Welcome back to the Lakers newsletter, where we’re likely standing at an airport as you read this.
The NBA schedule is in full swing. The chaos JJ Redick mentioned at the beginning of the season has arrived. The Lakers played a game with seven standard contract players. Austin Reaves went on a heater for the ages, scoring 51 points in a game, 41 in the next, then hitting the game-winner in the one after that. Nick Smith Jr. threw up in the hallway at Moda Center then dropped 25 on the Portland Trail Blazers.
But through it all, the Lakers are crediting their 6-2 start to something that can’t be measured in the box score.
All things Lakers, all the time.
‘Play Laker basketball’
There seems to be an advanced statistic for everything now. As a math person, I wholeheartedly embrace the nerdification of sports. But the thing Redick preaches most to his team is something that can’t be quantified.
Just “playing hard.”
It sounds simple, but, in fact, there is a way to do it wrong.
“That’s what we call ‘fake hustle,’” guard Marcus Smart said. “It’s all for the cameras. It’s all just to look good so you don’t get in trouble in the film room. But when you’re playing hard, you can feel it. You can feel the way you’re playing, you can feel the way the energy. Your body can feel it. Your mind can feel it. And you’d be surprised how the game turns out because of that.”
The Lakers’ early season commitment to simply playing hard has helped them weather injury storms and roster uncertainty. They’ve gone 3-1 in games without Luka Doncic. One of those victories was without Doncic and Austin Reaves, and all have been on the road. LeBron James hasn’t even played a minute this season.
“There’s certain things that we are doing right now that we did not do until mid-to-late January of last year,” Redick said before the Lakers’ game against Memphis.
Naturally, only hours after praising his team’s consistent competitiveness, Redick was frustrated with the effort in the second quarter against the Grizzlies. He called his players “zombies” as they let Memphis score 19 unanswered points in the second quarter.
So, no, things aren’t perfect yet.
But in a long season, with pieces that are still finding their way together, any early glimpse at some of those intangible, championship team qualities are meaningful. Redick lauded his team’s confidence, belief and connectivity in the win over Portland without Doncic or Reaves. Getting any or all of their stars back will change the complexion of what this team will ultimately achieve in April, May or — they hope — June, but the Lakers don’t want to it to affect what they do any given night.
“I think it all started in training camp, really just going as hard as we can, JJ not giving the crap who’s out there,” center Deandre Ayton said. “He wants to play Laker basketball.”
After the Lakers beat the Grizzlies, Smart gave the team a B+ in how hard it’s playing. But after Monday’s win in Portland in which Smith scored 25 points off the bench, Smart upgraded the rating to a B++.
So there’s still room to grow on this report card.
A new boss in town
New Lakers majority owner Mark Walter.
(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
The Lakers officially have a new majority owner.
Mark Walter’s acquisition of the Lakers was unanimously approved by the NBA board of governors last Thursday. It was a monumental week for the billionaire. One day after the sale went final, Walter hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy for the second time in as many years with the Dodgers, who won the World Series in epic Game 7 fashion. Then on Sunday, Walter was sitting courtside at Crypto.com Arena in a royal blue Dodgers jacket to watch the Lakers defeat the Heat. An arena employee shook Walter’s hand, presumably thanking him for bringing L.A. another championship and already dreaming about the next one that could come for the purple and gold.
Redick said he spoke briefly with Walter after the news and came away impressed with Walter’s enthusiasm to learn about a new league.
“Baseball is an individual sport masquerading as a team sport. It’s a different thing,” Redick said. “Daryl Morey said it best on a podcast a couple years ago. He said the NBA now is the equivalent of the Giants when Barry Bonds was in his prime, basically getting to bat every single time and not only that, getting to pick who pitches to him every single time. That’s what the NBA is. … The impact of star players, a guy like Luka, a guy like LeBron, a guy like AR, it’s just different than any other sport.”
Favorite thing I ate this week
Miso pork katsu sando from Tokyo Sando food cart in Portland.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
As my Uber driver dropped me off at my hotel in Portland, we drove by a collection of food trucks around the corner. He recommended that I make a stop for lunch. Little did he know, I had already scoped out the entire area, and I had my target locked.
The miso pork katsu sando from Tokyo Sando felt like culinary perfection after a chaotic back-to-back turnaround.
And when Marcus Skeet, the record-breaking charity runner and mental health champion received his Special Recognition Award, he got an extra surprise. After handing Marcus his trophy, pop star Anne-Marie, and podcast duo Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson revealed Pride of Britain had launched a special GoFundMe for mental health charity Mind in Marcus’s honour.
Money raised will pay for special mental health walking and running groups all over the country called Marcus’s Movers. The groups, which include mental health practitioners, cost £2,500 to set up.
Sam and Pete kicked things off with a £5,000 donation on stage, and then Pub Landlord Al Murray took to the floor to persuade some other famous faces to chip in too.
