LakerLiker.com - A Lakers blog for fans that bleed PURPLE and GOLD

Brian Shaw would be a great fit for the Lakers

2013-06-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

Mike D’Antoni is not the preferable coach to lead the new Lakers team in 2014. When you rebuild a team, you want a coach that the players can trust and respect; D’Antoni is not that man. This summer there are at least four respectable coaches that may be willing to relocate: Lionel Hollins, Brian Shaw, George Karl and Nate McMillan. The aforementioned coaches can command respect from players and the fans while D’Antoni commands respect only at his domicile. Brian Shaw sticks out as an outlier as he has strong ties to the Lakers, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.

The 2012-13 season showed that D’Antoni doesn’t know how to use each player’s talents appropriately; Brian Shaw knows how to utilize all of his player’s strengths. D’Antoni was forcing Gasol to play near the high-post; D’Antoni overlooked Earl Clark as a viable small forward off the bench. The nepotism that D’Antoni practices is foolish at best since hiring his brother as an assistant coach. Brian Shaw is the first candidate that you need to attract Jackson back to the Lakers.

Phil Jackson has been traveling the nation promoting his new book, 11 Rings – appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd and the Daily Show to name a few. Jackson may also be contemplating putting down roots for his next endeavor; front office leadership. Pundits have overlooked the inevitability that Phil Jackson will marry Jeannie Buss and that commuting to work with Jeanie would save time using the car pool lane! The year 2014 is a tremendous opportunity for the Lakers to hire Jackson as a front office executive who can help Mitch Kupchak recruit elite players like Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving. Having Phil Jackson in an executive role in 2014 will drastically increase the chances for the Lakers to rebuild the team successfully. Players will be compelled to play under the tutelage of an 11-time champion coach, Phil Jackson.

By Loit Kaskla
Site Contributor

Congrats to @bcal2012 for winning a @Sportiqe Lakers Tee

2013-05-28T19:42:00.002-07:00

UPDATE - Earlier this month we opened a Lakers Tee giveaway contest sponsored by our good friends Sportiqe Brand Apparel Co. and today we've randomly picked a lucky Laker fan who simply had to follow us to be eligible to win.

Please help us congratulate @bcal2012 for winning this cool Lakers tee designed by the hottest and trendiest sports apparel company around.

Thanks again Sportiqe for providing us with the shirts.

About Sportiqe Brand Apparel Co.

Our shirts were made for that uniqe person that embodies freedom, courage, passion, and wants to be themselves. Comfort is at the cornerstone of every Sportiqe style coupled with trend right designs and graphics.

Sportiqe has established a new standard and continues to evolve a niche in delivering “Lifestyle” licensed apparel. Sportiqe is a fan favorite worn by some of the top celebrities, athletes, musicians, industry leaders and consumers alike.

You’ll find the Sportiqe brand in some of the top stores throughout America and Sportiqe.com.

Follow Sportiqe: Twitter, Blog, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram

Phil Jackson on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 5/16/2013

2013-05-17T17:52:00.001-07:00

Phil Jackson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night to promote his latest book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success".

Leno wasted no time addressing what every Laker fan still wants to know - Why D'Antoni and not him?

Phil summarized the episode by saying (and I paraphrase) that he was asked by now fiancee Jeanie Buss to talk to her brother Jim about possibly coaching the Lakers again and he said okay. Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak then show up to Phil's house that night and had an hour and a half discussion (Phil skipped the details of that convo).

Phil then told Jim and Mitch that he would have an answer for them by the following Monday. That Sunday night at midnight Mitch called Phil to tell him that they've hired former New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni because they felt he was a better fit for the team.

Bad decision Mitch. Nash, yes. Howard, yes. Choosing D'Antoni over PJ because of your boss's personal vendetta against him? D'oh!

Phil also addressed why D'Antoni wasn't the better fit after all and talked about his Kobe/Jordan comparison from the book.

Video link provided by site contributor Loit Kaskla

STAPLES Center now has free Wi-Fi thanks to Verizon Wireless partnership

2013-05-16T20:12:00.003-07:00

Fans at STAPLES Center can now stream video, send pictures and post to social media sites on their wireless devices, using a fast and free Wi-Fi service. “STAPLES Center Wi-Fi powered by Verizon” is available throughout the arena, giving guests another option to wirelessly share the excitement during STAPLES Center’s more than 250 annual games, concerts, shows and special events. Additionally, Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE and Verizon Wireless will provide guests access to the free Wi-Fi service beginning May 21^st, 2013.

