Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where, no, we did not get a Luka Doncic bobblehead.
Fans and even some Lakers players walked away with the coveted statuettes after the Lakers’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Sandro Mamukelashvili said he would display his in his office next to bobbleheads of former teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli.
With Doncic eavesdropping on his postgame interview Sunday, Jarred Vanderbilt said he didn’t need a bobblehead.
“I don’t want to see no more Luka,” Vanderbilt said minutes after Doncic walked out of the locker room.
If the beginning of the season is any indication, we’ll all be seeing more Luka.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.
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Luka’s scoring magic
When half-court isn’t hard enough, Luka Doncic goes for the full-court heave. When a traditional three-pointer is a bore, he’ll try a one-handed, underhand three instead. Doncic keeps pushing the ball higher and higher on trick shots that are approaching the rafters before they ultimately drop softly through the net. And with Doncic, they almost always do.
“He’s done it so many times now,” Lakers forward Matisse Thybulle said of Doncic’s array of trick shots, “that [you] just kind of chalk it up to that’s just Luka.”
Doncic is not only just up to his old scoring tricks, he’s made them even better. After leading the league in scoring last year, Doncic is averaging 38.3 points per game through the first two weeks. And that’s despite what he deemed a “terrible” start while he was still trying to find his offensive rhythm.
“We live on a spaceship and we’re going at the speed of light at all times when he’s on the court,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Sunday after Doncic scored 45 points with six assists in a “supernova” performance that still felt “normal” enough to get overshadowed by his 15 defensive rebounds and five steals.
In his last five games, Doncic is averaging 43.4 points and 8.6 assists on 53.2% shooting from the field and 44.7% from three. His five consecutive games with 35 or more points matches the longest such streak for a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant averaged 53.6 points across a five-game heater in March 2007.
The Lakers (6-2) celebrated the Slovenian superstar’s scoring prowess Sunday with a bobblehead giveaway. The miniature statue showed Doncic shooting a one-legged fadeaway jumper, one of his classic shots.
Doncic’s jump shot has become his calling card while turning into one of the league’s most dangerous scorers. Beginning in the 2023-24 season when Doncic won his first scoring title, at least 35.3% of his field-goal attempts each year have been from three. He never attempted more than 33.2% of his shots from beyond the arc during an NBA season prior to that year. The uptick in attempts has closed the gap between how many points he’s scoring from two compared to points off three-pointers, and this season, the hot-shooting Doncic is scoring more on threes than twos. Through his first six games, Doncic scored 66 points on twos and 105 on threes. His 5.8 made threes and 13.5 three-point attempts per game both lead the league. In the small sample size, he’s shooting a career-best 43.2% from three.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
For those who have known Doncic through different phases of his career, watching this dominant scorer emerge feels like watching a Pokémon evolve.
“He just polished a lot of his offensive weapons, let’s say,” Doncic’s longtime Spanish agent Quique Villalobos said. “If you ask me what is different from Luka in Europe than Luka in the NBA, Luka in the NBA is scoring much more.”
The 18-year-old Doncic won EuroLeague MVP averaging 16 points, 4.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Even considering that EuroLeague games are 40 minutes compared to the NBA’s 48, Doncic’s 22.2 points per 36 minutes during his final EuroLeague season is still less than his NBA rookie rate of 23.7 points per 36 minutes.
Different rules also help NBA players stuff box scores. The NBA court is bigger (94 feet by 50 feet compared to 91.86 feet by 49.21 feet in Europe) allowing more space to move. Doncic knows he can take advantage of the NBA’s defensive three-seconds violation by timing his attacks when the center leaves the paint. Doncic’s pacing remains one of his sharpest scoring weapons.
“I would say his patience,” Lakers guard Collin Sexton said of what makes Doncic such a prolific scorer. “And really not be able to be sped up at times. When you’re not able to be sped up, you’re able to control the game at your speed and do what you want to, no matter what the defense is doing.”
Doncic moves at a slow pace, but is creating loud moments. He is becoming ubiquitous around Crypto.com Arena. The full-page ad he bought in The Times for the season opener was blown up to more than six feet tall and displayed on the concourse at a recent game. Lakers girls wore his No. 77 jersey during a performance on his bobblehead night. And the sight of him hitting a contested step-back jumper will live in the nightmares of defenders all season.
New rules are a flop
As gracefully as a 40-year-old can manage, Al Horford attempted to spin across the lane. The Golden State Warriors’ center stepped on Vanderbilt’s foot and the Lakers’ forward fell backward. Vanderbilt looked at referees in disbelief when he was called for a flop.
The NBA’s new flopping emphasis has been a headache for players and coaches as they struggle to understand how referees will interpret the rules. While offensive players are often chastised for flopping in an attempt to get free throws, every clip in the NBA’s four-minute video about flopping focused on defensive players. During the video shown to players and coaches, the NBA’s head of referee development and training Monty McCutchen emphasizes moments where the defenders’ reactions are “theatrical and excessive” and are “in a manner inconsistent with the contact.”
When asked about the new emphasis from referees, Redick echoed sentiments shared by Minnesota coach Chris Finch last week, saying the NBA’s focus on defensive flopping doesn’t align with what the goal should be.
“We all recognized the fans want the offensive players to stop flopping, and all of our flopping fouls have been defensive,” Redick told reporters in San Francisco. “The reality for the officials [is] each crew is so different and what they interpret is so different.”
Flopping is one of the NBA’s four points of emphasis this season. It may conflict with another area of focus, which involves cracking down on offensive players forcefully using their off-arm to create separation. Offensive players get a win with the emphasis on defensive flopping while the defense is supposed to get the advantage if referees are legislating off-arm push-offs out of the game.