Dragons Den tycoon Duncan Bannatyne donated £20,000, bringing the total raised on the night to £50,000, enough to fund 20 potentially lifesaving Marcus’s Movers groups. A stunned Marcus told Ashley Banjo: “From the bottom of my heart, that means the absolute world. I’m lost for words.”
Now you can help by donating to the GoFundMe to help Mind set up even more Marcus’s Movers groups in communities all over Britain. The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with P&O Cruises celebrate unsung heroes like Marcus. His own life was transformed by walking and running – the teenager went from the lowest possible ebb to becoming a record-breaking charity fundraiser and Pride of Britain winner.
He was 12 when his dad was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Marcus’s physical and mental health rapidly declined and he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and intrusive thoughts which dramatically impacted his life.
At 15 he was in “one of the darkest places”, and attempted suicide after spending months alone in his room with no contact with the outside world. Desperate to turn his life around, Marcus, now 17, started walking short distances at first, before building up distance and speed until he was jogging longer routes. He says: “My mental health was at an all time low so I decided to run, not just for mental health but to raise awareness. Running pushed my body and mind and the feeling after a run was like nothing else.”
Since then, Marcus has raised more than £200,000 for Mind through running, including a run from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The gruelling 874 mile challenge saw him become the youngest person ever – and the first under 18 – to run the entire length of the UK.
Marcus has documented his journey on social media in the hopes of inspiring others who are struggling with their mental health. He says: “Life is brutal, sometimes you feel like you’re in a place you can’t get out of. But I promise you, every road may have speed bumps but you’ll get over them. Mental health is such a big thing, everyone is different but I find running helps mine.”
PHOENIX — Marcus Smart estimated he’ll be limited to about 20 to 25 minutes in his Lakers preseason debut Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns as he returns from Achilles tendinopathy.
Speaking after the team’s shootaround Tuesday, the 31-year-old guard said the rash of Achilles injuries suffered by NBA stars recently — including three during the playoffs last season — made his initial diagnosis frightening, but he took a cautious approach with the Lakers staff to ensure he was ready for the season.
“It wasn’t scary in the fact of understanding that tendinopathy, we all kind of have it playing over the time,” said Smart, who is entering his 12th NBA season. “Just making sure you do everything you need to do, to make sure that you can get back out here, or to be able to say, ‘No, I can’t.’ So you got to test it, unfortunately, and you got to see where you’re at. So we’ve done all the tests on the court, off the court and we’re feeling fast, feeling good so we want to give it a shot.”
Guard Luka Doncic is also expected to make his preseason debut after he was on a modified training schedule following a busy summer spent with the Slovenian national team. Coach JJ Redick said Monday after practice that Doncic and the team’s training staff had yet to determine a minutes restriction on Doncic, but expects that the five-time All-Star will see an increased workload by the time he suits up again for his second preseason game.
The Lakers will follow Tuesday’s game in Phoenix with a game against Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Because of the back-to-back schedule, it’s likely Doncic will play again Friday at Crypto.com Arena against the Sacramento Kings.
Since they are playing four games in six days, the Lakers ruled out guard Gabe Vincent, forwards Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt and center Jaxson Hayes for Tuesday’s preseason game.
Rookie guard Adou Thiero [knee] has progressed to on-court activities, the team announced Tuesday, after the second-round draft pick was battling swelling in a knee. He will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.
England face Latvia in Riga on Tuesday knowing victory will guarantee qualification for next summer’s World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Rashford, who scored two goals in the Champions League for Barca against Newcastle United, has fallen out of favour at Manchester United and is looking to get his career back on track away from his boyhood club.
In January, manager Ruben Amorim criticised Rashford for not showing the attitude of someone “giving the maximum every day”.
Tuchel pointed out that Rashford is still young enough to make the right decisions in his career “because otherwise, he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it”.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has been pleased with Rashford’s efforts so far though, calling him “unbelievable”. The La Liga club has the option of signing him on a permanent basis for £30m in 2026.
“I think the limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others,” said Tuchel. “He has the potential – but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports.
“You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis – that is what is demanded on this kind of level, and that is the challenge for him.
“He can be one of the best in the world because the quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head.
“He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air, so where are the limits?
“There are no limits – but the numbers don’t reach the potential, it is as easy as that.”
When it was first published in 1975, “Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” was immediately recognized as something new. In six taut, probing, far-ranging essays about certain popular or otherwise forgotten musicians, author Greil Marcus cracked open a world of sojourners, tricksters, killers and confidence men — the lost subterranean underlife of America as inflected in the music itself.
“Mystery Train” was a landmark in cultural criticism that took on Rock ‘n’ Roll as a subject of intellectual inquiry. In 2011, Time magazine named “Mystery Train” one of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. For the book’s 50th anniversary, a new edition has been published, with a wealth of new writing from Marcus that brings his book up to date.
