas Pilipinas but rebounded by beating Chinese Taipei. It will be the first time since 1998 that Korea will be participating at the World Cup of Basketball. Exciting young star Kim Mingoo led the team in scoring at FIBA Asia, including 27 against Gilas Pilipinas and 21 against Chinese Taipei.

Andray Blatche has expressed his desire to play for the Philippines’ national team. (GETTY IMAGES)

Philippines (No. 34) — Gilas Pilipinas earned its first World Cup berth since 1978 when the event was held in Manila. The Philippines has a rich basketball history, going back to the days of the great Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga when he led the country to a bronze medal at the 1954 World Cup in Brazil. Former Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche was cleared to play for the Philippine national team, and he’ll team up with former George Mason standout Gabe Norwood. Blatche is the best big man Gilas Pilipinas has had in decades, and his presence in the paint will free up shooters like Jimmy Alapag, Jeff Chan and Ranidel De Ocampo. A foot injury to speedy point guad Jayson William set the team back, but he seems to be over the injury. William is considered one of the five best point guards in Asia.

Finland (No. 39) — The Fins open the tournament on Aug. 30 in Bilbao, Spain, against heavily favored Team USA. It’ll be the only time the Fins will be make headlines. Finland is led by former Utah forward Hanno Mottola and Erik Murphy, who now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Fins are given little to no hope in advancing to the knockout round, but they will at least play in front of a world audience as their game against the Americans is on ESPN.

Senegal (No. 41) — After finishing third in the FIBA Africa tournament, Senegal will make its first appearance at the World Cup since 2006. The team has plenty of size up front with six players over 6-9, led by Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng. The 6-11 center was on the Louisville team that captured the NCAA championship under Rick Pitino. Center Hamady N’Diaye, 27, plays for the Delaware 76ers in the D-League.

Ukraine (No. 45) — If you see a Mike Fratello lookalike roaming the sidelines for Ukraine, that’s not an impostor. That’s the real Mike Fratello. The Czar of the Telestrator led Ukraine to a sixth-place finish at 2013 EuroBasket, helping the country earn their first World Cup berth. Fratello’s squad is spearheaded by another American, Eugene “Pooh” Jeter. Pooh Jeter is a naturalized Ukrainian player who played one season with the Sacramento Kings.

Egypt (No. 46) — Egypt scored a surprising second-place finish at the 2013 FIBA Africa tournament, but that should be the highlight of its run toward the World Cup. The last time Egypt was in the FIBA World Cup, Larry Johnson’s Grandmama commercials were running on TV. Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Pau Gasol plans to donate money to typhoon victims in the Philippines. (GETTY IMAGES)

Pau Gasol was expected to do the heavy lifting this season with Kobe Bryant rehabbing from an Achilles injury. Gasol hasn’t been playing well on the offensive end, making under 40% of his field goals so far this season.

Then came Friday night and Gasol found his shooting touch.

The L.A. Lakers center scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead his team to a 102-95 win over the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

Gasol made 11-of-19 field goals and was too much for his defender, David Lee, to handle.

“We’re finally finding some consistency,” Gasol told the Associated Press. “We’re finally putting good efforts mentally and physically together. ”

Gasol’s big night meant $24,000 for the typhoon victims in the Philippines. The veteran big man said before the game that he plans to contribute $1,000 for every point he scored against Golden State to the UNICEF disaster relief.

“I had too many things on my mind,” said Gasol, whose brother Marc sprained his left knee on the same night. “I definitely had that motivation of scoring tonight for the Philippines. Once I started knocking down those outside shots, it opened things up for me.”

The Lakers jumped to a 55-46 halftime lead behind Gasol. He scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the first half. Nick Young scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half as the Lakers held off the Warriors to get another impressive win without Bryant.

Stephen Curry sat out the game after hitting his head on the floor against Utah earlier in the week, and Andre Iguodala sustained a hamstring injury in the third quarter.

