Josh Powell News

Each time Ron Artest spoke during his candid, thoroughly entertaining introductory news conference Wednesday, the silver-haired man to his left kept nodding his head and trying in vain to suppress a smile.

There will certainly be more significant trades and free-agent signings before training camps open in October.

The Lakers had a near-perfect June, breezing through the NBA Finals in five games and capping it off with a victory parade and championship rally under sunny Southern California skies.

The Lakers let a deadline to terminate the second-year contracts of center DJ Mbenga and power forward Josh Powell pass without action Wednesday, meaning they'll be back with the team next season.

We noted at his exit interview how Adam Morrison , in an effort to shake off the rust of a couple years of injury and bench time, will be playing summer league ball in Vegas, opening up on July 10, against the always hated quasi-Toronto Raptors.

Well, Luke Walton may have to battle his bestie while defending the Lakers' title.

Derek Fisher sank a pair of clutch three- pointers, one to force overtime and another in the extra session that gave Los Angeles the lead for good, as the Lakers overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals with a 99-91 triumph against Orlando.

Since 2000, the Lakers have either won or made it to the NBA Finalssix times. That means one thing when it comes to the NBA Draft a ' they'll be picking very late.

It is impossible to watch the footage below and not be a fan of Shannon Brown . You probably were before, but this stuff will make you want to pass the hat on Brown's behalf at Sunday services if it means keeping him around.

TV announcers have said the Lakers will need to make a change once the playoffs are over.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Media-friendly and all-around great guy Luke Walton got in there and asked Phil Jackson and Mitch Kupchak the burning question.

The ample storylines of the NBA Finals started with Kobe Bryant, who matched his old partner in crime, Shaquille O'Neal, with his fourth title and first without O'Neal as a teammate.

With the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA title over the Orlando Magic, former NC State forward Josh Powell has his first NBA championship ring.

It is clear Stan Van Gundy doesn't think much of experience. He said so in a number of animated ways after the Lakers' improbable Game 4 win when the two most experienced players on the court -- Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher -- made the key passes and shots that put Los Angeles one win away from the NBA title.

Keep in mind, this is coming from a Laker fan. Thus, the below observations are completely biased.1st Quarter:- Kobe line-drives an 18-footer 78 seconds in, we get our first teeth-clenching moment... by Tyler Nelson 47 reads Keep in mind, this is coming from a Laker fan.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 15 points, Dwight Howard grabbed 14 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic took a 49-37 halftime lead over the frustrated and foul-plagued Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA finals on Thursday night.

The Orlando Magic vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, live from Staples Center. Tonight's liveblogging has a special new twist: It's on Twitter and right here, both at the same time -- through the magic of the internet.

If the Lakers have learned from their experiences this postseason, they won't find contentment in the fact that Phil Jackson's teams are 43-0 in series in which they win Game 1. They won't take comfort knowing 70 percent of Game 1 winners have gone on to win in a seven-game series, or that in Thursday's 25-point dismantling of Orlando, they ...

At the Staples Center, amid a sea of gold swooping toward the jerseys of Magic and Kareem in the rafters, a purple sign popped up, the words screaming like the fan hoisting them: KOBE DIEM.

Well, I guess half is better than none! I, like many, thought the finals would be a battle between the two best players in the game today.