Due to the Coronavirus, every professional sports league has had to shut down, at least temporarily. Some sports have managed to make a bit of comeback, like NASCAR for instance. However, the NHL and NBA are still in a prolonged hiatus although there have been some significant talks about a return to normalcy.

As far as the NBA is concerned, there are numerous teams that can now workout at their facilities, with limits of course. The Los Angeles Lakers are one of those teams but for the time being, they can't work out in groups. According to Shams Charania of Stadium, LeBron James and his teammates have found a loophole. As of right now, LeBron is hosting private workouts at a secured location where he can have up to two teammates with him at a time. In the clip below, Charania notes that Lakers players are frequently being tested and are also respecting the social distancing guidelines.

Michael Jordan was notoriously hard on his teammates. Of course, MJ wanted to win and he felt that if he didn’t make his teammates work, he would never attain the success he has now. One of the key players that faced his wrath back in the day was none other than Steve Kerr. The Golden State Warriors head coach was infamously punched in the face by Jordan during practice and the incident will be covered in “The Last Dance.”

As Kerr explained per ESPN, the incident was actually beneficial to his relationship with Jordan. In fact, the Bulls legend felt it was necessary to issue an apology.

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“He called me later that day and apologized,” Kerr explained. “In a strange way, it was almost a necessary step in our relationship, in a weird way. And from then on, I think he understood me a lot better and vice versa. And we got along much better and competed together and I think he trusted me more. So it was actually sort of, in the end, it was all good. But we’ve never talked about it since. To be honest, I don’t ever think about it, but I get asked about it because it’s a unique [situation].”

In the end, Kerr and Jordan were able to win three championships together which just goes to show that sometimes, tough love goes a very long way.

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Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing is something that still doesn’t seem real to many sports fans. Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in California on January 26th. His death will forever be something in which people remember where they were when they found out about it.

Kobe’s passing has been particularly hard on his former teammates, including Shaq who certainly had his fair share of ups and downs with the Black Mamba. In a recent interview, Shaq spoke about all of the pain he has been feeling and what he did when he first heard the news. As he explains, he immediately began watching old games in which he and Kobe were at their best.

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“When he passed away, I couldn’t believe it,” O’Neal told the Hollywood Reporter. “I watched every playoff game that we ever played. I just sat in my room and told people I don’t want to talk to anyone. And I am just looking at him [on film] like it can’t be true because he is right there on the screen.”

A month after Bryant’s death, Shaq went on to deliver a touching yet humorous speech at Kobe’s memorial at the Staples Center. While Kobe is no longer with us, we’re sure he was somewhere laughing at Shaq’s jokes about Kobe’s competitive spirit.

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Kobe Bryant meant a lot to basketball players and fans around the world. Unfortunately, he shockingly passed away on January 26th alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash. The tragedy brought the world together in a time where everyone was sad about what had just transpired. The Los Angeles Lakers found out about Kobe’s passing while on a team flight home from Philadelphia. LeBron James was close to Kobe and immediately felt the loss of his friend.

In a piece from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, LeBron’s role in helping his teammates during the tragedy was outlined quite thoroughly. According to the report, LeBron worked closely with management as well as NBA commissioner Adam Silver. These efforts eventually led to the postponing of a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Per Windhorst:

“Then, in the wake of Bryant’s death, James worked alongside Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka to help manage his teammates in the emotional days. While Buss and Pelinka provided support to the Bryant family, James connected with team members, and then Silver directly, as he pushed for the postponement of a game against the LA Clippers because he didn’t believe the team was emotionally ready to play.”

Since Kobe’s passing, the team has come through with some incredible tributes and is dedicating the rest of the season in his honor.

Lou Williams has been one of the most consistent sixth men in the NBA over the past few years and has been a great depth player for the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are expected to be title contenders once the playoffs roll around and Williams will most likely be a huge part of that. Last night, Williams helped his team put away the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 136-130. It was a hard-fought game for both teams, especially the Clippers who struggled at times. 

Amid those struggles, Williams appeared to get in an argument with Paul George over defensive assignments. As you can see in the clip below, the two players exchanged some words and eventually, the clip made its way to social media. Williams immediately took to Twitter to deescalate the situation.

For the past month or so, the Brooklyn Nets have been struggling on the court. The team is 18-24 and are barely hanging onto the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The addition of Kyrie Irving hasn’t helped the team gain any sort of momentum as they have lost four games in a row. It’s clear things aren’t going well right now and the NBA Champion is looking to give his team a boost in order to get back in the win column.

Irving recently admitted that he thinks the team could be a lot better and even wants them to aspire to more. As far as Irving is concerned, the team’s goal should be to win a championship and not just to squeak into the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed.

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“When we have championship aspirations — that’s where we want to be — how do we get there? Do we want to be the eighth seed? The seventh seed?” Irving said, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “But you’re able to be real with the team you have here, and to collectively, cohesively come together as a group. That’s what you figure out. But the goals are still to win a championship. I don’t come in every day to frickin’ be mediocre or to be in the middle of the standings. No.”

It remains to be seen whether or not the Nets will be able to turn things around in the second half of the season. With Kevin Durant on the bench, it’s certainly been a big struggle for the squad. When KD comes back next season, the Nets will certainly be a contender. 

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were thought to be a dynamic duo who couldn’t be stopped. As the Cleveland Cavaliers quickly found out, the only team that could stop them was the Golden State Warriors who quickly turned into an all-time great dynasty. After making it to three straight finals, Kyrie was looking to become a star on his own and wanted a change of scenery. In the end, he was sent to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas. 

In an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, former Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue spoke about LeBron and Kyrie’s relationship and whether or not there was anything truly wrong with it.

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Per Lue:

“It wasn’t a bad relationship though. LeBron really did a good job of taking him under his wing and just, Kyrie was young. A young superstar. LeBron taught him how to be a professional, how to carry yourself, take care of your body, things like that. Because Kyrie always had all the talent. I always said Kyrie never had an offensive weakness. I thought they did a great job together. I think Kyrie winning a championship and us going to three straight finals and now you want to take that chance or opportunity to have your own team and see what it’s like to carry a young team or franchise — and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all want to grow.”

Now, Irving is on the Brooklyn Nets and is looking to find himself back in the Finals. Once Kevin Durant comes back, perhaps that will be a reality. 

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers had some lofty expectations thrust upon them at the beginning of the season. With the addition of Anthony Davis, the Lakers were expected to do big things and there was no guarantee they would be able to do them. Luckily for the Lakers, they have been nothing short of phenomenal this season and currently boast the best record in the Western Conference at 30-7. 

On Tuesday night, the team pulled off yet another big win as they blew out the New York Knicks by 30 points. It was a massive game for LeBron James who picked up 31 points and helped carry the team after AD went down with an injury. Afterward, LeBron took to Instagram where he shared a photo of himself with his teammates. As you can see, LeBron was showing everyone love and making sure they know they’re appreciated.

“Love my brothers!! Gang Gang for real! ???. Another 1 at Staples!” LeBron wrote. James has every reason to be excited right now as the team is currently on a 6-game winning streak and has the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs. It’s a fun time to be a Lakers fan right now and the team is showing no signs of slowing down.

Their next game will be against the Dallas Mavericks, tomorrow.