Lakers Lounge

FULL: Walker Kessler debuts; Austin impresses; Lakers bungle injury info; Q&A Oct 14, 2026 4230 Anthony and Harrison really enjoyed what they saw from Walker Kessler. That's far and away the biggest story of the night. They do talk about Austin's best game of the preseason and what the Lakers need from him, too, the Lakers' weird handling of injury info and a couple other topics before diving into the chat for a few fun questions.

PART 1: So... Walker Kessler! Oct 14, 2026 1405 The Lakers have a lot riding on Walker Kessler looking exactly like he looked last night. The guys talked about his impressive debut.

PART 2: Anthony completely bungles his Austin point but kinda/sorta arrives there anyway Oct 14, 2026 1436 The Lakers need A LOT out of Austin. They got a glimpse of it tonight. Anthony wants to know if we can see this Austin consistently enough to make the contract feel worthwhile.

PART 3: A listener actually wrote a haiku about that game Oct 14, 2026 1469 After Anthony and Harrison had a little chuckle about the haiku a Shogun would write about that game, a viewer actually dropped one. The guys then talked about Ghost of Tsushima.

FULL: MAILBAG - Kessler, Sexton injury concerns; Roster trimming; Guard depth; Knicks (?) extensions Oct 12, 2026 3912 Anthony asked for questions and, as promised answer basically every question he got. He only got super frustrated once!

PART 1: Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton injury updates Oct 12, 2026 1333 Walker Kessler is the Lakers' second-most important player this year, which makes it more than a little concerning/frustrated that we haven't seen him yet. When will that change? Anthony also shares what he's heard about Collin Sexton and explains why he is so important.

PART 2: Anthony's prefered rule change - Town down the reputation stuff Oct 12, 2026 1371 A listener asked what rule changes Anthony would start with and he gave an example, but then also discussed a zoomed-out approach concern he has with NBA refereeing.

PART 3: How else can the Lakers add another big? Oct 12, 2026 1295 Anthony explains why it makes sense for the Lakers to try to land a big via one of their two-way contracts but also gives context on what that is trickier now than it was even a couple seasons ago.

HOOK: Likes, dislikes, surprises and lessons Oct 9, 2026 3716 Anthony does this thing with content that he likes, where he asks himself to find things he likes, dislikes, is surprised by and learns over the course of that content. He brings that exercise to this episode with Pete to discuss Lakers preseason to this point.

PART 1: There's plenty to like so far Oct 9, 2026 1212 Anthony and Pete start this exercise by talking about what they've liked about preseason to this point.

PART 2: How is ball-handling STILL an issue? Oct 9, 2026 1272 Collin Sexton has yet to play and Anthony has noticed his absence a little too much. The guys discuss the ball control from players not named Austin or Luka and how critical Sexton has already become.

PART 3: Are fans falling for the fallacy of novelty? Oct 9, 2026 1322 The Lakers have started off preseason in fairly impressive fashion, all things considered. A listener still was curious whether some of the new additions are getting a little extra praise because of how new they are to the team.

FULL: Is Lakers' win total o/u too low? Early preseason lessons; What we want to know ASAP Oct 8, 2026 3737 Anthony and Harrison laugh at how annoyed Philly media already is with some of the extra stuff that comes with LeBron. They segue back to the Lakers by discussing how Vegas seems to feel about the team this season. Why is there such a disconnect with that and the preseason vibes/hype? The guys then discuss what they'd like to know about this team ASAP and wrap with a quick Q&A. Oh and Lanterns

PART 1: "LeBron is the ex who farts too much" Oct 8, 2026 1258 According to Harrison, Anthony gives one of his craziest analogies to date.

PART 2: Why doesn't Vegas believe in the Lakers? Oct 8, 2026 1294 There is reason to believe the Lakers should be pretty good -- Anthony's skepticism notwithstanding. So why is the win total over/under so low (45.5)?

PART 3: What do you want to know ASAP about this team? Oct 8, 2026 1274 Anthony wants to KNOW how good the offense is going to be and gives his reasoning why. The guys wrap with a quick Q&A and some Lanterns thoughts.