On a recent Zoom call, I chatted with him on the 50th anniversary of his book about its lasting impact, the anxiety of influence and the staying power of criticism.
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✍️ Author Chat
Book jacket of “Mystery Train” by Greil Marcus.
(Penguin Random House)
Congrats on 50 years of “Mystery Train.” Could you have possibly imagined that it would still have a life in 2025 when you wrote it in 1975?
For this book to have this kind of a life, you can’t predict it. I had a miserable time writing it. I’d never written a book before. I rented a room at a house near our little apartment, and just stayed there all day, trying to write or not trying to write, as the case may be. I didn’t have any hopes or ambitions for it. I just wanted it to look good.
This is the thickest edition of “Mystery Train” yet. Your “Notes and Discographies” section, where you update the reader on new books and recordings about the artists, among other things, is longer than the original text of the book.
That’s what’s kept the book alive. I mean, I still think the original chapters read well. I’m glad they came out the way they did, but for me, they opened up a continuing story, and that has sort of kept me on the beat so that I obsessively would follow every permutation that I could and write them in the notes section.
“Mystery Train” changed the way popular music was written about. Who were your literary antecedents?
Edmund Wilson, Pauline Kael, D.H. Lawrence’s critical studies. Hemingway’s short stories, just as a way to learn how to try to write. There was another book that was important to me, Michael Gray’s “Song and Dance Man,” which was a rigorous examination of Bob Dylan’s music. It was totally intimidating. His knowledge of blues, novels, poetry — I thought there’s no way I can write something as good as this. So I started doing a lot more reading, and listening more widely.
For many readers of the book, it was the first time they came across artists like Robert Johnson or Harmonica Frank. How did you discover these artists?
I was an editor at Rolling Stone magazine in 1969 when the Altamont disaster happened, when people were killed at a free Rolling Stones concert. It was an evil, awful day. I was drained and disgusted with what rock ‘n’ roll had become, and I didn’t want to listen to that music anymore. I found myself in this little record store in Berkeley, and I saw an album by Robert Johnson that had a song called “Four Until Late” that Eric Clapton’s band Cream had covered, so I took it home and played it, and that was just a revelation to me. It led me into another world. It became the bedrock of “Mystery Train.”
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger signs autographs at Altamont Speedway. Later, on Dec. 6, the Stones gave a concert where one fan was stabbed to death by a Hell’s Angel.
(Associated Press)
Your book explores how certain myths transfer across vastly disparate cultures. Had you read the great mythologist Joseph Campbell prior to writing the book?
I read a lot of Joseph Campbell in graduate school. Probably a half-dozen of his books. In some ways they cover the same territory as “Mystery Train.” Campbell makes the argument that myths persist, they don’t even need to be cultivated. They cultivate us, and they are passed on in almost invisible ways. That really struck a chord with me when reading Campbell’s work.
You’re very good at explaining what music sounds like. Are you influenced by fiction at all?
I’d say fiction is part of my work. One of the books that hovered over me when I was writing “Mystery Train” was “The Great Gatsby.” Certain lines, they sang out.
What is the purpose of criticism?
My next book is about Bryan Ferry, the leader of the band Roxy Music. Now, you listen to a song like Roxy Music’s “More Than This” and you say, what makes this so great? How did that happen? What is going on here? That’s what criticism is, just wrestling with your response to something. That thing where someone has captured a moment so completely that you sort of fall back in awe. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life as a writer. There is this urge to, not exactly take possession of something, but to become a part of it to some small degree.
Your book plumbs the murky depths, exploring the mysterious dream life of America as transmuted through certain music. Are there any mysteries left for you?
Oh, yes, absolutely. I remember when I met Bob Dylan in 1997. He was getting an award, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and I was to give a talk. We met and he asked what I was working on. I had just published a book called “Invisible Republic,” about his “Basement Tapes.” He said, “You should write a sequel to that. You only just scratched the surface.” Now, I’m not saying I did a bad job. He said that to me because certain music has infinite depth. So, yes, there are certainly more mysteries to think about.
📰 The Week(s) in Books
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Valerie Castallanos Clark loves Jade Chang’s new novel, “What a Time to Be Alive,” calling it “equal parts love letter to Los Angeles, narrative about being a first-generation Asian American, exploration of grief and love and a found-family novel featuring an adoptee that doesn’t put reunion as the emotional climax.”
With “Shadow Ticket,” Thomas Pynchon has delivered a late-career gem, according to David Kipen: “Dark as a vampire’s pocket, light-fingered as a jewel thief, ‘Shadow Ticket’ capers across the page with breezy, baggy-pants assurance — and then pauses on its way down the fire escape just long enough to crack your heart open.”
Stories Books & Cafe is on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.
