LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled up on phone call

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled up on a phone conversation the first weekend of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with each expressing their commitment to one another and vowing to make it work, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Source: Chris Haynes @ Yahoo! Sports

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
LeBron James stuck up for for Jayson Tatum after his tough NBA Finals performance and made a fascinating comparison between the two in their Finals debuts masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 6:13 PM

Shandel Richardson @ShandelRich
LeBron defends Jayson Tatum #miamiheat si.com/nba/heat/miami… – 6:08 PM

Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled for a phone conversation to confirm their commitment to each other through the uncertainty, league sources told @YahooSports: sports.yahoo.com/sources-lebron… – 6:06 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most seasons to average a triple-double:
4 — Russell Westbrook
1 — Oscar Robertson pic.twitter.com/LdiDyLDJwD – 5:02 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Excellent comment on the @LockedOnLakers YouTube channel from AdamSmith1776: “Lesson to be learned for LBJ… Don’t pick team mates over dinner while drinking lots of wine.” AK @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods – 4:27 PM

Tom Petrini @RealTomPetrini
If Russell Westbrook got traded to the Spurs, it would be a purely financial transaction.
San Antonio would get one or more picks at the cost of buying out his awful contract.
He wouldn’t suit up in Silver and Black, and that should be fairly obvious. – 3:20 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Rumor: Russell Westbrook-LeBron James relationship frosty nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/18/rum… – 2:00 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most 20p/5r/5a seasons:
19 — LeBron James
18
16
14
12
10 — Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson pic.twitter.com/RgLEwklyfB – 1:27 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most triple-doubles over the last 6 seasons:
157 — Russell Westbrook
76 — Nikola Jokic
63 — LeBron James
60 — James Harden
46 — Luka Doncic
32 — Ben Simmons
Russ has more than Jokic and LeBron combined. pic.twitter.com/9jayQFQoJU – 12:23 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Monday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! We discuss Westbrook splitting from agent Thad Foucher, Foucher’s “whoa!” statement, and LeBron/Rich Paul seemingly trolling the situation. #FirstListen @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
Subscribe. Rate. Enjoy. Thx!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loc… – 11:53 AM

Tas Melas @TasMelas
New No Dunks podcast to discuss trade rumors re: Westbrook, Kyrie + Mitchell, the Suns keeping Deandre Ayton, Herro’s tattoo, LeBron at Drew League + more!
📼: https://t.co/dInE9KXeVJ
🍎: https://t.co/XjSclyJYjS
✳️: https://t.co/YpCkqbnDWC
🅰️: https://t.co/v1qudKTb56 pic.twitter.com/PsoaplxTPQ – 11:37 AM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Prompted with ‘Russell Westbrook gets them a lot,’ Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan: ‘Bricks’ nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/18/pro… – 10:01 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most 40-point games by active players:
101 — James Harden
69 — LeBron James
62 — Kevin Durant
52 — Steph Curry
50 — Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/9GysjsABTQ – 9:27 AM

Chris Sheridan @sheridanhoops
What are the odds that LeBron James of #Lakers wins #NBA Most Valuable Player? Actually, they are 30-1. Is that a good bet? My answer: sidelines.io/nba/lebron-jam… – 9:06 AM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
About to do @Get Up for the next two hours to talk about LeBron, KD, Donovan Mitchell and more. – 8:00 AM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Russell Westbrook never asked for a trade from Lakers nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/16/rep… – 2:00 PM

Kerry Eggers @kerryeggers
Headline: Russell Westbrook parts ways with agent Thad Foucher due to “irreconcilable differences.”
Somehow, I’m thinking it wasn’t the agent who was at fault. – 1:42 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Russell Westbrook, long-time agent Thad Foucher part ways nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/16/rus… – 10:00 AM

