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Oh No He Didn't: Anthony Slater on Jimmy Butler: "From what I've heard he's gonna gather the team for an organized player only event next week in Southern California just like he did last year"
Fresh off the best season of his career, Onyeka Okongwu is back in SoCal hosting a youth basketball camp for kids in Chino Hills this weekend. The camp, for boys and girls aged 6-16, is taking place at the Ranch Sports Facility located on Euclid Avenue in Chino Hills. It is taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
New York has been conservative with allowing helipads on tops of buildings since 1977, when a helicopter tipped over while attempting to land on the MetLife building in Midtown Manhattan. Some remain, but they are not for commercial use; instead, they are allowed for hospitals or police. Though he has yet to change the city’s policies, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned on further restrictions for air travel, saying last April that “we must end non-essential helicopter flights immediately.” Conditions must be ideal. Visibility is the most common reason for helicopter delays or cancellations. And remember, the environment around James matters here. LA Clippers wing Kawhi Leonard famously commuted from San Diego via helicopter, while Kobe Bryant choppered from his home in Orange County, Calif., to Los Angeles Lakers games. But that was in Southern California, where skies are clearer than they are in the Northeast. Fog is common in the New York-to-Philadelphia corridor, especially in the mornings.
Law Murray: I did mention that there was another transaction for the LA Clippers to make... Rui Hachimura stays in Southern California I am told that he is on a two-year deal, and the Clippers have a TEAM option on him in 2027.
A $180,000 Range Rover belonging to Shaquille O'Neal was reportedly stolen while it was being transported from Southern California to Louisiana. Authorities said the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover was being sent to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when it was stolen. The SUV was sold to the former Lakers star at Effortless Motors in Riverside. The auto transportation company says it was hit by a "sophisticated cyber-attack."
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The Los Angeles Lakers have entered their Revolve era. The iconic NBA team announced today a multiyear sponsorship with the fashion retailer and premium lifestyle brand, marking a marriage of Southern California entities. It marks the first NBA sponsorship deal for Revolve, which is wildly popular among millennial and Gen Z female consumers.
When asked how he will approach focusing on the tasks at hand, Leonard reiterated that he had no concerns while relating the situation to last January’s wildfires that hit the Southern California area. “We’re just going to keep going as any other season. My name might pop up, but it is what it is,” Leonard said. “I’ve been through times like this before, just going through the year last year with going through the fire. Soon as I came back, that first game, my house and my community caught on fire. So I don’t think it’s going to be harder than that.”
The woman alleges that in 2020, a little over a year after Williamson left the Blue Devils to join the New Orleans Pelicans, the basketball player raped and assaulted her in Southern California. According to the suit, the violent incident took place on Sept. 23, 2020 ... after the woman had gone to Williamson's Beverly Hills home. The accuser says she told Williamson she was tired and wanted to go to sleep ... but he called her "stuck up" and a "bitch," and told her "she could not go to sleep without having sex with him."
The preparation for next month’s NBA Draft this week took Heat president Pat Riley and several team officials to Southern California, where they checked out several players expected to go in Miami’s draft range at No. 20. Riley, vice president/basketball operations Adam Simon, director of college/pro scouting Keith Askins and team executive Eric Amsler were in Los Angeles for Pro Day workouts. One of those workouts, which is coordinated by Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group, included at least three players projected to go in the late teens or 20s — Illinois forward Will Riley, Florida point guard Walter Clayton Jr. and St. Joseph’s power forward Rasheer Fleming.
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FYI, Stokes, the top player in the class of 2026, plays for Notre Dame HS in SoCal. P's hoops star son, Mercy, also played at ND. Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Kansas, and others have also offered scholarships. "Look at Stephen Curry (Davidson), look at Damian Lillard (Weber State), you wanna go somewhere you can play, and people are gonna see you, the NBA is gonna find you, and New Orleans is a great place, it's a great city." "We got a great alumni, we got a coach, and so you know what, sky's the limit for us."
Luka Doncic hasn't even suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers yet (that changes Monday night), but he's already giving back to the Southern California community. Doncic through his namesake foundation Monday morning announced that the foundation will be donating $500,000 "to immediate recovery efforts." Doncic also committed to helping rebuild courts, playgrounds and fields that were destroyed by the fires, which raged across the Los Angeles metro area in early January.
When Butler sprained an ankle Nov. 8 at Denver, he asked to rehab at his home in Southern California, where he had a whole facility and team in place. He didn't want to rehab in hotels for the long road trip in Minnesota, Detroit and Indianapolis. It was not an unusual request by Butler, and the Heat had previously granted him such leeway. Spoelstra initially agreed to it, but this time, team sources said Riley declined the request, insisting that it was important that he stay connected to the team while he rehabilitated. Butler did not take it well. But he continued his strong play for the Heat once he returned -- even putting up a monstrous 35-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist game against Detroit on Dec. 16.
“We’ve talked a little bit, but he’s got a lot of stuff on the go,” Kopitar said. “So we’re going to let the dust settle and then get an acclimated and all that stuff and connect.” Kopitar said his 8-year-old son Jakob is a big fan of Doncic so he expects he’ll be pressured into attending a few more Lakers games now. As for sharing housing tips on Southern California, where he’s lived for 18 years, Kopitar said he’s sure Doncic has all the help he needs. “He’s old enough. He’s going to want to pick wherever he wants to be,” he said. “But if he wants advice, I’ll be there to help.”