(Claudia Colodro)
Ever since it opened its doors in 2008, Stories Books & Cafe has been a community cornerstone. A snug yet carefully curated store, with loads of obscurantist art books and choice indie press titles, Stories also has a cafe tucked in the back that is always bustling. Owner Claudia Colodro runs the store as a creative cooperative with her five co-workers. I talked to the team about the shop on Sunset.
Stories is small, yet I always see titles in there I don’t see anywhere else.
Stories prides itself on its painstaking curation, influenced by every employee’s area of expertise. Much like the community we have garnered, Stories leans toward the eclectic, esoteric and even fringe. Over our 17 years in existence, Stories has been a bookstore that loves our local authors and independent publishers, and encourages readers to come in with an open mind more than a predetermined list.
Remarkably, you have endured in a neighborhood that has seen a lot of store closures, post-COVID.
In a world predominantly automatized and authoritative, we like our people and books to be a countermeasure to the mainstream creature comforts — in hopes to push people out of the path of least resistance and into the unseen abundance.
The Lakers’ first practice of the week gave them hope of what they can look like whole when Marcus Smart takes the court.
Smart has been dealing with Achilles tendinopathy most of training camp and has been limited in practice. But coach JJ Redick said after practice Tuesday that Smart “did most of practice, including some live play.”
Redick said LeBron James and Luka Doncic — along with Maxi Kleber (quad) and Gabe Vincent — did “modified, mostly individual work.”.
“Marcus participated in some live [practice] and then was out at the end,” Redick said. “Yeah he was awesome. He was awesome. He, I think given the workload of today, I was impressed that he was able to sustain his level of intensity for as long as he did.”
Redick said Doncic was out for “load management.” Then Redick laughed.
Smart has been one of the NBA’s better defenders over his career, winning defensive player of the year for the 2021-22 season while playing for the Boston Celtics and being named to the All-Defensive first team three times — 2019, 2020 and 2022.
That will be a big part of his role with the Lakers, and during practice they got a glimpse of his defensive tenacity.
“Yeah, he guarded me a little bit at the first of practice,” Austin Reaves said. “You still feel that pressure. You feel the intensity that he brings on the defensive end, and that’s going to be big for us. We need that. We need him to be the best version of himself. With that communication that he brings, especially defensively, he’s been in the league a while. He knows how to win at the highest level. So, very excited to have him.”
After the Washington Wizards bought out his contract, Smart received several calls from Doncic about joining the Lakers.
“He looked great. He was moving great,” Jarred Vanderbilt said. “But like I said, his main power is that he’s vocal. So being able to help the guys. Communicate, that’s a big part of defense also. Being physical is one of them, but also being vocal, being able to communicate. I think he does both at a very high level. So, he can definitely help us on that end of the floor.”
Vanderbilt is the Lakers’ other top defender, his versatility allowing him to guard multiple positions.
He was asked to envision what the Lakers’ defense will be like with himself and Smart together on the court.
“Aw, man, just causing havoc,” Vanderbilt said. “Not only physically but just vocally. He’s a vocal guy as well, so it’s being the anchor of the defense, flying around, setting that tone defensively. Like, I’m excited. I can’t wait to share the court together.”
LeBron James ad
At some point after practice, the Lakers were asked if any one texted them about James’ cryptic post about “#TheSecondDecision” on Monday.
It left many wondering if James was talking about retiring.
He was not. It was about an ad for Hennessy that was posted on social media Tuesday morning.
“You guys are idiots,” Redick said when asked, laughing as he spoke. “We all knew it was an ad, right? No, I think most people that text me are also aware that it’s probably an ad, so it wasn’t. … Nobody was freaking out.”
Still, James is entering his NBA-record 23rd season.
“I just got a couple calls, like, ‘what is this?’” Reaves said, laughing.
Rui Hachimura wanted to know what was going on.
So he contacted James just to be sure.
“I mean, [I got] a couple texts. But I texted him too,” Hachimura said. “But he was using a [weird] emoji. I don’t even know. I didn’t understand at all. But he loves to do that type of stuff. Surprises, right?”
Tuchel insisted after the match that Rashford is putting in the effort to succeed.
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Rashford has been recalled for the England teamCredit: Getty
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Thomas Tuchel insisted that the forward is training wellCredit: Alamy
He said: “For me, he’s clearly a left winger.
“That’s where we played him today. He had the freedom to go a bit more inside to play not only against the fifth defender in the back five, but to play maybe more inside against the third.
“I think the right side was a bit more active and found the positions a bit better. So I think he suffered from that today.
“He had an excellent training week, and it was obvious that we want him to start because he trained so well on the left side.
“I can see that he tries. This is, for me, the most important, that he stays positive and he trains at the moment with the right attitude with a smile.
“He struggles a bit with numbers and with ‘wow’ performance in an England shirt.”