FULL: Anthony and Raj ignore that Warriors game to talk Lakers preseason goals Oct 7, 2026 4213 The Lakers didn't play basically anyone in their second preseason game. It went about as you'd expect against a Warriors team that did play people. So, rather than spend time thinking about that game, the guys talk about what they've learned about the Lakers' intentions for this season by way of training camp and their first preseason game.

PART 1: Congrats to Raj! Oct 7, 2026 1423 Anthony and Raj eventually are going to get to the game, but first, Anthony tells Raj how proud he is for taking ownership of his content, as un-condescendingly as he could. Then, well, yeah, that game happened.

PART 2: Adou Thiero and Cam Carr HAVE to be developed Oct 7, 2026 1466 The Lakers have a fun collection of prospects and, if the organization is going to come close to its ceiling, they're going to have to get the most out of their youth.

PART 3: Are we going to get a Lakers dress rehearsal? Oct 7, 2026 1411 The Lakers have played one preseason game without Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler, but with Luka Doncic. They played the second without... well, almost everyone. Anthony and Raj take a look at the preseason schedule and try to find if and when we'll see something closer to a full rotation -- and why it matters that we do.

FULL: Lakers kick off preseason with a butt-kicking Oct 6, 2026 2542 After months and months of theorizing about this Lakers roster, we finally got to see it in actuality. Anthony loved what he saw and explains why. He uses this game (disclaimers about the Kangz notwithstanding) to forecast the style of basketball JJ Redick envisions for the Lakers, how he plans to use the wings and the role youth is going to play. He wraps with a quick Q&A.

PART 1: What a perfect start to the preseason Oct 6, 2026 1294 The Lakers beat the crap out of the Kings. Yeah, the Kings are going to suck, but the Lakers approached this game a lot more seriously than in years past. There's value in noting that.

PART 2: Ah, the joy of productive youth Oct 6, 2026 1291 Adou Thiero. Cam Carr. Bronny James. Anthony went into last night with high hopes from that group and was pleased to see those expectations met. He discusses that, wing by committee and wraps with some questions from the live audience.

PRESEASON PREVIEW: Offense, defense expectations; Wing battle; Youth development Oct 5, 2026 1715 Lakers basketball is finally here (kind of). Anthony previews the preseason slate with expectations on either side of the ball, the spots in the rotation guys will be competing for, players at the end of the bench he's actually excited to watch and more.

FULL: Mailbag!... Kind of Oct 2, 2026 3087 Anthony opens with a couple segments he thought up on the fly because of some late arriving questions, but we finally arrived at a fun episode nonetheless.

PART 1: Yes, Luka is exceeding pre-draft expectations Oct 2, 2026 1465 A friend of the show just won't stop pissing off the internet so Anthony finally chimes in on the subject.

PART 2: FINALLY some questions Oct 2, 2026 1664 The audience was apparently running a little late but brought the heat nonetheless.

FULL: Second straight episode of letting Raj nerd out about these Lakers Oct 2, 2026 3627 Anthony once again steers the conversation towards Raj's nerdiness. The effort nearly ended him, so please listen.

PART 1: JJ's confidence in the Lakers shines through his transparency on his goals with the team Oct 2, 2026 1209 Normally, the identity on either side of the ball would be seen as a secret of the utmost protection. This training camp, JJ Redick has been very open about the kind of basketball he wants the Lakers to play. Anthony thinks this is a sign of confidence, and explains such to Raj.

PART 2: Is JJ Redick leveraging Luka and Austin's competitiveness? (complimentary) Oct 2, 2026 1240 JJ Redick says he's been splitting up Luka and Austin whenever he can in practices. Anthony gives an explanation for doing so only he would identify.

PART 3: The Lakers' confidence in their defense has Anthony wondering some stuff Oct 2, 2026 1266 Anthony has spent this entire offseason crapping on the Lakers as a defensive unit. All the Lakers keep saying is how good they'll be on that side of the ball, making Anthony wonder if he's read this situation wrong all along. So he asks Raj about that possibility.