The two sides are then left asking for different things on the same play such as the Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski pleading for the foul while Austin Reaves motioned for a flop with his arms extended and palms up after the two collided on an in-bounds play last Friday.
Neither player got what they asked for.
On tap
Wednesday at Kings (1-6), 7 p.m. PST
The Kings finally won a game, taking down Dallas for their first win of the year Monday. Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. isn’t shy in his first NBA games: he is second in the NBA in field goal attempts per game with 23.6. He is averaging 26.1 points per game.
Friday vs. Trail Blazers (5-1), 7 p.m. PST
The Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers last week but Portland is already a different team. Ja Morant will be out for at least most of November after he suffered a grade 2 hamstring injury on Oct. 29. The dynamic guard will be out for four to six weeks.
Sunday at Pistons (6-1), 3 p.m. PST
The Pistons have impressive early season wins over Boston and Philadelphia despite an injury to center Jalen Duren. The center who was at the center of an offseason contract feud was sidelined for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, the team announced Oct. 25.
Monday at Atlanta (4-4), 4 p.m. PST
Forward Jalen Johnson is backing up his first career All-Star selection and a third-team All-NBA honor by leading the Hawks with 18.1 points, nine rebounds and 7.9 assists this season.
Favorite thing I ate this week
Lime and cilantro marinated bean salad.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I somehow got into the bean evangelist corner of the internet and now I’m a believer. I’ve been on the fibermaxxing routine with meal-prepped bean salads, including this cilantro lime find from Pinterest. The dressing is sweet, savory (from a tablespoon of miso paste), tangy and herby and it all came together in 20 minutes. It would have been even faster if I didn’t accidentally spill an entire bowl of marinated red onions on the floor during assembly.
Speaking to Andover Town’s website,, external Skeates said: “I’ve been involved in football a long time and I’ve genuinely never seen anything like what happened today from an opposition side.
“All 11 of their players walked off perfectly fine at half-time with us 7-0 up.
“They eventually came back out with seven, so apparently four must have managed to get injured in the changing room.
“We scored pretty much straight away to make it 8-0 and from there it became a complete farce.”
BBC Sport has asked the league for Paulsgrove FC’s contact details but that request was declined.
However, several posts on X appearing to come from Paulsgrove’s official account claimed the players were all genuinely injured.
One reply to a post from Skeates read: “Sadly can’t make injured player [sic] continue”.
Skeates said Andover Town would submit a report to the league.
A spokesperson for the Hampshire Premier Football League said: “As is standard for any abandoned game, an investigation is under way and until that process has been completed, we cannot make any comment.”
Andover Town are mid-table in the 16-team league, which is in the 12th tier of the English football pyramid.
Paulsgrove are bottom, having lost all 10 games this season, including three completed games where they were beaten by eight goals or more.
Rams players are increasingly aware of the risks of playing their sport, especially as it relates to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease.
But they try not to think about it.
This week, a Boston University study was published that analyzed the medical records of more than 2,000 deceased former NFL players. The study estimated that 74.5% of them likely had CTE.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, 35, played 10 seasons before retiring after the 2023 season. He rejoined the Rams this season. When asked about the study and CTE, Donald said, “That’s a real thing.”
But he said, “You don’t think about it. You just play. When you sign up to play football, you know what you’re signing up for.
“You obviously don’t want nothing like that to occur.”
Receiver Puka Nacua, 25, said that as a young player he was grateful for information about the possible long-term effects.
“I think it’s something that’s obviously very prevalent in our sport and the more information, the better I think we’re able to take care of ourselves,” he said.
Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, 30, wears a guardian cap on his helmet during practices and games but said that, “it’s almost like a placebo effect” and was “more of a dampener than a savior.”
Playing a game that rewards financially but could have long-term effects is a “double-edged sword,” Dotson said.
“It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to keep that in the back of your mind that this is a possibility,” he said. “So every time you think about retirement or stuff like that, you think the longer I play the better chance of me getting CTE.”
Burkina Faso international Kabore spent last season on loan with Wrexham but made his move from Manchester City permanent in the summer.
He returned to the Racecourse Ground on the eve of the contest with Birmingham, signing a three-year deal with the north Wales side.
The 25-year-old has featured 10 times in the Championship so far this season.
O’Hare also put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Wrexham in the summer after opting to leave Sheffield United.
Wrexham – currently 17th in the second tier after 12 games – are understood to be actively improving measures at the club to avoid future issues.
They are thought to be hiring a club secretary in addition to improving administrative training.
A club official told BBC Sport Wales that the incidents involving Kabore and O’Hare were no fault of boss Phil Parkinson, the club’s coaching staff or new sporting director Steve Nickson – who was not officially appointed to his role until 7 September.
The Wrexham statement added: “The club is taking the appropriate steps to prevent such issues occurring in the future.”
Alonso is one of a number of managers who have become increasingly guarded when discussing team news in media conferences.
Last month, he said: “I prefer not to give more information than needed.”
On that occasion, his side went on to lose 3-0 at Brentford, having kept several injury concerns, including one involving Joao Pedro, under wraps.
Yet such is the popularity of Fantasy Premier League – a game played by more than 11 million people according to official figures – that many staff members, players and relatives of footballers also take part.
By identifying leagues or teams linked to players, staff or family members through the game, which provides an open database of participants, it can be possible to infer what is happening behind closed doors at various training grounds.
Leicester’s manager at the time, Brendan Rodgers, admitted he had heard about the issue before the match, while Villa boss Dean Smith reportedly banned figures inside the club from playing FPL after the 2-1 defeat.
There have been many further examples, claiming to suggest players from clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester and Newcastle made revelatory changes to their teams.
Often that information is widely shared on social media, but it is also known that some top FPL players will withhold information for smaller circles to gain a competitive advantage in the game itself.