MARCUS RASHFORD has been given a sweet new nickname by his Barcelona team-mates – but admits he has no idea what it means.
The 27-year-old star opened about the motivation behind his season-long loan move away from Manchester United in a tell-all front page interview with Spanish newspaper Sport.
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Marcus Rashford has been given a hilarious new nickname from his Barcelona team-matesCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Rashford took part in a tell-all front page interview with Spanish publication Sport
After finally being registered to play in LaLiga, and making his league debut from the bench in a 3-0 win over Mallorca last Saturday, Rashford now faces the difficult task that all non-Spanish speaking players encounter at Barcelona or Real Madrid – learning the language.
A willingness to pick up Spanish is often essential for getting the fans on side, which could help the club decide to activate their £26million option to buy before next summer’s World Cup in the USA.
And Rashford, who has already scored a pre-season goal, has picked up a bizarre – but comical – new nickname after trying to get to grips with Español.
The England winger told Sport: “When they’re having fun among themselves, they call me ‘sweetie’ [‘chuche’].
“I don’t know what it means, but it’s funny to be spoken to like that.
“But I’m trying to learn Spanish. I think it’s important for me to learn as soon as possible. So it’s stimulating. You’re always learning and that’s good.
“Catalan is difficult. I suppose that while I’m here, I’ll learn a little and hope it will help me understand more about Catalan culture.”
Rashford later admitted that he escaped Old Trafford to be “happy” after being shunned from the squad in December by Amorim after a clash of personalities.
On why he left United, who he joined at the age of seven, Rashford said: “I need to be happy to play my best football.
Marcus Rashford shows off his football skills in training with Barcelona
“For me personally, football is my life. It’s been my life since I was very, very young.
“Actually, I don’t know anything else. So the bond I have, not only with my career but with sport in general, is huge and I don’t expect it to go away.
“But it’s always good to be happy when you play football. It’s the reason I started this.”
Rashford has endured a testing couple of years under former gaffer Erik ten Hag and more recently Amorim, who informed the forward he was no longer part of his plans at the start of the summer transfer window.
A month after arriving from Sporting, Amorim dropped Rashford for United’s 2-1 win at rivals Manchester City on December 15, citing the academy graduate’s inability to adapt to his training methods.
After a fruitful six-month loan stint at Aston Villa, Rashford openly confessed he is now “comfortable” at reigning LaLiga champions Barca as he looks to get back to his very best in front of goal.
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Rashford has already made his LaLiga debut for Barcelona despite registration difficultiesCredit: AFP
The South Manchester-born star has clearly bonded with his new team-mates, particularly with Lamine Yamal, the youngest Ballon d’Or front-runner, who recently turned 18.
Rashford said: “Lamine is the most talented player I’ve played with at this age. I’ve seen few with the impact he has.
“Maybe Ronaldo, ‘the phenomenon’. He can already be a Ballon d’Or winner.”
Rashford took a salary cut to join Barca, who have agreed to cover his wages for the next year, but if Hansi Flick‘s club send him back to United in a year’s time, he could be forced to see out the remainder of his contract which expires in 2028.
Life is never dull at FC Barcelona – or ‘Can Barca’ as the club and its surrounding environment is known in Spain.
Even the sleepiest off-season Sunday can suddenly erupt into the latest melodramatic controversy, with rumours, counter-rumours and abrupt U-turns a matter of course.
This summer has been no different, with Rashford’s first fortnight at the club overshadowed by a series of sagas.
The biggest of those, centred on club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen, looked for a while as though it would even delay Rashford’s league debut.
Ter Stegen is a Barca legend with more than 400 appearances and 17 trophies under his belt. But he has recently sustained several injuries, playing only nine games last season, and the summer signing of Joan Garcia from Espanyol strongly suggests the club is ready to shove their captain aside.
Attempts to sell him, however, were thwarted when the keeper underwent surgery on a back problem – and that also had wider ramifications.
Barca are currently barred by La Liga from registering their new signings, including Rashford and Garcia, because their troubled finances do not meet La Liga’s strict guidelines.
Selling Ter Stegen would have freed up enough salary space to do so, but his surgery made a summer sale impossible. So Barca devised another plan: de-register their captain until January.
Ter Stegen, however, refused to sign the necessary paperwork, reasoning that his injury should only sideline him until November.
Barca reacted furiously, opening disciplinary proceedings against the keeper and stripping him of the captaincy.
Ter Stegen then relented, had the captaincy restored and will spend the next few months as an unregistered player in rehab before – barring poor form or injury to his replacement Garcia – most likely being sold in January.
That should open the door for Rashford and other new signings to be registered (but take nothing for granted until the paperwork is complete), meaning he’ll be available for next Saturday’s league opener against Mallorca.
That game will be played away from home… and therein lies another summer drama.