Jordan Farmar scored 14 points and dished out a game-high eight assists. Steve Blake poured in 14 points, Jordan Hill added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Lee led the Warriors with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Xavier Henry and Pau Gasol lead the Lakers over the Hawks. (GETTY IMAGES)

Pau Gasol sank a couple of free throws with 5.2 seconds left to help the Los Angeles Lakers secure a 105-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on Sunday night.

Gasol was fouled as he went up for a close shot.

“Pau got a great look,” point guard Steve Nash told Time Warner Cable SportsNet. “Jordan Hill, he’s been huge for us.” Nash had his best game of the season with 13 points and six assists in 29 minutes of action, the most he has played this season.

Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers. In his first start of the season, Xavier Henry scored a game-high 18 points and looked like he might be the starter at shooting guard until Kobe Bryant returns from his Achilles injury.

L.A. dominated for most of the game, but Atlanta went on a 27-15 run during the fourth quarter to tie the game at 103 with 35 seconds to play in the game.

“We have a lot of stuff to get better at,” Mike D’Antoni said. “We have had flashes where we play really well and start with a lot of energy, but then we get selfish. We have to continue to move the ball.”

The Lakers bench had another good game as they contributed 48 points, led by Nick Young’s 13 points (on 5-of-9 shooting). Chris Kaman chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds. Wesley Johnson had nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Eleven players scored in the game. Jordan Hill had six points and five rebounds in just 14 minutes, but he was all over the boards and his energy seemed infectious.

Kyle Korver was on fire, and hotter than a firecracker on Fourth of July for the Hawks. He made eight of 10 field goals, including all six of his 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 22 points. L.A. struggled to defend him and didn’t get a hand in his face on his jump shots. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap each scored 14 points.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Mike D’Antoni and Kobe Bryant endured a tumultuous 2012-13 season. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Los Angeles Lakers completed a very difficult season in a most embarrassing way by getting swept out of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. Now, the organization has to figure out how to remake this team on the fly and try to stay competitive in the stacked Western Conference.

They need to start by firing Mike D’Antoni and hire Byron Scott

DA was too often clueless on how to incorporate his players into the offense, mainly Pau Gasol. Gasol and Howard give the Lakers a huge advantage over most teams with two very good big men, but DA alienated Gasol almost immediately (upon being hired) by benching him rather than working with him.

Antwan Jamison was left out of the playing rotation earlier this season and he complained before DA started to trust him more in the second half of the season.

Byron Scott was recently fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers after failing to improve the team, but he would be an excellent choice for a veteran team like the Lakers. His Laker past would help him bring an air of credibility and he would step into a situation where the talent is plentiful. He never had these kind of players when he took over coaching jobs in New Jersey, New Orleans and Cleveland.

Talk to and amnesty Kobe

See if Kobe would be willing to be amnestied and come back in the 2014-15 season when they would be able to re-sign him. He would be able to rehab and collect the $30 million owed to him. But, amnestying him would save LA close to $80 million with the new CBA structure. As difficult as it sounds, this needs to be done so that the franchise can make the necessary improvements to be able to sign players and compete.

Most likely, Kobe will want to try and come back by the All-Star break … so in all likelihood he has played his last game with the purple and gold. The Lakers have to consider and ultimately use the amnesty clause to try to help improve the team and ease a huge financial burden.

I think he would probably sign with the Chicago Bulls to give them a pretty solid backcourt, even if Kobe won’t be the same player he once was.

Re-sign Howard and Earl Clark

Howard is the centerpiece to the future of the franchise. He is the best rebounding and defensive big man in the game and he is eager to prove he can carry the load on offense. He has made numerous comments about playing inside-out and wants to be the one to carry the torch for this great franchise.

Clark has stated he wants to remain with the Lakers, even if it means taking less money to do so. The Lakers should bring him back and play him at the small forward position. Their biggest weakness this past season was the lack of a perimeter defender. At 6-11, Clark would give them an excellent defender and he would upgrade a weakness. He’s too tall for most SF’s and he has the speed needed to keep up with most wing players; kind of like when Lamar Odom was playing small forward early in his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Not that Clark is the scorer or passer Odom was. But, his height advantage and length give him a clear advantage over other small forwards.