BBC Sport was able to find accounts that trackers claim are linked to staff, players and family members at clubs across the Premier League.
One of the experts in finding these club-linked accounts is FPL Focal, who told BBC Sport: “I am sure there are many more that have not been found. I have noticed some players have started using aliases. I’ve also had a couple of requests over the years to remove accounts, which I have always respected.
“The FPL leaderboard is completely public, so it is straightforward to look players up. Verifying that an account genuinely belongs to a player takes a bit more time.”
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re mapping a new route.
Inspired by the Lakers’ stay at Salt Lake City’s Asher Adams hotel, coach JJ Redick took us on an interview tangent Sunday. The luxurious downtown hotel is named after John R. Asher and George H. Adams, cartographers known for their work mapping railroads, and staying in a repurposed railroad station inspired Redick to look for his latest metaphor.
“As the season starts, you’re mapping sort of who you can be,” Redick said Sunday before the Lakers improved to 3-0 with a win over the Utah Jazz. “Every new game early in the season, you’re discovering something different, combinations that work, lineups that work, whatever it may be, and that’s exciting.”
The Lakers welcomed a critical crew member back into the fold this week, and he’s making his presence on this adventure known immediately.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.
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Full steam ahead
Collin Sexton’s role looks small in a box score. The guard is averaging just nine points in his first two games as a Laker in 18.1 minutes per game. He’s shooting just 25% from three. He has three steals.
The numbers don’t do Sexton’s brand of ball justice. Teammates report feeling his influence on the court the moment he checks in. The free agent acquisition guards like a pesky summer mosquito. He attacks like, well, the well-earned nickname he’s carried since high school.
“They call me a bull for a reason,” Sexton said. “Whenever I get out on that court, it’s go time. It’s no creeping into the game.”
After missing the whole preseason and the regular-season opener, Sexton is making an immediate impact for the Lakers. His energy off the bench helped shift the team’s 132-123 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday when the Lakers overcame a lifeless first quarter.
Sexton has shown his relentlessness since he arrived. During a pickup game on the team’s summer trip to Slovenia, Sexton took a Luka Doncic elbow to the mouth that cut both his top and bottom lips. Instead of backing down, Sexton wiped his mouth with a towel and turned back toward the court with a simple “let’s go.”
“There’s a level of insanity with him,” Redick said. “And I think our team responds to insanity.”
The 27-year-old guard has always had that aspect to his game, he said. He was a scrappy young player. He wanted to keep up with older kids, including his brother Jordan. They used to call him “Young Bull.”
“Now,” Sexton said, “it’s just Bull.”
Sexton’s intense playing style has remained as his career has evolved. The eighth pick in the 2018 draft, Sexton earned second-team all-rookie honors with Cleveland. He teamed with Darius Garland to make a dynamic, high-scoring backcourt duo. But Sexton suffered a season-ending knee injury in November 2021 and he was traded to Utah in a sign-and-trade that involved bringing Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. The former lottery pick is now on his fourth team in six seasons.
Another injury slowed the beginning of his Lakers tenure. Sexton suffered a right calf strain during training camp. He is still finding his offensive rhythm, but even when he wasn’t on the court, he wanted his teammates to feel his presence.
“One thing I was able to do is just stay present, just continue to be a leader, and continue to use my voice as much as I can,” Sexton said, “and just continue to come in with the right attitude and the right approach.”
Matisse Thybulle already knew of Sexton’s endless energy. But Sexton’s vocal leadership surprised the Lakers’ forward this season. When Sexton made his season debut against the Clippers on Oct. 23, Thybulle noticed how active Sexton was in organizing the team offensively and defensively. Already responsible for bringing defensive energy, Thybulle had no choice but to step up his own effort once Sexton arrived.
There’s no hiding this Bull on the court. And he’s inspiring a stampede.
“It gives us even more energy,” Thybulle said of Sexton. “And I think it’s just one of those things that, like, when everyone else is doing it, you don’t want to be the guy to not be.”
Mr. Consistency
Austin Reaves has been Mr. Consistency on the Lakers.
(Luke Hales / Getty Images)
With a flurry of three-pointers and defensive stops, Doncic landed body blow after body blow. Then Austin Reaves hit the knockout shot.
After Doncic hit three late three-pointers in the Lakers’ dramatic win over the Jazz, it was Reaves who hit the dagger shot with 32.3 seconds left to put the Lakers up by seven points. Reaves held a finger to his lips. The Utah fans in the crowd streamed toward the exits.
The Lakers have the highest-scoring offense in the league through (less than) one week of games, yet haven’t had all their stars aligned. Doncic needed Sunday’s 52-point, 10-assist outburst to offset what he called a “terrible” performance against the Clippers in which he had 11 turnovers. He shot 38.5% from the field during the first two games.
Walker Kessler had a perfect offensive Lakers debut then was a six-block, three-steal defensive menace in his second game. But the star center disappeared Sunday while battling an emotional return to Utah.
While his teammates still settle into the season, there’s always Reaves. The Lakers’ “Mr. Consistency,” as Redick called him.
The guard is averaging 26.7 points on just 12 shot attempts per game with 6.3 assists per game during the first three games. He is shooting an eye-popping 63.9% from the field. The efficiency, as Doncic put it in a charming mistranslation, is “off the roof.”
Fresh off a massive four-year, $180-million contract extension that solidified Reaves as a legitimate star player, the humble Arkansas native has elevated his game with the same mindset taught to him from his parents and older brother.
“Play the game the right way, the game’s gonna reward you,” said Reaves, who is trying to earn his first All-Star appearance this season. “We have a team that understands roles and what we ask them to do. … The thing about our team is there’s no ego, there’s no anything, just wanna win basketball games and however that happens is the main thing.”
