Former Lakers guard Josh Hart called some of his ex-teammates and front office members to apologize for comments he made in a podcast this summer after being traded to the Pelicans, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
The incident took place in a video version of his Sept. 6 “LightHarted Podcast” that included Lonzo Ball, who was also part of the deal that sent Anthony Davis to L.A. Ball was talking about a trip to Lithuania to visit his brothers when they were playing there and called the country “very depressing.”
“I wouldn’t do it again,” he said. “… It’s like hella gloomy, nobody smiles, it’s like everybody just hates that they’re there. I’m like ‘Damn.’ I had to get out of there, bro.”
Hart responded with “Sounds like L.A. … No, I’m not talking about the city.” When the producer promised to “edit that part out,” Hart laughs and said, “I was going to say the Lakers organization.”
He later went on social media to explain that he was upset that the Lakers didn’t give him prior notice that he was about to be traded to New Orleans. He learned about the deal on social media after taping another podcast.
“When my sarcasm, that wasn’t supposed to be in that — it was supposed to be cut — was in there, I called some of the people in the [Lakers] front office, I called some of my teammates that I had and made sure they knew that none of this stuff was about you guys,” Hart said in an ESPN interview Sunday night. “I loved my time here. I loved my time here and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I love Laker Nation. They show so much love, so much support.”
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