“We are incredibly excited to launch our own Wi-Fi network designed and powered by our partners at Verizon and that we are able to provide our guests with a high quality connectivity Wi-Fi experience,” Lee Zeidman, STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre and L.A. LIVE Sr. Vice President and General Manager. “Additionally the reliability and access will encourage our fans to use popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare to share their experiences while at STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE.”

“Providing a world class customer experience is our top priority at Verizon Wireless and that includes giving customers options” said Luis Cruz, region president of Verizon Wireless. “Our partnership with STAPLES Center delivers a powerful solution to our customers, allowing them to better manage their wireless data usage by choosing WiFi for video streaming and other services. They’ll be able switch back and forth between WiFi and our award-winning 4G LTE network.”

“STAPLES Center Wi-Fi powered by Verizon” provides full coverage throughout the arena, including the seating bowl, inside all 166 suites and on the suite levels, the upper and main concourse areas and in all back of house areas which include the locker rooms, dressing rooms, press rooms and production offices.

Guests can connect to the new service by turning on Wi-Fi on their wireless devices and selecting “VerizonWiFi” from the list of available networks.

Betting for bigger playoffs payoffs

2013-05-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

What a season it has been. The Lakers showed serious promise just eight months ago but just as the season flew, so did the expectations out the window for their jam-packed superstar roster. While the Lakers quickly exited the post season, the rest of the remaining teams moved forward. Who will reach the Finals and be crowned 2012-13 NBA champions? Whichever direction the playoffs leads us in its closing stages, there is still plenty of speculation and betting going on as to which team will be favored to advance.

The clear favorites and best betting odds to ride on are clearly the defending champs, the Miami [C]Heat. You can currently ride the Heat train to back-to-back championship-ville with 4/7 odds. However they are certainly not the only team to spread your greenery on, both the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are considered realistic bets to win the title as well. The odds for San Antonio are 9/2 and 12/1 for Oklahoma City – not bad but still considerably behind Miami in the books. Trying your luck in the Western Conference is the riskier move but with risk comes reward, and your bet in the west could potentially be the bigger playoff payoff.

Regardless, whether you win or lose, this crazy injury-inflicted asterisk season will inevitably be forever in the history books come next month. So in spirit of yet another busy Kupchak off season full of roster moves, quench your basketball fix by playing really cool Basketball slots games at online casino sites, such as the Dennis Rodman game and Slam Dunk. These basketball slots have plenty to offer from both a basketball and betting perspective, combining real player icons, cheerleaders, jerseys, basketball arenas, and nine pay lines with a wild symbol (the 23 jersey) to increase your odds of winning. Throw in cheap play and it’s a perfect way to spend the summer while you wait for a healthier 2013-14 NBA season to begin.

@Sportiqe Lakers Tee Giveaway

2013-05-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our good friends over at Sportiqe Apparel Co. are sponsoring our latest giveaway. Despite the early post-season exit, Laker fans shouldn't ponder on what could have been. In times like these, it's time for us to unite and support our team proudly.

What better way to do so than to wear the coolest Laker tees out there. Sportiqe has the hottest sports fashion apparel around. For your chance to win their shirt shown above (Size L) all you'll have to do is follow us and post a comment in reference to this giveaway.

Choose where to follow us: Twitter; Facebook, Instagram; Google +

The winner will be announced in sometime this month.

About Sportiqe Apparel Co.

Bringing fashion to every fan, Sportiqe Apparel merges casual sportswear with trend-driven designs for licensed apparel in the sports, music, food and corporate markets. Constantly looking towards the most current trends in fashion, Sportiqe has developed a niche in the licensed apparel industry with coveted styles that have been worn on the sidelines by celebrities, athletes, musicians, industry leaders and consumers alike.

Sportiqe was founded in 2006 by Jason Franklin and Matt Altman who wanted to develop a line of sporting wear with a fashionable boutiqe feel that people could connect to and fall in love with. Sportiqe’s apparel lines represent the culmination of intense research of current style trends designed on the most comfortable fabric selections. Thriving to narrow the gap between basics and casual fashion, Franklin and Altman leverage licensors to create more fashion-forward products to provide fans with apparel that they will be as proud to wear as who they root for.