Redick praised Reaves’ patience this season. Kessler marveled at Reaves’ skill and ability to score while also making plays for others.
Doncic, now the unquestioned No. 1 option since LeBron James’ departure, thrives next to another top ballhandler. In Dallas, he began with Jalen Brunson. He went to his first NBA Finals next to Kyrie Irving. The Lakers hope pairing Doncic and Reaves can go even further.
“To have him next to me, leading this team, it’s awesome,” Doncic said. “So, [if] he keeps going like that, he’s going to be really good for us.”
They passed the baton back and forth during Sunday’s gritty win. Reaves shushed the crowd after his dagger shot. Doncic waved goodbye. The only fans left to make noise were the traveling Laker faithful who showered the road team with cheers at the buzzer.
Poll results
Last week, we asked: “Where do you think the Lakers will finish in the Western Conference?”
After 1,222 votes:
Top-two seed: 2.4%
First-round home court (3-4): 33.6%
Safely in playoffs (5-6): 43.9%
Play-in (7-10): 17.3%
Cancun by mid-April: 2.8%
On tap
Records updated before Monday’s games
Tuesday vs. Trail Blazers (2-0), 8 p.m.
This could be one of the most star-studded backcourt matchups of the season. The Lakers have Doncic and Reaves. The Trail Blazers are starting Damian Lillard and Ja Morant. Lillard, returning from an Achilles injury suffered in the 2025 playoffs, is averaging 22 points.
Wednesday at Clippers (1-2), 7:30 p.m.
The Lakers ran away in the second half against the shorthanded Clippers last week. The Clippers were counting on Brandon Ingram to move on past Kawhi Leonard, but the former Lakers draft pick is still out with an Achilles injury.
Friday at Warriors (0-3), 7 p.m.
Luka vs. Yaxel, NBA Cup’s version. The Warriors’ rookie made a bold choice by trash-talking with Doncic during the season opener. With the Warriors struggling, the only bright spots of this fallen dynasty might be the flashes of brilliance from Stephen Curry and what viral content Lendeborg will provide next.
Sunday vs. Raptors (2-1), 6 p.m.
Sandro Mamukelashvili will host his former team as the Lakers begin a second back-to-back in a week. This stretch is one of the busiest the Lakers will face this season, but at least it’s all contained in California.
Monday vs. Heat (0-3), 7 p.m.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s much-heralded move to Miami has produced big numbers, but no wins. The former Milwaukee star scored 71 points in the first two games combined, but the Heat weren’t even competitive against two playoff hopefuls (Minnesota and Detroit).
Favorite thing I ate this week
Breakfast burrito at Old Cuss Cafe in Salt Lake City.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
There’s a pennant in Downtown Salt Lake City’s Old Cuss Cafe hanging above the cash register that reads “This place sucks.” Don’t let the self-deprecating decor deter you. The breakfast burrito is awesome. It’s got the staples with potatoes, eggs, onions and sausage (or bacon), but it’s the fragrant pesto that takes it over the top. It made me forget to be mad that my hotel room wasn’t ready yet.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The high school basketball season begins in two weeks, yet players have been playing non-stop since the summer. Let’s look at top players in the Southland for boys.
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Players to watch
The Mission League is so loaded with talent in basketball that five teams — Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, St. Francis and Crespi — are considered among the top 10 teams in the Southland.
Jordan Mize, Josh Lowery and JJ Sati-Grier are returnees from Sierra Canyon’s state championship team, and Houston Rolle transferred from Heritage Christian. That’s an impressive starting four.
St. Francis has twin towers 7-foot-5 Cherif Millogo and 7-0 Yann Kamagate. Harvard-Westlake has returning guards Pierce Thompson and Cole Holden. Notre Dame’s NaVorro Bowman is headed to UConn. Transfer King Rachal is 6-7 and committed to Utah State. Josiah Nance is committed to SMU. Crespi has twins Carter and Isaiah Barnes entering their senior years.
There’s been lots of movement in the Trinity League to Mater Dei. Isaiah Williamson left Los Alamitos, Ryan Doane left JSerra and Ender Berg left Legacy Christian, all ending up at Mater Dei, which could have a starting five of former transfer students.
All-star guard Gene Roebuck, a Cal commit, will have spent four years at La Mirada, which is an achievement itself. Coming off sensational freshman seasons are guards Will Conroy Jr. from Village Christian and Quali Giran from Long Beach Millikan.
Palisades remains the team to beat in the City Section with returnees Phillip Reed,EJ and OJ Popoola and Jack Levey.
Mahamadou Diop, a 6-11 center at San Gabriel Academy, has committed to San Diego State. Nick Welch Jr. is a 6-9 center at Rolling Hills Prep ready to become a big-time player. Chris Sanders is coming off a great junior season at Redondo Union.
Davey Harris at Windward, Ethan Hill at Brentwood, Chris Paul Jr. at Campbell Hall and the trio of Evan Willis, Shalen Sheppard and Van Moczydlowsky of Crossroads are part of a wicked Gold Coast League, which will be the toughest to predict a champion.
The best three-point shooting guard is back at Damien in Zaire Rasshan. Etiwanda has 6-3 junior Devin Mitchell. Grayson Coleman of Milken should have lots of games beyond 30 points. Oaks Christian returns its leading scorer, junior Brady Sullivan. Maxwell Scott from Corona del Mar averaged 21.7 points last season and is headed to Harvard. Guard Earl Bryson is at Crean Lutheran after starring at JSerra.
This is just a refresher of some names before games officially begin Nov. 13 in the City Section and Nov. 16 in the Southern Section. And, if some of your favorite players from last season are now at different schools, welcome to how you try to win a championship in 2026-27.