Brad Turner @BA_Turner
Worked with my dude ⁦@Dan Woike⁩ on this story in ⁦@latimessports⁩ on: Lakers’ Russell Westbrook splits with longtime agent over ‘irreconcilable differences’ latimes.com/sports/lakers/… – 1:24 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
A week after StaredownGate in Vegas, an ESPN report says Russell Westbrook has split with his agent over his apparent desire to move on from the Lakers: ocregister.com/2022/07/15/rep… – 11:59 PM

Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
I have never seen an agent statement quite like that Thad Foucher statement regarding Westbrook per Woj. Fascinated by the decision to publicly state these things. Don’t think the statement is false, don’t think I love an agent laying it all out like that for everyone so plainly. – 11:27 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
I’m gonna predict that when the dust has settled, Russell Westbrook is going to wind up back on the Wizards after a buyout, where he can post his meaningless triple-doubles in peace. – 11:00 PM

Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
Thad Foucher told ESPN that he’s no longer representing Russell Westbrook bc of “irreconcilable differences,” adding that he believes “his best option is to stay with the Lakers.”
So, guess this means Russ unequivocally wants out… – 10:57 PM

Sean Highkin @highkin
Something I wrote about Westbrook in March holds up pretty well bleacherreport.com/articles/10030… – 10:52 PM

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
After 14 years, Lakers star Russell Westbrook and his agent Thad Foucher of Wasserman have parted ways, Foucher tells ESPN: es.pn/3cm36gM – 10:44 PM

More on this storyline

 

While the uncertainty of Westbrook’s future with the Lakers remains, the conversation was organized to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they’re joined together in their pursuit of a championship, sources said. Westbrook has never requested a trade from the Lakers, sources said. -via Yahoo! Sports / July 18, 2022

Michael Singer: KCP said when looking back on the 2020 Western Conference Finals, he always said if AD didn’t hit that game-winner, they would’ve lost that series. -via Twitter @msinger / July 10, 2022

“He’s bought in, and I think he’s quietly put together one of the biggest offseasons of his career,” Pelinka said. “You can just tell. He’s got a very serious tone about him. Last year didn’t unfold the way that any of us wanted, and I think everyone’s gonna come back with a chip on our shoulder, and A.D.’s gonna lead us with that. I think he’s working hard. I know he’s working really hard on his body.” -via Lakers Daily / July 9, 2022

Once word circulated about James’ expected return to the Drew, courtside seats sold out by Friday night, shortly after DeRozan’s tweet. The line to get into the gym started when the sun rose over the Watts Towers. “We do get NBA talent that comes throughout the summer,” Smiley said. “But to this magnitude of LeBron, with all of his millions of fans from all over the world? In most people’s eyes, he’s considered the GOAT. And for them to be lined up at 6 in the morning, to make sure that they at least got a peek at his game and to sit there and hope that they get inside? I knew it was going to be a chaotic day. We’re used to it.” -via The Athletic / July 18, 2022

Most players enter the Drew League gym from a baseline entrance leading to the upper-deck parking lot. But even players who were supposed to be in the main event had to adjust to the logistics with James set to arrive. “Atmosphere was crazy,” said Black Pearl Elite’s Vince Camper, the 2015 league MVP. “I didn’t even get to get stretched before the game, because it took me 30 minutes to be able to park — and I still wasn’t able to park. One of my brothers had to come out and park my car for me, because it was that packed.” -via The Athletic / July 18, 2022

The Lakers’ preferred scenario, to be clear, is still trading for Irving, but the Nets A) appear focused on nailing down a Durant trade before pressing for Irving’s exit and B) have expressed great reluctance regarding any trade with the Lakers that doesn’t involve a third team willing to take on Westbrook’s contract (which Brooklyn does not want). -via marcstein.substack.com / July 18, 2022

San Antonio Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan said he was “not intending on being disrespectful” to Russell Westbrook when he associated the word “bricks” with the Los Angeles Lakers star. In a social media video that went viral over the weekend, Sochan and fellow Spurs rookie Malaki Branham are shown participating in a word association game during this month’s NBA summer league in Las Vegas. -via ESPN / July 18, 2022