Sportiqe is licensed with:

NBA; ESPN; Hometown Classics; Colleges and Universities; Playboy; Miller Coors; EA Sports; OAR Collection

Be sure to follow Sportiqe Apparel Co: Website; Facebook; Twitter; Youtube

2012-13 Lakers Asterisk Season

2013-04-28T18:17:00.001-07:00

2013 NBA Playoffs Electronic Bracket is here!

2013-04-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Laker fans, it's that time of year again!!! The Kobe-less Lakers made true of team captain's guaranteed playoffs and thanks to the great win over the Rockets, the P&G made the 7th spot to play the better matched Spurs rather than the fast-paced Thunder.

Due to the success of last year's electronic bracket, we've decided not to steer too far from the design so we made just a couple of minor structural tweaks. We hope you enjoy our 2013 NBA Playoffs Electronic Bracket!

Click on the image above or click on the link just below to download.

Download 2013 NBA Playoffs Electronic Bracket Here

Once inside Google Docs choose "File" then "Download".

Its that simple! You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) to read/use the bracket.

Ryan Tang's "Count On Resurrection"

2013-04-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Laker fans, local L.A. based graphic designer Ryan Tang has released this latest illustration titled, "Count On Resurrection". With the same certainty in Kobe's bold guarantee of the playoffs comes the same assurance for his return in '14.

Artist's Description
No one can beat a torn Achilles better than Kobe Bryant. No one has seen it beat better than Kobe Bryant will beat it. We have yet to see the last of Kobe Bryant. The final chapter is his to write. Kobe Bryant will have his last dance. Count on it.

CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY

Don't Worry Kobe - Mamba Has You Covered

2013-04-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Original Photo Credit - AP

An emotional Kobe uses social media to vent his frustrations about season-ending torn left Achilles

2013-04-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Twitter:

Random tears of devastation and doubt mixed with inner determination and will #countonfamily #countonprayer THANKU #vicodintweets comin ha!
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 13, 2013

Facebook:

This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I’ve done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I’m supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??
I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that
was. Maybe this is how my book
ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not! It’s 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I’m wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what’s the purpose of social media if I won’t bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.
One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.
“If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear”. Ive always loved that quote. Thats “mamba mentality” we don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.
I know it’s a long post but I’m Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.
Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.
Mamba Out

Dirk Nowitzki could’ve been a Laker

2013-04-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

It is hard to imagine Dirk Nowitzki no longer wearing a Dallas Mavericks jersey, the only uniform he has donned throughout his 15 NBA seasons. But what is even more bizarre is the possibility of seeing Nowitzki wearing another team’s colors. It only seems right that the face of the Dallas franchise finishes his professional career with the team he led to its only league title. Not a lot of people know but the 7-foot, 34 year old star from Germany almost joined good friend Steve Nash with the Los Angeles Lakers, if the said rumors were to be true. There was supposedly a Nowitzki for Dwight Howard trade in the making before the All Star break, but things just didn't materialize between the two teams. Howard, who is a free agent at the end of the season, is someone the Mavericks are certainly interested in, however, probably not in exchange for Nowitzki. Imagine having a Lakers team with Nowitzki paired with Nash; then add in Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant, and you have the kind of perfect combination to fit coach D'Antoni's run and gun system.

Since joining the Mavericks in 1998, Nowitzki has led the Mavericks to 12 consecutive NBA Playoffs (2001–2012), including the Franchise's first Finals appearance in 2006 and only championship in 2011. He is an 11-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA Team member, and first European-born player to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He also holds several all-time Mavericks franchise records, such great accomplishments from a kid coming from the quiet city of Wuzburg, Germany.

Random poker fact - Germany is known to have produced world champions in several sports disciplines, and also have been the venue of many major sports events in the past. One particular event is the prestigious European Poker Tour, which Berlin has previously hosted twice. Thanks largely to the availability and ease of online poker, the game has become more accessible for people to play. De.partypoker.com is one site that offers and provides one of the biggest rooms with tremendous player action at anytime of the day.

Dirk Nowitzki has said that his goal was to finish his career in Dallas, and that the only way he was going to leave was if he felt he wouldn't get the chance to compete for a title. He has already captured that elusive NBA title, and he may just get his wish to retire as a Maverick. But in the world of professional sports, anything can happen. If given another shot at Howard, Dallas might do what it takes to make it happen; even if it means dealing away the greatest player in the team's history.