Carson quarterback Chris Fields III points toward the sky after his 71-yard touchdown run against San Pedro.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
It’s week 10 and the last chance to seal up playoff spots or league championships.
Carson wrapped up the Marine League championship and the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs with a 35-0 win over San Pedro. Here’s the report.
Compton won its first league championship since 1979 winning the new Hub City League title. Compton finished the regular season 9-1.
It’s week 9 in high school football season, and these are the best players I’ve seen. 1. DB-WR Jalen Flowers (Palos Verdes), 2. OL Lucas Rhoa (Orange Lutheran), 3. DL Kasie Currie (Sierra Canyon), 4. LB Aydan Steen (Santa Margarita), 5. WR Quentin Hale (Corona Centennial).
San Juan HIlls delivered the biggest upset of the week, knocking off San Clemente, which played without injured quarterback Preston Beck. Here’s the report.
Tru Warrior Casas of Fairfax turned in a great individual performance, rushing for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Palisades.
Sophomore Asir Nembhard of Mater Dei set a school record with 349 yards rushing in a wild win over Orange Lutheran.
Culver City’s Nicholas Hoang passed for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Torrance. Nathaniel Cadet of Marshall had seven touchdown passes in win over L.A. Wilson.
League championships are on the line in Bishop Amat at Sierra Canyon, Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons, San Juan Hills at Mission Viejo. Another good game is unbeaten Mary Star at Carson, not to mention the annual East. L.A. Classic matching Garfield and Roosevelt at East Los Angeles College.
And St. John Bosco plays Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium in a game for second place in the Trinity League and a top four playoff berth in Division 1.
At the Mt. SAC Invitational, Sabina Cruz of Westlake stamped herself as a CIF title contender with a win in the girls team sweepstakes race in 16:35.1.
Redondo Union’s Mario Montoya ran a scorching 13:43.5 to top the boys races.
Crescenta Valley had the best team score in boys. Great Oak was second in girls.
Power of grandparents
The Reis twins, Christian (left) and Weston, are juniors for Palos Verdes and cheered on by grandparents.
(Nick Koza / For The Times)
Grandparents sitting in the football bleachers offer moments of magic at high school football games.
Outfielder Matti Di Maggio of Dos Pueblos has reclassified from class of 2029 to class of 2028. He was on The Times’ all-star baseball team last season as a freshman and won a gold medal playing for the USA 15U national team. Now he’ll be considered a junior this spring….
Tresbien Caraway has resigned after 11 years as basketball coach at New Roads….
Mahamadou Diop, a 6-foot-11 center from San Gabriel Academy, has committed to San Diego State….
Ender Berg, a 6-11 transfer from Legacy Christian, and Ryan Doane, a 6-8 transfer from JSerra, will be eligible at Mater Dei beginning Christmas Day….
Junior center fielder Dane Disney from Oaks Christian has committed to UCLA….
Zain Majeed, a 6-8 senior at Mater Dei, has committed to Princeton….
Long Beach Wilson’s boys’ water polo team did not apply for a Southern Section playoff spot as the program deals with a hazing incident….
UCLA volleyball All-American Brandon Taliaferro, who is a 1996 graduate of San Clemente High, is the Tritons’ new boys volleyball coach. He also served as an assistant coach at UCLA….
Junior pitcher Christian Reis of Palos Verdes has committed to Oregon State….
Mark Wulfemeyer, a legendary high school basketball player for Troy High in the 1970s, has died in Hawaii. He was 70. He held the state scoring record from 1974 through 1979. Here’s a story from 1991 describing his journey in basketball and baseball. His grandson, Warren, is a top baseball player at Santa Margarita….
St. Francis athletic director Matt Luderer has died after a long fight with brain cancer. He was 54. Luderer took over at St. Francis in 2013 after being athletic director at Crespi…..
Learned overnight the very sad news that retired coaching legend Joe Kelly, architect of the great Palos Verdes HS/Peninsula HS superpower in the 80s, 90s & beyond, passed away, possibly age 84. He was much larger than just a coaching figure. A legend of a man. RIP, Captain 🕊️🙏🏼
Joe Kelly, who guided Palos Verdes and Peninsula to cross-country success in the 1980s and 1990s, has died….
Junior quarterback Josiah Boyd of Vista Del Lago has committed to UCLA….
Outfielder/pitcher Jesse Mendoza of Corona Centennial has committed to Cal Baptist….
From the archives: Bryce Young
Quarterback Bryce Young in 2019 when he was selected the Gatorade state player of the year at Mater Dei.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Quarterback Bryce Young has gone from Mater Dei to Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama to No. 1 pick of the Carolina Panthers to star quarterback for the Panthers.
From the Star-Telegram, a story on Texas approving the 35-second clock for high school basketball.
From Elevenwarriors, a story on former Mission Viejo quarterback Luke Fahey set to star for Ohio State.
From Chron.com, a story in Texas about coaches getting stipends cut if they don’t get a commercial driver’s license to help with lack of bus drivers.
From NFHS.org, a story about high schools needing emergency action plans and AEDs for sports competitions.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the “Marina Brewers” playing in the World Series.
Tweets you might have missed
@latsondheimer In high school? Dad gets the nod, but not by much. Maurice Jones-Drew had wind-legal bests of 10.80 for the 100 and 22.21 for the 200 at De La Salle while Deuce has wind-legal bests of 10.81 and 22.30!
Whomever on the Cleveland Browns decided to draft Mason Graham (Servite, Michigan) and Carson Schwesinger (Oaks Christian, UCLA) in the same year deserves a statue. The Browns are in first place.
