Los Angeles Lakers: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

LeBron James gets ‘incredible’ take from Nick Smith Jr. on 41st birthday

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James celebrated his birthday on Tuesday while he’s in the midst of a never-before-done 23rd season in the NBA. James has a couple of teammates on the Lakers who were barely born during his rookie season in the league.

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The Quiz of the Day

JJ Redick Says Lakers Must Battle and Overpower Pistons’ Physical Onslaught :'A Great Test for Our Group'

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to face the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday before the end of 2025. The Pistons are a challenging team for the Lakers, since they are the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Athlon Sports / December 30

Lakers Coach Announces Bad News on Tuesday

JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers are back in action on Tuesday for their final game of the calendar year. They get to host the 24-8 Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers battle the best team in the Eastern Conference at the moment.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'NBA all-time scoring leaders' quiz

How many of the NBA's top 30 career scorers can you name in five minutes?

The 'Multi-time NBA MVPs' quiz

The 'NBA Christmas Day triple-doubles' quiz

The '60-point NBA games' quiz

Austin Reaves News / NBA on ClutchPoints / December 30

Lakers star Austin Reaves’ expected opt-out could open door to deadline trade decision

Austin Reaves’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers might be in question as he could test free agency for a big contract in the 2026 offseason. Which paves the way for plenty of scenarios of interactions with multiple teams.

NBA News / Yardbarker

The 25 greatest rivalries in NBA history

Part of what makes the NBA, or any pro sports league, so compelling to watch is the narratives, especially those centered on rivalries. Throughout the decades, the NBA has fostered a number of rivalries, some long-lasting and others short but sweet.

Los Angeles Lakers News / NBA on ClutchPoints / December 30

Adou Thiero serenades LeBron James with ‘Happy Birthday’ song

In the midst of an unprecedented 23rd season in the NBA, LeBron James celebrated his 41st birthday, making him the oldest player in the league. A good

Los Angeles Lakers News / NBA on ClutchPoints / December 30

Why Deandre Ayton was so happy Kings called timeout after epic lob to LeBron James

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers were able to get back on track following Sunday’s 125-101 win against the Sacramento Kings, and part of the talk following the game was a couple of dunks LeBron James threw down off lob passes.

J.J. Redick News / Silver Screen & Roll / December 30

How JJ Redick made a small but important change for Luka Dončić

Lakers head coach JJ Redick promised changes in the rotation before LA played Sacramento and he delivered. With the Lakers down a ball handler due to Austin Reaves’ calf injury, Redick relied more on Nick Smith Jr.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Silver Screen & Roll / December 30

JJ Redick says Deandre Ayton has been ‘fantastic’ this season

Every year, each team has hits and misses in free agency. Some gambles work out, and others don’t. While the Lakers still have some work to do with their roster, one area they look good in is the center position.

Luka Doncic News / Lakers Nation / December 30

Luka Doncic Looking To Get Teammates Involved At Start Of Games

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has typically set the tone at the start of games as he is leading the league in first-quarter scoring by a wide margin at 12.0 points per game.

Los Angeles Lakers News / EssentiallySports / December 30

41 Legendary Facts & Stats About LeBron James on His 41st Birthday

There is no precedent for what LeBron James is doing anymore. At an age when most NBA greats are years removed from the game, LeBron is still anchoring offenses, chasing records, and bending the league’s timeline in Year 23.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Yardbarker / December 30

Evaluating the factors involved in LeBron James' potential retirement decision

Should LeBron James retire? The question sounds harsher than it really is.

JJ Redick admits LeBron James is a problem for the Lakers

Pistons visit Lakers trying to avoid season-worst losing skid

The 25 most unlikely NBA Finals heroes

The 'NBA all-time scoring leaders' quiz

Los Angeles Lakers News / Lakers Nation / December 30

Jarred Vanderbilt Believes LeBron James’ IQ Separates Him From Peers

At 41 years old, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is doing things no other player in NBA history has ever done. James may be declining from an athleticism standpoint, but he remains as effective as ever thanks to his ability to play multiple roles.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Los Angeles Lakers on SI / December 30

Bill Simmons Urges Lakers to Trade LeBron James in Blockbuster Swap

Could Steph Curry finally get his wish? The longtime Golden State Warriors star has made it no secret that he's wanted to play with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James at some point during their respective careers.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Top-50 all-time NFL rushers' quiz

The 'Most NFL pass completions' quiz

The 'NBA Christmas Day triple-doubles' quiz

The 'NFL rookie QBs to win a playoff game' quiz

Los Angeles Lakers News / Lakers Nation / December 30

JJ Redick Wants Nick Smith Jr. To Be Aggressive

Luka Doncic led the way and LeBron James had another strong outing, but it was two-way contract player Nick Smith Jr. who gave the Los Angeles Lakers an extra boost in their win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night to snap their three-game losing streak.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Lakers Nation / December 30

JJ Redick Calls LeBron James ‘Remarkable’ Ahead Of 41st Birthday

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the oldest player in the NBA but he continues to defy Father Time as he remains one of the league’s best players.

Los Angeles Lakers News / EssentiallySports / December 30

Is Shaquille O’Neal Dating Natalie Nunn? Did the Lakers Legend Really Gift Her a Car?

Rumor mills are running overtime. And this time it’s the Los Angeles Lakers legend, Shaquille O’Neal, who has fallen under its radar. The world knows Shaq for many reasons: basketball, an interesting music career, an entrepreneur, and so much.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Athlon Sports / December 29

Lakers Get Good News Amid Latest Injury Development

The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their three-game losing skid on Sunday with a much-needed 125-101 blowout win over the Sacramento Kings. It was a concerted team effort by the Lakers, with LeBron James (24 points on 11-of-13 shooting) and Luka Doncic (24 points, seven assists) leading the charge.

Rui Hachimura News / Athlon Sports / December 29

Lakers Announce Concerning Rui Hachimura News on Monday

Rui Hachimura played his part in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The 6-foot-8 power forward helped lead the Lakers to their first victory in four games with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, four rebounds, an assist, two steals and two triples in 26 minutes of action.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Los Angeles Lakers on SI / December 28

Lakers Expected to Make Major Trades This Year

The 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers have cooled off after a blistering 15-4 start to the season, largely behind the efforts of star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Los Angeles Lakers News / Yardbarker / December 29