FULL: What are the options for making the Lakers' roster legal before opening night? Oct 1, 2026 1634 Anthony rolls through what Rob Pelinka can do to bring the Lakers to 15 guaranteed contracts before the season, what he thinks is likeliest and some of the options he'd most prefer.

FULL: Thybulle, Williams impressing; Luka, Austin staggering; Lakers defending; D'lo Shanghai-ing Oct 1, 2026 2927 A LOT going on in this episode. A lot. Just.... buckle up.

PART 1: Early camp standouts; Lakers keep hyping up their defense; JJ on staggering Luka, Austin Oct 1, 2026 1498 Anthony rolls through some stories coming out of camp, where Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams have apparently been standing out. From there, he discusses the Lakers continuing to speak highly of the defense they're going to play. He wraps by discussing JJ Redick apparently not joking at his presser when he said he'd been splitting up Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to help plan for staggering th

PART 2: D'Angelo Russell to China; (another) Buddy Hield trade rumor; Q&A Oct 1, 2026 1472 Anthony looks back on D'Angelo Russell's career as it appears to be winding down. Given how quickly he was able to get through today's headlines, he spends a little time talking about Buddy Hield, which leads to a really fun question from the live chat.

FULL: Media day bingo results; Redick's interesting injury report, meritocracy talk; Q&A Sep 30, 2026 4241 Anthony and Harrison look back on their predictions for media day and compare what they actually heard with their bingo cards. JJ Redick offered his first vague injury report of the year, so the guys have a little fun with that. They discuss Redick's meritocracy comments and explain why they think they're valid.

PART 1: Macro media day thoughts; Some fun with JJ's weird injury report Sep 30, 2026 1416 JJ Redick said two players were somewhat limited in the first day of training camp. Anthony makes a couple jokes about it and the guys do some digging to find out if the jokes were true.

PART 2: Media day bingo results (cont'd); Kevon Looney's potential value Sep 30, 2026 1436 Anthony continues rolling through his and Harrison's predictions for media day, this time regarding Kevon's Looney's role with the team and the reports they expect to hear about him from training camp. Anthony also offers up what he's heard about Allie Clifton's role with Spectrum this year.

PART 3: Do you believe JJ Redick when he talks about meritocratic minutes dispersal? Sep 30, 2026 1477 Here's the thing: There honestly isn't a such thing as a pure meritocracy at this point. So with that in mind, do you believe JJ Redick when he says minutes will go to those who earn them? Anthony makes the case for this specific team.

FULL: Lakers, NBA Media Days DELIVER Sep 29, 2026 3379 Anthony enjoyed what he heard from the Lakers at their media day. He laughed really hard at some of the other teams out there as well.

PART 1: Lakers Media Day continues Redick, Pelinka presser vibes Sep 29, 2026 1540 Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick sent a pretty clear message at their presser last week that the Lakers followed up with at media day Monday afternoon. Anthony breaks it all down and explains why it matters.

PART 2: Funniest moments from Lakers, NBA Media Days Sep 29, 2026 1880 Anthony explains what he'll be watching for in this first week of training camp, then runs through his favorite moments from the Lakers, Clippers and Sixers training camps. He wraps with a question from the live audience.

HOOK: Rob, JJ bring the vibes; preseason expectations; Austin/Luka as leaders; RIP LT; Q&A Sep 25, 2026 4164 Absolutely loaded episode from Anthony and Pete today, as the guys are staring directly at media day, training camp and preseason games. They take a quick look back at JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka's presser, discuss Luka and Austin as team leaders and discuss what they're hoping to see as camp gets started.

PART 1: Pete also noticed the significant vibes shift Sep 25, 2026 1383 Anthony tells a joke that Pete absolutely ejects from. Point is: Both guys noticed how much lighter the vibes were from Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick. They give their thoughts on why.

PART 2: How will Luka, Austin handle being leaders? Walker Kessler must step up Sep 25, 2026 1449 Anthony and Pete noted Lakers leadership pointing out how vocal Austin Reaves has been but also discussed how, defensively, the player who absolutely needs to fill the void will be Walker Kessler.