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of Harrison Schaen. Former Mater Dei HS/Santa Ana CA star & Princeton University forward had suffered a severe stroke over a year ago & was finally overcome by failing organs. I had the luxury of coaching Harrison on my Belmont Shore club team when he was in HS & he was a very talented person on and off the court. Started for Mater Dei in MD’s ESPN2 televised game vs St. Vincent/St. Mary HS/Akron OH & @KingJames at my 2003 Pangos Dream Classic at UCLA Pauley Pavilion. Godson of the late Hugh Hefner was beloved by everyone he came into contact with. I feel fortunate to have visited him recently at his convalescent home in San Diego. I will miss him dearly. I love you Harrison. May your memory be eternal
“Trent’s a winning player. All you’ve got to do is to look at his Harvard-Westlake career. He impacts winning. He doesn’t play for stats. He’s really adjusting well to being a team leader.”
Coach Cronin, speaking about junior Trent Perry on Tuesday https://t.co/i1wgV7N2ah
In this week’s episode of ‘Friday Night Live,’ @latsondheimer + @RandyRosenbloom talk to Palos Verdes twins Weston and Christian Reis about the season and get their take on the rise of UCLA football since they come from a family of Bruin athletes. https://t.co/nZB6UHL3fd
Congratulations to this week’s Feel Good Friday, Trevor King! 💫 A powerful reminder that teamwork, dedication, and support make every moment on the field meaningful! https://t.co/jbQmkpGmXI
Campbell Hall CA’s Sofia Joh overcomes the 🌧️ midway through the Girls D3 3/4/5 individual sweepstakes at #MtSACXC to take home the big win Friday afternoon!
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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MILWAUKEE — It was an evening for pomp and pageantry, for celebrating a World Series between two of the five major league teams never to win one. But, before the first pitch of the first game, the commissioner of baseball and the head of the players’ union held separate media gatherings that only served to reinforce the notion that a lockout in December is a virtual certainty and Opening Day next March is in serious jeopardy.
Of all the major North American sports, baseball is the only one without a salary cap. The players and their union vow to keep it that way, and union chief Bruce Meyer said every proposal the owners make on every issue is contingent upon a salary cap. How, someone asked commissioner Rob Manfred, can the owners strike a deal if the union is entrenched against a cap?
“Re-thinking where you are is a really important part of trying to make a deal,” Manfred said. “It’s actually a skill in collective bargaining. It’s easy to say, ‘I’m here and I’m never moving.’ That’s not a particularly skilled approach to the process.”
That is perilously close to telling the other guy at the negotiating table how to negotiate. It’s also something you might say when you’re feeling pretty darn good that you’re going to win the negotiation.
“We have an unprecedented level of unanimity among ownership that it is something that we need to do,” Manfred said.
He wouldn’t say otherwise at this point, of course. The owners were unified in 1994, when they last demanded a salary cap. They didn’t win, and fans lost the final two months of the 1994 season and the first month of the 1995 season.
When the NHL got its salary cap, owners shut down the league for a full year. Would MLB owners forgo a year — or at least several months — of ticket sales and media revenue to get their cap? Would MLB players forgo a year — or at least several months — of their salaries to stave off a cap?
We won’t know the answer to either question until the spring, and until then a new collective bargaining agreement would require one side or the other to abandon its position.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks with the media before Game 1 of the World Series in Milwaukee on Friday.
(John Fisher / Getty Images)
That makes this year’s World Series something of a Rorschach test: Is a Brewers-Rays series proof that the system actually works just fine the way it is?
To Manfred, the answer is no. A series featuring two of baseball’s smaller markets is an anomaly when history shows a correlation between payroll and success, not only in the regular season but in advancing through the playoffs.
“It’s not that no small market can win,” Manfred said. “It’s just that it’s pretty rare.”
To Meyer, the answer is yes.
“It has nothing to do with what the Dodgers are doing,” Meyer said. “There is no reason whatsoever that the Pirates can’t do what the Brewers have done, or what the Rays have done.”
The Pirates, Meyer said, do not spend all the money they are allotted to sign draft picks. The Brewers, playing in baseball’s smallest market, might not routinely hand out free-agent riches, but owner Mark Attanasio said his team ranks “right in the middle” of the 30 teams in spending on baseball operations.
Attanasio publicly stumped for a salary cap here Friday, saying it would “help us compete but more importantly all of the other teams with lower payrolls too.” He said Brewers fans already fear it might take another 44 years to return to the World Series.
Said Meyer: “That doesn’t seem like a great way, with all due respect, to try and generate excitement among your fans.”
Meyer said this year’s series “undermines their argument” for what he called “the nuclear bomb of a salary cap.” He said the owners are uninterested in the union’s proposals for addressing competitive balance, including increased revenue sharing among owners and a tax against teams that fail to win consistently, and he alleged the league’s argument is “a charade” for what the owners really want: “to suppress salaries and gut player rights.”
The takeaway: Don’t book non-refundable airline tickets and hotel rooms for spring training.
On other topics:
— As The Times has reported, MLB is keeping an eye on federal investigations into Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his insurance empire, which is under scrutiny for allegedly violating laws designed to protect investors. Walter also is a defendant in multiple civil lawsuits filed by investors alleging fraud and breach of contract.
“As always when we have an investigation — external, law enforcement, whatever — we monitor that,” Manfred said. “That’s where we are right now. We’re just watching what’s going on right now.”
Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club. On Friday, Bloomberg reported he is seeking to sell the Sparks. He has no plan to sell the Dodgers, team president Stan Kasten has said.
— Meyer said the MLBPA continues negotiations with LA28 over how major league players would be accommodated in the 2028 Olympics. “As of now, we’re not getting satisfaction on those things,” Meyer said.
Both the league and the union say they want to participate in the Games, but Manfred said MLB would normally start preparing its 2028 schedule early in 2027. The league has agreed to an extended All-Star break to accommodate the Olympics, but MLB also could tire of waiting for the union to agree with LA28, which badly wants MLB players to participate.