They also need to decide what to do with Gasol

Do they try and trade Gasol to help improve the bench or keep Gasol and let his deal come off the books after next season. It all depends on what happens with DA, but I think a new head coach would work with the two big men and try and take advantage of their strengths. Gasol’s passing skills are a huge advantage and I think he actually played well over the last few weeks of the season. I’d keep him.

The Lakers have the ability to rebuild on the fly and still be a factor, but it all hinges on what they do with the head coach and Kobe.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com

Lakers forward Pau Gasol is not fitting in Mike D’Antoni’s system. Gasol is averaging just 12 points per game, a career low. (GETTY IMAGES)

Consistency. Lack of defense. Lack of discipline.

Those were the postgame remarks from L.A. Lakers All-Star Pau Gasol after the Orlando Magic came to Staples Center on Sunday and stunned the Lakers, 113-103. Clearly, Gasol was frustrated by the lack of discipline on the court by his teammates, but what could be eating at him more is the fact that he was benched in the fourth quarter when the game was still in the balance.

When Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Bresnahan asked Gasol if he was “irritated” about being on the bench in the fourth quarter the Spaniard responded by saying, “I don’t get irritated,” but then went on to quip that it was “upsetting.”

“I like to be out there. It’s upsetting for me as a player, but I won’t allow it to irritate me,” the Lakers forward said, who is averaging a career-low 12.7 points through the first quarter of the 2012-13 NBA season. “We all try to figure out and do our best to win the game, and coach makes his decisions and you gotta respect him.”

Gasol is a true professional. He won’t rock the boat or disrupt team chemistry by going rogue when things are going sour, and right now the Lakers are feeling very salty with the way the season has started for them. Gasol may not say it publicly but he is not happy with how he’s being used.

“Within the system, I’m gonna try to find positions where I can be more effective and be more comfortable in the positions I’ve been playing through my entire career,” Gasol said, “positions that made me so successful as a player.”

Head coach Mike D’Antoni so badly wants to play small ball, and he has dropped hints of that by increasing Antawn Jamison’s playing time at the expense of Gasol’s floor time. Jamison is a stretch 4 — or a small forward who can play power forward — who fits better with Dwight Howard. That’s the way D’Antoni’s Phoenix Suns teams spaced the floor, with Shawn Marion playing outside and allowing Amare Stoudemire to play exclusively inside and run pick-and-roll with Steve Nash.

Even though Gasol can face up and knock down shots from the free throw line, he’s more of a back-to-the-basket big man. He likes to handle the ball in the post and is an excellent passer for a 7-footer. But the biggest challenge for D’Antoni is figuring out how to get more speed on the court without alienating Howard and Gasol. Teams are countering the Lakers’ size advantage by playing faster and putting Howard and Gasol in pick-and-rolls.

”I think our problem is just not coming out with the intensity and the purpose that we need to have. … We’re slow right now,” D’Antoni told the Associated Press. “Just athletically, we’re struggling with young teams that run up and down.”

When asked how can the Lakers fix the problems on defense, Gasol said the team has “scramble at all times.”

“I think we did better in the third quarter when he held them to, what was it, 20 points. But then fourth quarter they scored 40 points,” Gasol said of what the Magic did to them on Sunday. “It’s just not something we can afford and allow as a team. We’re too good of a defensive team.

“We have to find ways to cover for each other and not allow easy looks, or open jumpers, then dunks. A lot to work on, just got to be a little more disciplined.”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Steve Nash left Phoenix for Los Angeles to have an opportunity to win his first championship. (GETTY IMAGES)

After a second straight postseason where they lost in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to go all in and make a run at a few more NBA titles.

