From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: LeBron James refused to look too far into the future to say what kind of team the Lakers might be when the playoffs arrive in April while they are still playing games in December.
Even though it was the NBA Cup quarterfinal game the Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs, 132-119, James didn’t want to venture into how things would unfold.
Two years ago, when the Lakers went to Las Vegas and won the inaugural NBA Cup championship, James cautioned then that they had a long way to go and that that wasn’t an indicator or what that team could accomplish.
Not making it to Las Vegas this time and instead now having to play the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday, James was asked where the Lakers stand long term when it comes to competing for the playoffs.
“It’s December what?” James responded.
He was told it was December 10.
“And you’re talking about the playoffs? Nah, can’t do that. It’s not OK. Not my mindset,” James said. “I don’t. I can’t think about what we can do in the playoffs in December. What I can say is that the habits that we built throughout the regular season each month, if we are in a position to make it to the postseason and be able to get to that point, well, we have to build it now. But as far as talking about what type of damage we’re gonna do in the postseason in December, that’s not right for the basketball gods, not for me.”
MORE DODGERS SIGNINGS?
From Jack Harris: As the hotel lobby at the Signia by Hilton Orlando filled at MLB’s winter meetings on Tuesday morning, an unexpected prize was falling into the Dodgers’ lap.
Edwin Díaz, the top reliever on this year’s free-agent market, was suddenly slipping away from the incumbent New York Mets, who reportedly made the fan favorite closer only a three-year offer that did little to entice him to re-sign with the team.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, were swooping in late to snatch away the hard-throwing right-hander, submitting a more lucrative three-year bid that would pay Díaz a relief-pitcher-record $23 million per season.
Just like that, the Dodgers had gone from a perfectly content, but unremarkably quiet winter, to one in which they’d once again flexed their financial muscles and stunned the baseball industry.
The Dodgers might not need to make another big move, in the same way they downplayed the need for any big acquisition coming into the winter.
But they’ll certainly be ready to pounce if another opportunity materializes.
“I would say we definitely can,” Friedman hinted when asked if another big move this offseason could be possible. “Whether that makes the most sense within the timing of our roster — there’s so many factors that go into it, and any decision you make has a future cost. It’s just weighing that. So, yes, we can. How likely it is, is probably another question.”
Starz picks up drama on gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter
CHRIS PAUL ‘AT PEACE’
From Chuck Schilken: Former Clippers point guard Chris Paul says he’s “at peace with everything” after being abruptly dismissed by the team last week.
“Stuff’s been a little crazy in the past few days — to say the least,” Paul told People magazine in an interview published Tuesday. “But honestly, I’m home. My daughter had tryouts yesterday. My nephew had a basketball game. My son has a game coming up on the 12th.”
Paul’s son, Chris Paul II, is a sophomore guard for the Campbell Hall varsity basketball team, which plays Newbury Park on Friday.
“I have never seen my son play a game in person,” the elder Paul said. “Not a middle school game, not a high school game. So I’m excited about seeing him play.”
Also on Tuesday, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue denied an ESPN report from last week that he and Paul hadn’t been on speaking terms in the weeks leading up to the team’s decision to part ways with one of its most iconic players.
CAN BOB CHESNEY BUILD A WINNER?
From Dylan Hernández: Bob Chesney has a welcoming demeanor. He articulates his thoughts well. And if the people who hired him are right, the small-school wonder will be a transformative figure in Los Angeles sports.
Officially introduced on Tuesday as UCLA’s new football coach, the 48-year-old Chesney has a new-age vibe about him. His opening remarks lasted about seven minutes and he answered questions for nearly 30 more, but that wasn’t enough to tell whether he’ll be another Sean McVay or another Brandon Staley.
Here’s the more important question: Does it matter?
The Sleeping Giant of a football program has been hibernating for so long that no one can be certain it’s still hibernating.
The Sleeping Giant could be a Dead Giant.
Bob Toledo couldn’t build a consistent winner at UCLA. Rick Neuheisel, Jim Mora and Chip Kelly couldn’t either.
Here’s the reason Troy Aikman didn’t get thanked by that UCLA football player
PHILIP RIVERS RETURNS
From Sam Farmer: Philip Rivers has never been quick on his feet, but he can make quick decisions. That’s what made him such an outstanding NFL quarterback, and it’s part of the reason he’s a Hall of Fame semifinalist.
So it’s not surprising that, even at 44 and a grandfather, he didn’t linger long when the Indianapolis Colts called to take his temperature on coming back to play quarterback for them.