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter and welcome back to real NBA games.
The regular season begins Tuesday with a triple-header. It’s the first time in eight years that the Lakers are watching the opening day action at home. That could be a small sign of where the Lakers stand in the NBA pecking order now.
Not many people know what to make of this team. There are nine new players. Another ownership change is pending. The Western Conference has two juggernauts at the top.
But within this summer of change, the Lakers managed to maintain one key partnership.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.
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Two-headed monster
With more than half of their roster wearing the purple and gold for the first time, some Lakers might still be getting on the same page after less than three weeks of practices. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are already playing a completely different game.
“They’re always, like, playing chess out there,” guard Collin Sexton said.
After an offseason of change, it’s still the Lakers’ two most established stars who will control the season’s fate. Doncic and Reaves were 30-11 in games played together last season. In 1,092 minutes, lineups with Doncic and Reaves together outscored opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions, the third-best net rating on the team for any pair of regular rotation players. Their established chemistry gives the Lakers a strong foundation for the season.
“Austin and Luka, they kind of see things before it happens,” Sexton said. “And I feel like that allows them to be so good offensively and be able to score, but also to put us in the right situation to be successful as well.”
The duo that could be one of the most offensively potent pairings in the league proved that they could have success last season, helping the Lakers surge up the Western Conference standings during a magical March. Doncic scored 600 points during the month, despite missing one game because of a technical foul accumulation suspension. Reaves averaged 5.8 assists, his highest average for a month with more than six appearances last season. With LeBron James serving as the most heralded third option in the history of basketball, the Lakers went 15-2.
It was painful but a little poetic that Doncic and Reaves — whose wholesome friendship became the envy of NBA Twitter — suffered injuries during the same game to end the hot streak.
Doncic told Sports Illustrated this summer that he “regret[ted]” coming back into the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after he felt a twinge in his hamstring during the first half. The severity of the injury kept him out for the rest of the season.
“I thought we had a team that could compete for a championship,” Doncic said during training camp. “So I was kind of disappointed, kind of let the team down, so it’s definitely motivating for this season.”
Reaves returned during the postseason after an oblique injury, but couldn’t regain his consistency. He played in a career-low 51 games last season and missed out on what could have been his first All-Star selection.
Determined to fortify his body for another long season, Reaves hired former Lakers head strength and conditioning coach Ed Streit to work with him. He hoped that having a dedicated strength coach, which stars including James and Doncic already have, would help him take “the next step,” Reaves said.
After waiting and learning behind veterans such as James and Anthony Davis, Reaves is now an undisputed top-two player on the Lakers. He signed the richest contract ever for an undrafted player this offseason. Doncic was among his most vocal supporters.
“We talked about it even middle of last year, towards the end of last year, continuing this partnership for as long as we can,” Reaves said. “I enjoy being around him so much that coming back and being a Laker was the main thing when the season ended.”
Initially Reaves didn’t know if he would establish a close bond with Doncic after the former Dallas superstar was shockingly traded. Doncic was quiet when he first arrived in L.A. Now Reaves, who loves to hate his newest best friend, is sad to admit that they’re so similar.
They share a creative style of basketball. They’re ruthless competitors. They love golf.
The most important thing is another shared obsession.
“At the end of the day, we care about winning,” Reaves said, “and that’s all that matters.”
General managers voted on the top four teams in each conference, with four points awarded for each first-place vote, three points for second place, two for third and one for fourth, and the Lakers received 10% of fourth-place votes and 1% of total available points, which placed sixth in the total score.
The San Antonio Spurs, who were also the general managers’ choice to win the NBA title, had 53% of first-place points in the Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder were effectively tied in the survey, with both teams getting 34% of the available points. With two young, deep teams at the top of the conference, all roads seem to lead to an encore of last year’s Western Conference final.
But this league celebrates its parity. Eight champions in eight years? Almost nothing compared to more than the 40 years since a repeat Western Conference finals matchup. The West hasn’t had a conference finals sequel since the Lakers and Spurs in 1982 and 1983.
The season could turn unexpectedly for one of the top teams, opening the door for another team to crash the party. NBA general managers don’t think the Lakers would be first inside the velvet ropes, but executives believe the team could be an enigma. In response to a NBA.com survey question on which team’s success is the toughest to predict this season, the Lakers received the third-most votes.
The league can’t tell the type of team the Lakers will be. They at least have their goals clear.
“Realistically, I would say championship,” Doncic said at the Spectrum broadcast desk on media day. “If that’s not your goal, I don’t know what you’re doing here.”
Poll question
Where do you think the Lakers will finish in the Western Conference?
It’s here! The opener! The Lakers should be familiar with the Warriors after playing two preseason games against their in-state rivals. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg emerged as an immediate impact player, averaging 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds on 56.9% shooting during the preseason.
Friday vs. Clippers, 7 p.m. PDT
Old friend Rui Hachimura returns with the Clippers, who have moved on from the Kawhi Leonard Era but begin the season without Brandon Ingram (Achilles) and Max Strus (foot). Rookie guard Keaton Wagler could be one of the few bright spots for the struggling franchise this season.
Sunday at Jazz, 2 p.m. PDT
The Lakers’ first road game is a homecoming for Walker Kessler, returning to the franchise that drafted him, and a reunion with another former Laker Jaxson Hayes. Hayes, who signed a two-year, $12-million contract with the Jazz, is in line to get significant minutes for Utah after an early injury to Jusuf Nurkic (foot).