Crawford alone outscores Lakers bench

2013-04-07T18:27:00.002-07:00

Steve Nash helps promote NBA's Green Week with "Extra"

2013-04-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

Before the big game tomorrow former Suns teammates, now rivals Steve Nash and Matt Barnes were spotted with "Extra's" Maria Menounos at The Grove to help promote the NBA and Sprint's Green Week, a mission to teach fans how to protect the environment.

When interviewed by Maria about how he helps protect the environment, Nash said this:

“I hesitate to brag about it, but I drive a hybrid vehicle. I have solar panels in my house in Phoenix and I just try to recycle as much as I can.”

Here's a video of the festivities:

Source: extratv.com

KSM Custom Kicks - Custom LeBron X Showtime Era Lakers Design

2013-04-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

While it is taboo to talk about LeBron James on this site we will take exception for this particular post.

Remember we write about all that is Lakers so this piece will help spotlight very cool custom LeBron X kicks that pay homage to the Showtime era Lakers.

This custom design was created by KSMCustomKicks.com. They started with a Canary colorway base pair with an added Lakers gold and purple to the upper. The rear graphic triangle reads "SHOWTIME."

These customs will be available to order for a limited time so act now.

Place your order by following this link

Follow KSM Custom Kicks - Instagram

RareInk launches Shaquille O'Neal art collection

2013-04-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

RareInk.com has officially launched their Shaquille O'Neal art collection in celebration of his jersey number (34) being retired by the Lakers. The collection features portraits by artists Mark Sgarbossa, San Diego, and Krystoff Domoradski, Poland, as well as a collection of artistically enhanced photos celebrating Shaq's Lakers career.

About the Artists

Mark Sgarbossa's work spans a broad range of styles, which allows him to move seamlessly between projects from designing skateboards for Tony Hawk to gig posters for De La Soul, to tour merchandise for Ted Nugent. An accomplished rock poster artist, Sgarbossa’s work has featured such acts as Helmet, Franz Ferdinand, Avenged Sevenfold, and the late Johnny Cash.

Polish artist Krzysztof Domaradski is also known as Kxx. Kxx graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan were he received his Masters degree in Drawing and Metal Techniques. His work has been featured by numerous brands including Nike, Audi, Diesel, Sony, and Volkswagen.

https://www.rareink.com/players/shaq.html

About RareInk:

Based in Carlsbad, California, RareInk’s mission is to create extraordinary and accessible art for sports fans. RareInk has identified a void of quality, modern art for today's sports fan. RareInk is dedicated to offering fans a large collection of at that captures the history of the NBA. RareInk's entire collection can be viewed and purchased at RareInk.com.

Lakers 1971-72 33-game winning streak holds

2013-03-27T21:43:00.001-07:00

Even Miami Heat President Pat Riley wanted his team to lose tonight. Riley who was on that famous 1971-72 Lakers squad was smiling deep down inside as LeBron & Co. fell short tonight to the Chicago Bulls, 97-101.

The Heat streak ends at 27 putting them at #2 on the list for most consecutive regular season wins BEHIND the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers who still hold the #1 spot with 33-straight wins.

Another reason to love the Lakers!

Dissecting the Lakers 6-13 record when Nash, Kobe, Gasol & Howard play together

2013-03-26T22:05:00.001-07:00

Lakers: 6-13 this season when Bryant, Howard, Nash, and Gasol play in same game
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 26, 2013

My fanship sacrifice to stay up and watch the debacle (thanks @DadWithAPen) of the Lakers/Warriors game last night was worth every frustrating second mainly for two eyebrow-raising reasons; 1) Kobe's dunk and 2) The tweet above that showed it's ugly face on my TL as I was closing shop for the night.

That stat stuck to me like that annoying first piece of tape you spend minutes trying to find. We dissected and exposed the good and the ugly from those first 5 losses to see where the Lakers at their full potential (elite four suited up) fell apart and here are the glorified stats:

10/30 - Opening Night - LAL 91 - DAL 99 (box score)
Nash: 3-9 FG (33%) 7-pts, 1-4 3PT (25%), 4-assists
Kobe: 11-14 FG (78%) 22-pts
Gasol: 8-19 FG (42%) 23-pts, game high 13-rebs, game high 6-asts (T-Blake)
Howard: 8-12 FG (66%) 19-pts, 10-rebs. 3-14 FT (21%)

Team: 12-31 FT (38%) - 19 missed free points
Bench: Outscored by 20-points

10/31 - LAL 106 - POR 116 (box score)
Nash: 1-3 FG (2 PTS) - Left game early due to injury
Kobe: 10-20 FG (50%), 30-pts, 7-turnovers
Gasol: 7-14 FG (50%), 16-pts, 9-rebs
Howard: 9-15 FG (60%), game high 33-pts, game high 14-rebs