Marcus Morris Sr. was denied bond during a hearing Tuesday morning in Florida’s Broward County two days after the former NBA player was arrested at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on felony fraud charges out of Nevada.
The judge denied Morris’ motion to set bond, saying that she did not have the jurisdiction to make such a ruling for an out-of-state case.
Footage from Tuesday’s hearing, posted online by TMZ, shows Morris in attendance, wearing a jail-issued beige jumpsuit and handcuffs. NBA free agent Markieff Morris also attended in support of his twin brother.
Records from the Las Vegas Township Justice Court indicate that warrants were issued earlier this year, one in March and the other in June, for Morris’ arrest. The Boca Raton, Fla., resident faces the same two felony counts in each case — drawing or passing a check for $1,200 or more with the intent to defraud and theft valued at $100,000 or more.
Yony Noy, an agent for Morris, has maintained on social media that Morris’ legal troubles stem from an outstanding marker with a casino.
During the proceedings, the prosecuting attorney representing the state of Florida, confirmed that there are two warrants for Morris’ arrest in Nevada and both are for outstanding markers for more than $100,000 each.
The prosecuting attorney also indicated that although Nevada is looking to extradite Morris, it is also willing to consider dismissing the charges if Morris’ debts are paid in full. An attorney representing Morris said that “a large payment” had already been sent via wire in an effort to resolve the issue.
Morris made more than $100 million in salary during an 11-year NBA career that included four seasons with the Clippers.
A call came from Luka Doncic a couple of times, at first making Marcus Smart think it wasn’t true and then eventually making him believe that Doncic was a Lakers salesman and that he wanted Smart to be a part of what they were building here in Los Angeles.
It wasn’t like they had a strong “relationship,” but Smart said he and Doncic have “a mutual understanding and respect for each other” from meeting on the court in past seasons.
So, when the calls came while Smart was training while trying to figure out his next move after he had agreed to a contract buyout from the Washington Wizards, he was swayed by Doncic to join the Lakers after clearing waivers.
Smart, who signed a two-year deal for $11 million with the Lakers, with a player option for the second season, smiled as he told the stories during his introductory news conference Tuesday about talking to Doncic and being persuaded to join him and LeBron James.
“It first came, my agent, I’m working out, and I get a call from my agent saying, you know, ‘Hey Luka reached out.’ And I’m like ‘yeah whatever’ you know?’ Like all right,” Smart said at the Lakers’ practice facility. “And then another day, same thing — Luka reached out again and now it’s real. It’s no longer what-ifs. It’s real and it’s something we need to talk about. And that was a great feeling, like I said, and that’s kind of what kind of got things going for me to be here and I’m excited to be here.”
The Lakers were in need of a point-of-attack perimeter defender such as Smart, especially with Dorian Finney-Smith going to Houston.
Smart was the NBA’s defensive player of the year in 2022 when he played for the Boston Celtics and has been on the NBA’s All-Defensive first team three times.
Knowing that Doncic and James are “two greats with [the] greatest basketball IQs that I’ve ever seen in this era” made it easy for Smart to become their teammates.
“And when you get a guy like Luka, calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you at to see if you want to come and join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here,” Smart said. “And for him to say that he can really use my help, that meant a lot. Played against Luka a lot. Been on a lot of opposing ends of Luka magic. And to be able to come out and be on his side at this time, it means a lot.”
Doncic has a decision to make with the Lakers.
On Aug. 2, Doncic and the Lakers can talk about a contract extension.
He can sign a four-year deal for $224 million or a three-year deal for $161 million with a player option in 2028, which would then allow Doncic to sign a max deal in 2028 that would give him 35% of the salary cap for that season.
Meanwhile, Smart was asked what kind of recruiter is Doncic.
“It’s the same. He’s a competitor. He’s just the same way. He has that competitive nature when he’s talking,” Smart said. “He’s intrigued and that’s it. He didn’t really have to say much. Luka, his name, his ability, what he has done, [speaks] for himself. And for me, like I said, I’ve been on the other end of Luka magic. So to be able to come and join and see it and witness it on the other side is something that I was like, ‘why not give it a shot?’”
Wizards guard Marcus Smart (36) drives against Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio during a game last season.
(Duane Burleson / Associated Press)
Smart, 31, played in only 54 games the last two seasons, injuries costing him time that he spent both with the Memphis Grizzlies and Wizards. In the 34 games he played between both teams, Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 34.8% from three-point range.
“Yeah, I’m very motivated. You know, the last two years, for me, was in my eyes, a disappointment,” Smart said. “Injuries kind of stopped me and held me back. But like I told my wife and my family, you know, everything happens for a reason. And it’s funny that 12 years ago, I could have been here [with the Lakers] and now it’s full circle and I’m here. And like I said, everything happens for a reason. And I just look at those reasons was for me to be here, to not play for people to look at me and say, ‘you know what, maybe he isn’t the same?’ And now that allows me to be in a place where I’m supposed to be.”