PART 3: Pete, Anthony completely disagree about Pelinka tempering expectations Sep 25, 2026 1416 Anthony walked away from Rob Pelinka's presser thinking he was tempering expectations. Pete thought he was welcoming them. The guys discuss either end of the spectrum, reality residing somewhere in the middle and their own definitions of success for this Lakers team. They also spend some time honoring Lawrence Tanter together.

FULL: Rob and JJ's presser focused on chemistry, vibes and moving on Sep 25, 2026 3239 The Lakers season unofficially kicked off with Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick holding their annual joint-presser. Anthony noticed some very different vibes and offered one potential explanation after LeBron James' departure. Redick was very open about his hopes for this group and the identity he's expecting. Anthony also spends a segment memorializing Lawrence Tanter following his passing and wraps wit

PART 1: The vibes are noticeably (and notably) better Sep 25, 2026 1523 Anthony starts his press conference breakdown by discussing how different the vibes were for this one than in years past. He also tackles a couple of what he thought were the most noteworthy moments from Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick's time on stage.

PART 2: PR stuff doesn't matter, 'til it does; RIP Lawrence Tanter; Rob lowers the bar Sep 25, 2026 1758 Anthony wraps up his conversation on why vibes matter, then spends some time memorializing Lawrence Tanter, a true Lakers legend. From there, he answers questions from the live audience, one of which discussing Rob Pelinka very clearly backing off his "title or bust" mantra.

FULL: Lakers broadcast tweaks; JJ/Rob presser preview; Lonzo pseudo retirement; Q&A Sep 24, 2026 3225 You know we're nearing the season when out of nowhere an episode has this much stuff to talk about. Anthony starts by discussing the Lakers broadcast and how different it will sound next year. He then previews JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka's joint presser and some of the questions he's hoping they'll have to answer. Lonzo Ball made some news that Anthony broke down, too, then he wraps the episode with

PART 1: Lakers broadcast changes, explained Sep 24, 2026 1557 Anthony runs through the various ways Lakers games are going to look and sound different, now that his reporting has been officially confirmed. He gives his thoughts on the changes, some of which he understands, others, less so.

PART 2: JJ/Rob presser preview; Lonzo Ball career look-back; Q&A Sep 24, 2026 1710 Anthony offers up what he'll be watching for when JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka take the stage Thursday afternoon. He then discusses the funny series of events that had Lonzo Ball clarifying whether or not he's retired. He wraps with a quick Q&A.

FULL: Kessler v Duren; Media Day Bingo; SB Nation Q&A Sep 23, 2026 3726 Anthony and Harrison realize we're less than a week from Lakers media day. So, after running through a quick hypothetical on how else the Lakers could've handled the center position, they play one of their favorite annual games. From there, Harrison has a series of questions for Anthony he fielded from the SB Nation app.

PART 1: Kessler v Duren hypothetical; Media Day Bingo Sep 23, 2026 1853 Anthony asks Harrison a hypothetical question given how things have gone between the Pistons and Jalen Duren. Would the Lakers have been better off trying to play this situation to their own benefit? From there, the guys partake in one of their favorite annual traditions: Media Day Bingo.

PART 2: Media Day Bingo cont'd; Is JJ Redick already a top-10 Lakers coach? Sep 23, 2026 1917 Anthony and Harrison round out their predictions for stories coming from media day and then dive into a set of questions Harrison has for Anthony from the SB Nation app, including one about where JJ Redick already ranks among Lakers coaches all time.

FULL: Let's talk Lakers depth, MAILBAG Sep 22, 2026 3348 Anthony responds to a particularly annoyed audience taking issue with his critique of the depth on the Lakers roster compared to last season. From there, he dives into the mailbag to answer a very wide assortment of questions.

PART 1: Anthony doubles down Sep 22, 2026 1652 After hearing all the complaints and criticism of his take that the Lakers aren't as deep now as they were last year, Anthony... says screw it and stands on business.