They started by trading very little (future low level first-round picks in 2013 and 2015, plus a couple of second-round picks) to the Phoenix Suns for perennial All-Star point guard Steve Nash. They were able to acquire Nash (who signed a three-year deal worth $27 million) because of the trade exception they got in return for Lamar Odom when they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks.

Nash gives the Lakers an immediate upgrade over Ramon Sessions. Sessions played well for the Lakers at times after his trade from the Cavs (for Luke Walton and a first-round pick), but he was unable to create opportunities for the rest of the Lakers like Nash will surely be able to do. Nash will give L.A. the best pure point guard they have had since Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Antawn Jamison was signed to come off the bench and help the worst backup unit (scoring wise) in the NBA. Jamison averaged 17 points per game and six rebounds per game as a starter for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He won’t be expected to start, but he will be available to provide about 22-25 minutes. He can play some at power forward and small forward in a big lineup, and his outside shooting will be an asset.

The capper on all the offseason moves was the biggest blockbuster in many years when they acquired Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic. They basically traded Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers in order to get Howard. Howard’s offense isn’t as good as Bynum’s, but he provides a better rebounder and defender, plus 100% hustle all the time. Too often, Bynum was lackadaisical on defense and rebounding the ball. Not to mention, he developed a penchant for shooting 3-pointers last season.

They also acquired Jodie Meeks to back up Kobe Bryant. Meeks and Nash should be able to help a poor outside shooting attack last season, as L.A. was 25th in 3-point shooting.

Add all this to the present cast of Kobe at shooting guard, Pau Gasol at power forward, and Ron Artest/Metta World Peace at small forward. They have one of the best starting units in the league and have an improved bench. That was strengthened when the Lakers re-signed Jordan Hill, who was acquired around the trade deadline for a first-round pick and Derek Fisher.

The biggest question is how will all these new parts fit. Well, if it was Mike Brown’s stagnant offense of last year when everybody watched Kobe handle the ball and end up shooting too often, it would be much worse. However, Brown recognized he needed help on the offensive end and went out and brought in Eddie Jordan.

He runs the Princeton offense, which is a motion offense and requires a lot of ball movement. So, in that aspect it is very similar to the triangle offense Phil Jackson ran when he was with the Lakers. Jordan learned it in the 1990s when he was an assistant coach with Pete Carril during their time with the Sacramento Kings. Carril ran the Princeton offense for years at the Ivy League school when he coached there from 1967-96. Jordan ran it in 2002 and 2003 when he was an assistant under Byron Scott with the New Jersey Nets. But, he failed in one season with the Philadelphia 76ers as the head coach. However, he made the playoffs in four of five seasons when he was the head man with the Washington Wizards.

You need the right players to run it, just like the triangle. And the Lakers have a very good passing big man in Gasol, a very good scorer in Kobe, and an aging but still solid PG in Nash. Howard gives them a luxury in having an elite big man who can do a little bit of everything.

The bench should be much improved, the defense will be even better with Howard and the offense should suit the players more than last year. L.A. has the players to make another championship run for a couple seasons before Kobe rides off to the sunset. It’s just a matter of executing the offense and defense. There are no excuses for the Lakers who have gone out and made another flashy makeover to their team.

Projected finish in Pacific Division: First

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Head coach Sergio Scariolo led Spain to a silver medal in the London Olympics. (GETTY IMAGES)

The U.S.-Spain titanic showdown in the gold-medal game lived up to all the hype. The game hung in the balance until the final quarter when Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James made crucial baskets to give the U.S. enough separation from a very game Spanish squad led by Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Juan Carlos Navarro.

The United States held off Spain, 107-100, to win its fifth gold medal in men’s basketball in the last six Olympics.

Even though the U.S. was the better team and certainly deserved to be crowned Olympic champions, Spain has to feel incredibly disappointed in the outcome because it pushed Team USA to the limit only to watch the game slip away thanks to few curious decisions by Spanish head coach Sergio Scariolo.