Rivers was at home in Alabama on Sunday night when he got a call from Colts coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard. They had just lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn Achilles tendon, and rookie backup Riley Leonard suffered an undisclosed knee injury in relief.
“We said, ‘What do you think?’” Steichen said Wednesday of phoning Rivers, the Chargers great who finished his career with the Colts. “He said, ‘Heck yeah, I’m interested. Heck yeah.’ So he slept on it and then we called him back Monday morning and he said, ‘I need to get up there and throw in that building. Start moving around.’”
The quarterback, five years removed from his last game, threw at the Colts facility Monday and Tuesday then went back to his hotel to think it over. When Steichen and Ballard called again, Rivers — in true Philip Rivers style — said, “Dag-gummit, let’s freaking go.”
KINGS FALL TO KRAKEN
Vince Dunn scored on the power play 1:21 into overtime and the Seattle Kraken ended a five-game losing streak on Wednesday night by beating the Kings, 3-2.
Matty Beniers tied the score for the Kraken with a power-play goal with 25.3 seconds left in regulation. Jared McCann also scored for Seattle, which had been winless in six outings (0-5-1) since Nov. 23. Eeli Tolvanan assisted on the tying and winning goals. Dunn added two assists.
Joey Daccord made 24 saves.
Alex Laferriere had a short-handed goal and Kevin Fiala scored on the power play for the Kings. Anton Forsberg made 30 saves.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1938 — New York Giants beats the Green Bay Packers 23-17 to win the NFL championship.
1946 — The Chicago Stags and Cleveland Rebels play an experimental NBA game featuring 15-minute quarters, instead of the usual 12-minute quarters. The Stags beat the Rebels 88-70.
1949 — Johnny Lujack of the Chicago Bears passes for 468 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-21 rout of the Chicago Cardinals.
1951 — Joe DiMaggio announces his retirement from baseball.
1959 — Richie Guerin scores 57 points, at the time the most ever by a Knick, as New York defeats Syracuse 152-121. His team record was broken by Bernard King 25 years later.
1971 — The Lakers set an NBA record with 21 straight wins by beating the Atlanta Hawks 104-95, breaking the record of 20 set by the Milwaukee Bucks the previous year.
1972 — Joe Namath of the New York Jets passes for 403 yards and Don Maynard sets an NFL record for career receptions in a 24-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Maynard, with seven catches, breaks Raymond Berry’s record of 631 by one catch.
1977 — Philadelphia’s Tom Bladon scores four goals and collects four assists to set a record for defensemen with eight points in the Flyers’ 11-1 victory over the Cleveland Barons.
1981 — Former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali’s 61st and last fight; loses to Trevor Berbick by unanimous decision in 10 rounds at Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Nassau, Bahamas.
1982 — Dan Fouts the San Diego Chargers passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-37 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco’s Joe Montana passes for 356 yards to set an NFL record with five consecutive games of 300 yards or more passing.
1983 — John Henry becomes the first racehorse to surpass $4 million in career earnings when he wins the Hollywood Turf Cup with jockey Chris McCarron at Hollywood Park.
1985 — Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers registers seven assists in a 12-9 victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. The teams tie the NHL record for most total goals in a game.
1992 — Gary Bettman, the NBA’s senior vice president and general counsel, is named the NHL’s first commissioner.
1999 — Rowan ends Mount Union’s NCAA-record 54-game winning streak, beating the Purple Raiders 24-17 in overtime in a Division III semifinal game.
2002 — Danielle Dube becomes the third female goalie to start in a men’s pro hockey game, stopping 18 shots in the Long Beach Ice Dogs’ 4-1 loss to San Diego in the West Coast Hockey League.
2002 — Colorado’s Joe Sakic scores his 500th career goal in a 3-1 loss at Vancouver. Sakic is the 31st player in NHL history to reach the milestone.
2006 — Jerry Sloan becomes the fifth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games after Utah defeats Dallas 101-79.
2009 — Tiger Woods announces an indefinite leave from pro golf to focus on his marriage.
2010 — Carl Hagelin scores two goals in the Michigan’s 5-0 victory over Michigan State at Michigan Stadium. The announced attendance of 113,411 crowd sets a world attendance record for a hockey game.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors need two overtimes to remain perfect on a very imperfect night and improved to 24-0 this season by outlasting the Boston Celtics 124-119.
2021 — 87th Heisman Trophy Award: Bryce Young, Alabama (QB)
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.