I will miss watching the greatest maestro and savant in the history of basketball, LeBron James. He is to basketball what Van Gogh was to painting, Coltrane to music, Hemingway to literature. He came from poverty and rose to a global hero and gave back. His after-game interviews were always intelligent and sometimes humorous. To all his detractors and haters? Eat your hearts out, he is a happy man.
Dell Franklin
Cayucos
I have always been in awe of LeBron’s athleticism and basketball IQ. And I greatly admire his dedication to maintaining his physical abilities throughout the years and his philanthropic pursuits.
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But, as a lifelong Lakers fan, I will not miss LeBron. He was never a true Laker. He made it clear when he announced that he was taking his talents to South Beach that he cared only about LeBron, not the team.
So, as he closes out his career elsewhere, I will enjoy watching his superior playing prowess from afar. But I will be grateful that I can now cheer for my Lakers without the drama LeBron brings to every team he’s been on.
Linda Salzman
Rancho Palos Verdes
I agree that it was probably time to move on from LeBron simply in the interest to pursue a long-term player versus one more year from the King. But Bill Plaschke’s argument that he was tired of the mind games LeBron supposedly was playing is a terrible take. Losing 27-7-7 is not replaceable overnight, if ever.
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George Metalsky
Redondo Beach
While acknowledging LeBron James as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, it never really felt as if he was selflessly committed to the Purple and Gold team concept like so many of the legendary players that preceded him.
During his eight years as a Laker there seemed to be countless occasions when Lakers brass capitulated to his “demands.” Year after year we endured a mishmash roster with his hand-picked players, just to appease LeBron.
During the Lakers’ dynasty we had championship teams. With LeBron we had a king shaping his fiefdom to first and foremost best serve him.
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He’s a great player but a horrible GM. The Lakers will be a better team without him.
David Griffin
Westwood
I only have one question regarding LeBron James: What happens to Bronny now?
David Waldowski
Laguna Woods
Cheers for Roberts
Great article “Deep into Dodgers career, he’s batting close to 1,000” by Maddie Lee. Dave Roberts has a tough job. When he substitutes a pitcher or a hitter and it works out, Dave is a hero, and when it doesn’t work out, Dave is a bum. Sometimes there is a fine line between being a hero or a bum, but Dave has been able to negotiate that line, because players trust him, and the players know that Dave cares about them and their families. Maybe one day Dave will have 2,000 wins as a Dodger, and he will be closing in on Walter Alston.
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Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood
I have never thought much of Dave Roberts’ managerial abilities when it comes to handling pitchers but I’ve seen improvements in that area, particularly in last year’s playoffs. He has been blessed with terrific talent but clearly has melded that talent to win games and keep the clubhouse on the same page. Congrats on hitting the 1,000-win milestone, Dave, let’s go for 2,000!
Ken Blake
Brea
Leonard far from the worst
Kawhi Leonard has played terrifically the last couple of years. Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams. The Clippers aren’t the minor leagues.
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E.R. Samulon
Los Angeles
Bill Plaschke claims Kawhi Leonard is the worst free-agent signing in L.A. sports history. Not a chance. That dubious honor belongs to the Angels (of course!) for signing Anthony Rendon.
With the Clippers, Kawhi has been a three-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA selection, and finished high in the MVP voting multiple times. He averaged nearly 28 points per game in 65 games last season. The Clippers had a couple of decent playoff runs during his tenure.
What did the Angels get for their $245-million investment in Rendon? Setting aside the shortened 2020 season, Rendon averaged just 51 games per season from 2021 through 2024. He then didn’t play at all in 2025 or 2026. Over the last six seasons, he hit a total of 13 home runs, and his batting average never exceeded .240. The Angels never made the playoffs during his tenure. Rendon’s attitude and performance became so disappointing that the Angels effectively told him to stay away in 2026 and restructured the final year of his contract.
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Rendon wins the title of worst free-agent signing in L.A. sports history by a landslide.
Dave Ring
Manhattan Beach
Getting defensive
A number of years ago, the Lakers had a coach by the name of Mike D’Antoni. The joke then was that his name should be Mike Antoni, as there is no “D” to be found in his coaching. There is no “D” in Sparks coach Lynne Roberts either. If the Sparks want to seriously ride the wave of WNBA and women’s sports popularity, and take advantage of great players like Kelsey Plum, they need to quickly make a change in the direction of this franchise.
Arnold Anisgarten
Los Angeles
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Fantastic flops
I thought NBA players were bad with respect to yelling at the referee to call a foul every time they hit the floor. Soccer players, however, are in a league of their own. They fall to the ground after barely being touched, writhing in fake pain and yelling at the ref to call a foul. Luka Doncic played soccer when he was a kid. Now I know where he learned it from.
Doug Vikser
Manhattan Beach
Please save us from these boring British futbol announcers that only inspire narcolepsy. There needs to be the excitement and energy that matches the game. Install hockey play-by-play announcers who emphasize the rising action, then scream “goal!” Otherwise, we will keep watching the games in Spanish.
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Billy Gonzalez
Redondo Beach
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