Smart was at his best with the Celtics, where he spent nine years and reached the playoffs every year, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2022.
Over the course of his 11 seasons in the NBA, Smart averaged 10.6 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
The Lakers were 50-32 last season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
But he knows the Lakers are about winning championships and the chance to play with Doncic and James in high-stakes basketball games played a part in his decision as well.
“It’s at the top,” Smart said. “I mean, the main goal, the reason you go out and you compete the way you compete is to try to win championships and what better place to be able to do that than here, where the show starts and where the show ends. So, that was definitely a big part of it, being able to get back on that stage, being able to get to a team that definitely could use me and I know I can make an impact and I can help as well and that was a perfect fit here.”
The 27-year-old completed his loan move to Barca with an option for the switch to be made permanent next summer.
England forward Marcus Rashford said Barcelona was a club where “dreams come true” as he joined the La Liga champions on a season-long loan from Manchester United, with an option to buy at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Media reports said that Barcelona would cover Rashford’s wages this season after the player accepted a pay cut, with the option to buy set at about 30 million euros ($35.25m) for the 27-year-old.
“Very excited. I think it’s a club where people’s dreams come true. They win big prizes. And what the club stands for really means a lot to me as well. So it feels like I am at home,” Rashford told reporters following his unveiling on Wednesday.
“Another factor is because the conversations I had with the manager [Hansi Flick] were positive. What he did last season was terrific.
“To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to preseason and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club, and it’s everything I wished.”
Once seen as a club icon and homegrown star, Rashford had a dramatic fall from grace at United, marked by a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim that paved the way for him to move to Aston Villa on loan in February.
“[Manchester United] is in a period of change, and they have been for a while. I don’t have anything bad to say as it has been an important part not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity,” he added.
“But like life, not everything goes as simple as you thought, and this is my next chapter, and I’m fully focused on improving myself and helping the team win trophies.”
Barcelona said Rashford had signed his contract earlier on Wednesday afternoon. “Rashford can play anywhere in attack. Right footed, he can take players on and is an excellent finisher, talents he can now show in a Barca shirt,” the club said in a statement.
Marcus Rashford moved from Manchester United to Aston Villa during the mid-season transfer window in February [File: Chris Radburn/Reuters]
Second time lucky with Barca loan deal
The move to Barcelona came after Manchester-born Rashford, who made 426 senior appearances and scored 138 goals for United in all competitions, fell out of favour with Amorim, who called his work rate into question.
Rashford, who won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title with United, joined Aston Villa on loan after Amorim said he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
United issued a statement wishing Rashford well as they announced the deal with Barcelona.
“Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the season,” the club said.
The forward, who has scored 17 goals for England in 62 appearances, said he was feeling fitter and better after joining Villa, where he netted two goals in 10 league games, while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Rashford said he had wanted to move to Barca during the mid-season transfer window when he joined Villa.
“I was clear on my preference [to join Barcelona] from the beginning. Actually, from maybe in January. It didn’t work out in January, so I went to Villa and enjoyed a good period there,” he said.
“It was time to make another decision. My choice was easy. [Barcelona] is a family club, something I’m used to from my past. It feels like home.”
Barcelona are set to play three preseason friendlies in Japan and South Korea, starting on July 27.
Barcelona agree deal to sign England international Marcus Rashford on an initial loan deal from Manchester United.
Barcelona’s already impressive front line is about to be boosted by the signing of Marcus Rashford.
Rashford is in Barcelona to complete a move from Manchester United, a person with knowledge of the transfer told The Associated Press news agency on Monday.
The person was not authorised to speak about the transfer publicly and did not want to be named.
The loan deal would give the 27-year-old England forward, once considered among Europe’s top talents, a chance to revive a career that has stalled in recent years after he fell out of favour at United and ended last season on loan at Aston Villa.
Spanish media said the one-year loan would give Barcelona an option to buy Rashford for about $35m.
Barcelona had the best attack in Spanish football and one of the most prolific across Europe last season but had been trying to add another piece to the front line to go along with young star Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and veteran Robert Lewandowski.
Rashford has spent his entire career at United, scoring 138 goals in 429 appearances and winning five major trophies, including two FA Cups and the Europa League.
But he struggled to consistently live up to the hype that surrounded him when he burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2016 – managing 20 goals or more only in three seasons. In his past two seasons at United, he scored a combined 15 goals and added another four in 17 games on loan at Villa.
Barcelona won the Spanish league title with 102 goals, 24 more than runners-up Real Madrid. The Catalan club also led the Champions League in goals with 43, five more than champion Paris Saint-Germain, before being eliminated by Inter Milan in the semifinals.
Joining Barcelona has been Rashford’s preferred option since he declared in December that he was ready for a new challenge after being dropped by United head coach Ruben Amorim.