Favorite thing I ate this week
Poke from Redondo Beach’s Jus’ Poke.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers did not bless us with a tropical training camp (looking at you, Clippers and Warriors) so a trip to Redondo Beach’s Jus’ Poke will have to be the closest I get to Hawaii for now. The poke selections are always fresh and stand out for their simplicity and execution. No superfluous toppings and sauces. Just, as the name suggests, really good poke.
Filo Tiatia’s men have made a strong start to the season but that might not necessarily translate into a bigger contingent in Tandy’s squad.
Lock Ben Carter is a shoo-in, tight-head prop Dillon Lewis will hope to pick up where he left off in the summer and in-form hooker Elliot Dee would love to battle Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias for action.
The Perpignan fixture highlighted the qualities of Dragons’ grafters with blind-side flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes, who won three caps in 2020, continuing his strong start to the season.
Wales contact coach Dan Lydiate was a guest at Dragons training last week and would have been impressed as Lewis-Hughes put in 27 tackles against the French side’s big carriers.
But the forward, like team-mate Harri Keddie, is competing in a position of real depth.
The same applies for wing Rio Dyer, who is yet to score this season but has been lively with ball in hand and impressive in the aerial game.
Dragons’ man of the match against Perpignan was Aneurin Owen, so often the side’s glue from inside centre.
He carried strongly to go with his distribution skills, while he was strong in defence and came up with two turnovers.
Owen, who turns 26 the day before Tuesday’s squad announcement, was a member of the Wales squad under Wayne Pivac in the summer of 2021 but remains uncapped.
There might be an opening at 12 due to Ben Thomas’ injury should Tandy look to see if a quality operator at club level can take the next step.
“Aneurin knows I love him,” said Dragons boss Filo Tiatia. “He has outstanding leadership and there is lots more to come from him.
“He wants to improve, is coachable and is strong at challenging the coaches.”
“That is where we need to get him,” said the Gunners boss before the game. “And if he misses the chance, so be it. At the end, the more volume we generate, the bigger the probability of him scoring more goals.”
Saka’s strike against Lille was a confident one-touch finish and came after he missed a late one-on-one opportunity in Saturday’s Premier League victory over Leeds.
“He has been getting in great positions, getting shots, getting one-touch finishes and tap-ins,” added Arteta.
“That is the kind of unpredictability we have with that player, otherwise we know how the opponent is going to defend him. He is doing well, he could have had another four or five goals by now, easily. But if he continues like that, we know.
“When he talks about scoring a certain amount of goals, he needs to be thinking about scoring a certain amount of goals per game. If that shifts, that mentality, he will get into those positions and score more goals.”
Saka has scored 20 goals in a season just once in his career, which came in the 2023-24 campaign and 16 in the Premier League.
But the winger has also been in good goalscoring form for England with five in his last four matches and scored a double in the 7-0 Nations League demolition of Croatia in the recent international break.
Saka is now on 19 goals in major European competitions for Arsenal, only behind Thierry Henry (42), while he has nine assists in the Champions League which puts him behind Henry (16) and Cesc Fabregas (14).
He has refused to disclose the targets he has set himself, but Arteta welcomed Saka’s response following his message to do more in front of goal.
The Spaniard said: “I don’t know if that’s the case, but I am very happy.
“He wasn’t feeling that good yesterday and today, as he had some sort of illness. He wasn’t ready to start but he was really wanting to contribute to the team if it was needed and he came on and made a huge impact and delivered with real quality.”
Arteta revealed he also spoke to Saka after telling the media about his desire for the player to have a greater impact.
“After the press conference I went, he was on the massage table, and I said, ‘Bukayo I just killed you in the press conference, good luck tomorrow’, he added.
“He was laughing. He knows that we have discussed these kind of things and he takes it because he wants to be the best version of himself.
“In order to do that, you have to put big objectives and challenges and try to reason by working and being consistent – and when it doesn’t work, keep going because he has the ability to do it.”
Wales have reached the play-off stages of qualification for a major tournament for only the third time in the history of the women’s national side.
Their first attempt, in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, ended in agony.
Gemma Grainger’s team beat Bosnia-Herzgovina at the semi-final stage before – despite taking an early lead – losing out to a goal late in extra time of the final in Switzerland.
Two years later, it was an entirely different story as Wales overcame Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland to reach Euro 2025, the first women’s major tournament in the nation’s history.
Thanks in part to a lengthy injury list, James is one of only five players who began the decisive game in Dublin 22 months ago who are in contention to start against Albania.
The 146-cap Seattle Reign midfielder was also part of the side left heartbroken by that late defeat in Zurich in October 2022.
“[They were] two very different feelings after both games,” James said.
“The feeling that we had out in Switzerland, going so close in extra time and narrowly missing out, it fuelled us for Dublin.
“There’s a big group of us that experienced that and at the start of this camp we made sure the whole group was aware of how it feels to be on both ends of that.”
While the DP World Tour agreed to grant conditional releases with nine players this season, it is understood the change for 2027 is predominantly down to LIV offering players equity in future and a feeling this is incompatible with the European tour being a members organisation.
However, it also comes at a time when the DP World Tour’s strategic alliance with the PGA Tour is being negotiated, so the move likely reflects a desire to put itself in the best position possible in those discussions.
Players will have until 16 November to sign up to the DP World Tour for next year.
Under the terms of its court-supervised restructuring process, LIV Golf needs to sign players up by 25 October.
Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, told BBC Sport last week he was “confident” LIV would have a “critical mass” of players.
But since then two-time major winner Rahm has said he will not continue playing on the LIV tour.
Lawyers representing a number of other players, including fellow major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, sought clarification from the court that rejection of contracts would equate to “termination”, enabling players to hold discussions with third parties about their futures.
Richard Bland is currently the only player to have stated publicly a desire to play on LIV 2.0.
However, Perez indicated last month he hoped there would be a future for the league.
