Can the Lakers win it all? Darvin Ham: ‘Hell yeah!’
Lakers coach Darvin Ham spoke to The Sporting Tribune and he believes the Lakers have pieced together a championship roster.
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1. Can the Lakers win it all? Darvin Ham: ‘Hell yeah!’
Lakers coach Darvin Ham spoke to The Sporting Tribune’s Mark Medina and he believes the Lakers have pieced together a championship roster.
Darvin Ham sauntered as if he had just hit the jackpot.
Those earnings didn’t have anything to do with his luck at the casino tables. Instead, it had everything to do with how the Lakers’ constructed their roster this offseason.
Therefore, the Lakers’ coach appeared relaxed and joyful as he signed autographs and talked with fans after the Lakers’ summer-league win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday at Thomas & Mack Center. A day later, Ham sounded just as giddy on the phone. Consider his directness on whether the Lakers have a championship-contending roster.
“Hell yeah; without question. “That’s what we’re in it for,” Ham told The Sporting Tribune. “We’re about winning around here and winning big. It’s not just about, ‘Hey we made the playoffs.’ We’re trying to get to that pinnacle and conquer it.”
2. Baseball roots run deep in So. Nevada
Per Baseball Almanac, there are currently 23 active players who were born in Nevada - 19 of them hailing from either Las Vegas or Henderson, writes The Sporting Tribune’s W.G. Ramirez.
The history of baseball in Southern Nevada is rich, and runs deep.
Stories galore, even for those who never played past Little League, or high school. So many great memories.
Me, I have none. I didn't get to play Little League. I had a glove, remember those cheap pleather ones that came in hard-plastic packaging that is impossible to pry open, the same kind batteries come in? So, I never knew about soaking a real glove in leather oil, sticking a ball in it, and wrapping it with rubber bands for the break-in process.
The extent of my baseball memories come from Robert E. Lake Elementary School, where we played on a sandlot with one of those brittle backstops riddled by green-painted wood that was peeling and splintering from being weather-worn. You know the kind, where the chainlink fence was folding at the bottom, just enough where passed balls and wild pitches would scoot through during recess or lunches.
3. Whitecloud will take Stanley Cup to his tribal roots
Zach Whitecloud is the first of his Sioux Valley Dakota Nation to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Norm Clarke.
Zach Whitecloud is taking the Stanley Cup back to his tribal roots.
Centuries of his Lakota Sioux ancestors would be proud.
The Vegas Golden Knights 26-year-old defenseman is the first of his Sioux Valley Dakota Nation to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup.
When it his turn to take the cup back home to Manitoba, Canada for his allotted 24 hours, he’ll return to Sioux Valley, the reservation of 1,000 where his improbable journey began in the oil-rich land around nearby Brandon, population 50,000.
“I just want the community to be able see it or touch or do whatever,” Whitecloud told The Sporting Tribune. When he showed up for a post-Stanley Cup signing appearance, he was greeted by a number of proud American Indians.
4. Fanatics throws star-studded NBA Summer League party in Las Vegas
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and the National Basketball Players Association hosted “The Summer Players Party” in Las Vegas and The Sporting Tribune’s Kevaney Martin was there to capture the scene.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and the National Basketball Players Association hosted “The Summer Players Party,” which was billed as “the marquee private event of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.” The invite-only event took place at TAO Nightclub inside The Venetian and featured exclusive performances by Lil Baby, DJ Irie and Nomcebo.
5. Touring The Sphere with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Las Vegas
The Sporting Tribune’s Mark Medina got a private tour of The Sphere in Las Vegas with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The iconic big man spent the past hour enjoying a private tour of The Sphere, an 18,000-seat venue in the Venetian Resort that will host concerts, films and ring sports events beginning in two months.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar marveled at both the 16K LED screen and an elaborate sound system that the venue will first unveil to the general public for a U2 concert on Sept.29.
“I’m sitting here wondering, ‘How will this sound with a jazz band?’” Abdul-Jabbar told The Sporting Tribune as he strolled through the concourse. “It would sound like you’re in the room.”
Abdul-Jabbar spent this past weekend here marveling at something else that also appears extraordinary.
6. Angels select Nolan Schanuel with first pick of MLB Draft
Florida Atlantic first baseman Nolan Schanuel was selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Taylor Blake Ward.
Following the summer of 2022, Nolan Schanuel knew something was a bit off. Schanuel was two years into his collegiate career which saw him slashing a combined .356/.460/.619 in 521 plate appearances between his freshman and sophomore campaigns at Florida Atlantic, more than just a moderate line. It was his performance at night and in the Cape Cod League that caused some pause in his prospect status after hitting just .200 with a .614 OPS in 155 plate appearances.
"I knew I was struggling my sophomore spring with seeing at night and I didn't know what it was," Schanuel said. "Then, throughout the Cape Cod League, I definitely noticed something."
Schanuel returned home to the Eastern shoreline of South Florida and promptly went to see an eye doctor. It was then confirmed he had an Astigmatism in his right eye and a contact would be the cure to fixing and adjusting his vision, beginning in January 2023.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game Wednesday.
7:00 p.m. – St. Louis at LAFC –$29
7:30 p.m. – Aces at Sparks –$39
9. On the Air presented by The D Las Vegas
Here are the game times and TV channels for professional teams in the region Wednesday.
7:00 p.m. – St. Louis at LAFC –Apple TV
7:30 p.m. – Aces at Sparks – CBS Sports Network, Spectrum SportsNet
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Brandon Deutsch and Armani Buckets to talk about where James Harden and Damian Lillard will end up this offseason and which one would be a better fit with the Clippers?
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!