The move will be Rashford’s second consecutive loan spell after a six-month stint with Aston Villa in the second half of last season.
The forward is expected to complete a medical with the La Liga club early this week, with the aim of being able to join Barcelona’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea on Thursday.
Should Rashford join the tour, he could come up against former United team-mate Jesse Lingard.
Lingard, 32, is in his second season with K League side FC Seoul, who face Barcelona on 31 July.
The Lakers have found their point-of-attack, defensive-mind wing defender in guard Marcus Smart, who has agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign a two-year, $11-million deal with Los Angeles, people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times on Saturday.
Smart, the 2022 defensive player of the year when he played for the Boston Celtics, will sign his deal contract after when he clears waivers. He has a player option after the 2025-26 season, meaning he can become a free agent next summer.
The Lakers were in need of a defensive wing after defensive ace Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets.
Smart played in only 34 games last season, splitting time between Memphis and Washington. He dealt with a finger injury on his shooting hand last season. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39.3% from the field.
Smart, 31, played in only 20 games during the 2023-24 season with the Grizzlies, his time limited by a finger injury and left foot sprain. During his time on the court, Smart averaged 14.4 points per game and shot 43% from the field, 31.3% from three-point range.
Smart was at his best during his nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, making the playoffs each year. He missed the playoffs the last two seasons in Memphis and Washington.
He started a career-high 71 games during the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 32.3 minutes per game, 12.1 points and shot 41.8% from the field, 33.1% from three-point range.
That was the same season Smart was the defensive player of the year. He’s also a three-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive first team.
With a starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, two players not known for their defense, the Lakers really needed a defensive-minded player like Smart.
The 6-foot-3 Smart has the size, strength (220 pounds) and athleticism to defend three positions — point guards, shooting guards and small forwards.
His soon-to-be addition, along with that of center Deandre Ayton and forward Jake LaRavia, gives the Lakers depth and talent to hopefully contend in the uber-tough Western Conference.
Smart was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Celtics.
He has been a starter and reserve over his career, having started 387 out of 635 games in an 11-year career.
During that time, Smart averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds, a sign of his all-around talents. He shot 38.8% from the field, 32.4% from three-point range and 77.6% from the free-throw line in his career.
But Smart is at his best on defense. His career defensive rating is 107.9.
He has the ability to move his feet and stay in front of his man. He’s a very good one-on-one defender, and that’s exactly what the Lakers need.
Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa where he made 17 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing six assists.
He is one of five United players – and the highest paid – told to train separately from Amorim’s squad amid a stand-off over their futures.
The 27-year-old does not believe he will play for United again while Amorim is at the club.
If the deal to Barcelona does go through, it would be a massive positive for United as they look to strengthen Amorim’s squad.
With over £130m committed to signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, further deals have to be funded through departures.
Even if Rashford’s exit was initially on loan, the saving off the wage bill would be significant given only Casemiro earns more than his £325,000-a-week salary.
MARCUS RASHFORD has emerged as a target for Inter Milan – as they look to bounce back from their Champions League final horror show.
The Manchester United forward, 27, spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa, with his red-hot form securing him a place back in the England squad.
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Marcus Rashford is wanted by Inter Milan after rediscovering his top form at Aston VillaCredit: Getty
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Rashford reportedly fell out with Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim and is expected to leaveCredit: PA
But Villa, who narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot for 2025-26, are unlikely to make a permanent move for Rashford due to the player’s sky-high wages.
Unai Emery and Co are now firmly focused on other targets and hope to keep hold of Ollie Watkins, who has been linked with an exit from Villa Park.
Sources close to Rashford told SunSport he doesn’t see a future at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.
The pair reportedly fell out last season with the Portuguese manager unhappy with Rashford’s attitude during training and off the field.
And that means Rashford is frantically searching for a new club, which has put Inter Milan on red-alert.
The Italian giants are looking to rebuild their side in the wake of the Champions League final demolition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
Inter were thrashed 5-0 in a defeat which came on the back of them throwing away the Serie A title late in the season, opening the door for Napoli.
Club chiefs believe that Rashford could be a key acquisition and would excite supporters.
And although Man Utd would prefer a permanent deal, Inter are also exploring the option of a long-term loan move.
A source said: “Marcus is open-minded to a move abroad, and a fresh start.
Aston Villa star Marcus Rashford hits the race track as he works out on holiday in St Tropez
“Lots of players have made the move from the Premier League to Serie A in recent years and performed very well. That’s why the idea of such a switch excites both the player and Inter.”
Rashford is one of a number of players in limbo at United.
Team-mates Jadon Sancho and Antony both ended the campaign on loan at other clubs and are deemed surplus to requirements.
But United face a challenge in offloading all of them due to their massive wages.