Team: 24-turnovers

12/26 - LAL 114 - DEN 126 (box score)
Nash: 6-8 FG (75%), 15-pts, 8-asts
Kobe: 13-24 FG (54%), game high 40-pts, 5-9 3PT (55%)
Gasol: 7-11 FG (63%), 19-pts
Howard: 4-6 FG (66%), 12-pts, 7-rebs

Team: Allowed 20-orebs from opponent
Bench: Outscored by 14-pts (Lakers bench 28-pts, Corey Brewer alone 27-pts)

1/1 - Happy Boo Year - LAL 99 - PHI 103 (box score)
Nash: 6-11 FG (54%), 12-pts, 10-assists
Kobe: 14-29 FG (48%), game high 36-pts
Gasol: 2-12 FG (16%), 11-pts, 9-rebs
Howard: 1-7 FG (14%), 7-pts, 14-rebs

LAL 17-assists / PHI 27-assists

1/4 - LAL 102 - LAC 107 (box score)
Nash: 3-4 FG (all FGA from behind the arc), 12-pts, 10-assists
Kobe: 15-25 FG (60%), game high 38-pts, 5-steals
Gasol: 1-6 FG (16%), 2-points, 4-rebs
Howard: 8-14 FG (57%), 21-pts, 15-rebs

Here are the box scores for the remaining 8-losses. Take a look for yourself:

1/6 Box Score; 1/17 Box Score; 1/20 Box Score; 1/21 Box Score; 1/23 Box Score; 1/30 Box Score; 3/22 Box Score; 3/25 Box Score.

Lakers look great without Kobe

2013-03-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, before you Kobe-lovers (including myself) jump to any conclusions, let us premise this post by saying that the Lakers are NOT a better team without Kobe. Making a statement like that is just foolish HOWEVER you have to admit that ball movement is much better without the superstar demanding so much of it and rightfully so.

A bench that once was
Stats from previous two games. (post Kobe's ankle/flu)

Steve Blake - Has scored 18, then 16 points last night. The last time Blake scored 18+ points was against the Nuggets during last year's playoffs (5/12/12). He's dished the rock for 15 assists and is shooting 58% FG (11-19), 64% 3PT (9-14).

Antawn Jamison - Reminds us how valuable he is when given significant minutes. The 14-year vet has scored a total of 44 points w/ 16 rebounds while averaging 34 minutes these past couple of games. He's also shooting the ball efficiently - 58% FG (14-24 FG), 60% 3PT (9-15).

Stand out starters in Kobe's absence

Dwight Howard - Has scored 32-points but more importantly has dominated in the paint - 29 rebounds/9 blocked shots. Lakers have scorers; Howard's defensive presence is desperately needed especially down the stretch.

Steve Nash - I have to say I've gotten a personal liking to Nash. His 12 assists last night pushed me over my fantasy basketball opponent and consequently earned me the final 8th spot in the league's playoffs bracket. How appropriate. He's had a combined total of 21 assists. Oh and his 34 points didn't hurt either.

Metta World Peace - Has shot 64% FG (16-25), scoring a total of 41 points. If you combine his point total from his previous three games, he has 61. I think D'Antoni has the SF spot covered in MWP and Jamison.

Once Gasol makes his return, the PF void left from his torn plantar facia should help the team dramatically. A quiet Clark has been in a shooting slump as of yet.

Look for the Lakers to go 5 games over .500 tonight versus the struggling Phoenix Suns who are the 4th worst team in the NBA. Nash has to have a big game against his former employer.

Video: Donkey Jones Tripping Kobe - 2009 WC Finals, Game 4

2013-03-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Dahntay Jones is sooooooooooo dirty. Evidently this isn't the first time this donkey has intentionally tried to hurt Kobe.

Check out this video found on YouTube. The replay clearly shows Jones sticking out his foot (similar to last night's cheap shot) to purposely trip Kobe as he was beat off the ball.

Jones adds a twist to the old saying, "If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em".

Well here's a saying for Dahntay, "What goes around, comes around". Karma is a bitch.

Dahntay Jones' Filth Downs Black Mamba

2013-03-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this one will leave laker fans utterly speechless.

Kobe is out indefinitely with what he later called his worst ankle sprain of his career.