With about six minutes left to play in the first half, Spain center Marc Gasol picked up his third foul. That usually leads to a quick substitution, but Scariolo inexplicably left Gasol on the court for another two minutes and the 7-footer — who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies — picked up his fourth foul while trying to grab a rebound. The game was close and there was no need for Gasol to be in the game. That mistake proved costly because Gasol was forced to sit the entire third quarter, in which the U.S. surged ahead and built a small lead, and did not check in until early in the fourth quarter.

Another questionable move came late in the fourth when Scariolo junked Spain’s 2-3 zone defense in favor of a box-and-one gimmick to try to slow down Kevin Durant. The move is not out of the ordinary, but Pau Gasol said Spain had never practiced that type of defense.

The confusion caused a breakdown on the back end, including a play when two Spanish players stuck with Durant and left LeBron with a wide open lane for an easy dunk.

Despite all of Scariolo’s questionable decisions, the Spaniards still had a chance to win the gold medal and it took some clutch baskets by Chris Paul and LeBron James to avert one of the biggest upsets on Olympic history.

Paul scored seven of his 11 points in the final quarter, including a tough scoop shot with 50 seconds left that even got Coach K off his chair. Paul’s layup gave the U.S. a 104-93 lead, and the 11-point cushion proved to be too much of a deficit for Spain, which has now lost to the U.S. in back-to-back gold-medal games in the Olympics.

Durant had a spectacular game for the U.S., leading all scorers with 30 points. His 156 total points in the tournament set a new Olympic record, moving ahead of American Olympic stars Spencer Haywood (1968), Charles Barkley (1992), and Michael Jordan (1984).

Durant was so good in the gold-medal game Spain paid him the ultimate compliment by junking their normal 2-3 zone defense and switching to a box-and-one scheme in the fourth quarter to try to cool down the Oklahoma City Thunder star, who had 27 points through three quarters.

But Durant also got plenty of help from LeBron (19 points) and Kobe (17 points). Kobe saved his best games in the knockout round while LeBron capped off a sensational summer by becoming the second player to win NBA regular-season MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA title and Olympic title in the same year, joining Jordan.

China’s Yi Jianlian throws down a monster dunk against Spain. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Yi Jianlian seems to play his best whenever he wears the Chinese national team jersey. He proved it again in the first day of men’s basketball competition at the London Olympics when he scored a game-high 30 points against Spain.

China hung tough against the second-best team in the world, according to the FIBA rankings, but the Spaniards — led by Pau Gasol’s 21 points and 11 rebounds — eventually imposed their power and strength in the game and coasted to a 97-81 victory. Juan Carlos Navarro, who once played for the Memphis Grizzlies, netted 14 points for Spain and Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon had 12.

Yi unleashed his full arsenal against the silver medalists from the Beijing Games, scoring on face-up jumpers, dribble drives, and put-backs. But his most impressive play came on a blow-by dunk against Spain center Marc Gasol. Yi got Gasol on a pump fake on the wing and then threw down a monster dunk that drew a billion cheers from China.

Since the retirement of Yao Ming, Yi has now become the unofficial face of China basketball. But the 24-year-old forward doesn’t seem to embrace that title as well, and as seriously, as Yao did. Yi remains an enigma because he has all the tools to be a star player in the NBA, but doesn’t seem to dedicate himself to be a big-time player. He has played for four NBA teams in five seasons and has a career scoring average of just 7.9. For a guy who is blessed with great athletic ability for a 7-footer, that is a mind-boggling statistic.

He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007, but averaged just 8.6 points his rookie season. He was traded to the New Jersey Nets the following season and enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2009-10 when he averaged 12 points and 7.2 rebounds in 52 games. In his last two seasons, Yi’s numbers and minutes have decreased significantly. He averaged just 5.6 points for the Washington Wizards in 2010-11 and a measly 2.6 points for the Dallas Mavericks in 2011-12.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was on hand to watch Yi drop 30 points on Spain in China’s Olympics opener, so the potential is there. Maybe Carlisle needs to have Yi wear the Chinese colors under the Mavs’ jersey to get him going.