TORONTO— Say this for Russell Westbrook: It’s only fitting that someone who embodies Kobe Bryant’s ceaseless competitiveness would take home the MVP award in Bryant’s final All-Star game. Westbrook-ASG Russell Westbrook scored 31 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists to take home his second straight MVP award in a 196-173 win— a record number of points in the game and for the winning team— for the West over the East on Sunday night at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. “That’s
PODCAST: Former Lakers Forward Samaki Walker Discusses Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson
Former Los Angeles Laker Samaki Walker won an NBA title with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson in 2001-2002 and played with Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Dwyane Wade over the course of his 10-year career. He was my guest on this week’s NBA Press Break podcast, where co-host Max Kirshblum and I discussed all things Phil and the Knicks, Kobe and the Lakers and which current superstars could have survived in the rougher NBA of 15-20 years