The injury (x-rays were negative) happened when Kobe went for his signature baseline fadeaway to potentially tie the game in the closing seconds of tonight's Hawks game but as he came down his left foot landed on Dahntay Jones' right foot causing Kobe's ankle to squeamishly turn. Kobe accused Jones of intentionally leaving his foot there.

Adding insult to injury, Kobe missed the shot and the Lakers lost the game, 92-96 snapping their four-game winning streak.

If Kobe's allegation is true, Jones will not only have to worry about Kobe's death stare but his name will be on every Laker fan's #2 list. His dirty move can cost the Lakers their season as team captain's return date is uncertain.

The Lakers currently hold the 8th spot in the WC but Utah is just one game back and with Black Mamba down their chances of passing the Lakers has just gotten much, much better.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Laker Girls Lunch Date at a Carls Jr. near you

2013-03-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

Because burgers just taste better when an NBA dance team is around, this March and April Carl’s Jr. is bringing back the “Laker Girls Lunch Date” tour, and the Los Angeles Laker Girls are coming to a restaurant near you!

The tour kicks off in Glendale on Wednesday, March 20. From 2-3 p.m., two or more Laker Girls will be in-store for one hour to autograph photos and pose for pictures with guests. Visitors will also receive Carl’s Jr. coupons and other prizes. Fans sporting purple and gold on game days will have the chance to receive additional giveaway items, including tickets to an upcoming Lakers game!

Full dates and locations for the “Laker Girls Lunch Date at Carl’s Jr.” tour include:

March 20, 2-3 p.m.: 424 W. Los Feliz Rd., Glendale, CA 91204

March 21, 2-3 p.m.: 7069 Schaefer Ave., Chino, CA 91710

March 22, 1-2 p.m.: 18032 Culver Dr., Irvine, CA 92612

March 23, 2-3 p.m.: 1199 Magnolia Ave., Corona, CA 92879

March 24, 2-3 p.m.: 1610 W. Foothill Blvd., Upland, CA 91786

March 25, 2-3 p.m.: 1231 W. Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754

March 26, 2-3 p.m.: 5625 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045

March 27, 2-3 p.m.: 4424 University Pkwy., San Bernardino, CA 92407

March 28, 2-3 p.m.: 22700 Centerpoint Dr., Moreno Valley, CA 92553

March 29, 2-3 p.m.: 1031 West Avenue P, Palmdale, CA 93551

March 30, 2-3 p.m.: 2912 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90007

April 1, 2-3 p.m.: 401 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark, CA 93021

April 2, 1-2 p.m.: 1465 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106

April 3, 2-3 p.m.: 1915 N. Campus Ave., Upland, CA 91784

April 4, 2-3 p.m.: 8271 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647

April 5, 1-2 p.m.: 5315 Rosecrans Ave., Hawthorne, CA 90250

April 6, 2-3 p.m.: 251 Diamond Dr., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530

April 7, 2-3 p.m.: 7201 Carson Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90808

April 8, 2-3 p.m.: 25536 Barton Rd., Loma Linda, CA 92354

April 9, 1-2 p.m.: 24901 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills, CA 92653

For more information visit www.lakers.com/carlsjr.

DeAndre Dunk - Even Laker fans are saying DAMN!!!

2013-03-11T18:30:00.001-07:00

I don't care who you are, last night's DeAndre Jordan monster dunk was probably THE best dunk of the season. You almost have to feel bad for Brandon Knight who had no idea he'd be the poster child for Lob City.

New LakerLiker Wallpaper

2013-03-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

To help commemorate Kobe's new nickname #VINO we've redesigned our logo to include get your new Laker Liker iMac, iPad, and iPhone wallpapers today!

Click below to view wallpaper album for all devices:

LakerLiker Wallpaper Album

Ryan Tang's #VINO - Kobe Bryant

2013-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

So recently @KobeBryant tweeted this:

Omg . My man just gave me a new nickname and I love it! Ha #vino
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 1, 2013

Local graphic designer Ryan Tang, inspired by Kobe's new Vino nickname came up with this beautiful design.

Ryan's description of his genius Mamba Noir design
Just a little project done for fun. Since Kobe Bryant is going with a new nickname, Vino (wine in Italian, because like a fine wine, Kobe gets better with age), I thought it'd be fun to make a bottle if Kobe ever wants to get back to his Italian roots and make some wine. Dominate winemaking!

If you want to see more of his work be sure to follow Ryan: Twitter, Instagram.