PART 2: MAILBAG - Stop... laughing? Sep 22, 2026 1738 Anthony dives into the mailbag, where a listener has a very weird (and frankly impossible) request.

FULL: Anthony finally lets Raj nerd out about this team Sep 18, 2026 3773 Poor Raj has had to talk about all kinds of things over the course of this summer that don't feature x's and o's, so Anthony, out of the goodness of his heart, gets out of the way and lets Raj run through all his nerdiest talking points about this Lakers team.

PART 1: Raj and Anthony debate the Lakers' fifth starter Sep 18, 2026 1816 Anthony tells a story about music for him growing up. Then, he and Raj disagree about who they think should be the Lakers' fifth starter when training camp opens in a couple weeks.

PART 2: What's the nerdiest thing Raj is excited about? Sep 18, 2026 2001 Anthony has put Raj through the ringer this summer with all the sale drama, so as a reward, Raj got to just straight up nerd out. Anthony followed suit, then the guys wrapped with a couple questions from the live audience.

FULL: Aaron is back! West contender tiers, Lakers offseason tweaks; Steph-LeBron Warriors-Lakers Sep 17, 2026 4046 You've asked. Anthony bugged Aaron a bunch about it. So it finally happened. Aaron Larsuel made his triumphant return into The Lounge and this episode was an immediate return to how they used to go. The guys put the west into contender tiers and figure out where the Lakers fit into that equation. Also covered: The Warriors wasting Steph, what the guys would've done different this summer and more.

PART 1: West contender tiers; Lakers squarely second-tier Sep 17, 2026 1357 Anthony outlines his tier system for the western conference and places the Lakers in the second grouping. Aaron gives his thoughts on Anthony's tiers as the two guys catch up for the first time on the pod in way too long.

PART 2: Could Bronny actually crack the rotation? Sep 17, 2026 1395 The guys discuss the point of attack defense and how the team's need for it might give Bronny an opportunity.

PART 3: Chris Mullin once gave Aaron the business Sep 17, 2026 1383 The guys wrap up the episode with a fun story of the time when Chris Mullin obliterated a young Aaron at basketball camp. Yeah sure they talked a little more about the offseason and all that too but the story is the important part.

FULL: STILL not sure who's in charge; Clippers RICO case; Preferred governors; Q&A Sep 16, 2026 3370 Anthony and Harrison share their annoyance at no one asking Adam Silver what the deal is going to be with the Lakers governorship. Anthony shares how Netflix helped explain why the feds are looking into the Clippers. The guys debate who they'd prefer to see run the Lakers, then end the episode with a couple questions from the live audience.

PART 1: Really, NO clarity? At all? Sep 16, 2026 1723 Anthony was hoping to learn more about the ownership/governorship situation this week. The board of governors meetings (and Adam Silver's speaking opportunity) came and went and... welp. But hey look on the bright side. At least we still have the Clippers to laugh at.

PART 2: Who would you prefer between Jeanie Buss and Iger/Kushner? Sep 16, 2026 1692 Anthony and Harrison take EVERYTHING into account to try to answer their preferred outcome in this whole ownership situation and eventually land on the side of wanting a fresh start. They answer a couple questions from the live chat to wrap things up.

FULL: Board of governors meetings preview; Kawhi trade goes through; Mailbag/Q&A Sep 14, 2026 3696 Usually, no one should care about the NBA's board of governors meeting. This time around, as Anthony explains, Lakers fans should probably pay attention. He discusses that and dives into the mailbag, where Luka Doncic fans feel a certain way about his time with the Lakers so far.

PART 1: Why Lakers fans should care about the board of governors meetings Sep 14, 2026 1811 The NBA's board of governors is meeting this week and actually quite a lot is riding on them for the Lakers. Anthony explains, then dives into this week's mailbag chat.

PART 2: Kawhi trade goes through; Consolidation trade for Lakers?; Taj Gibson retires (story) Sep 14, 2026 1926 Anthony explains why the Kawhi trade finally going through is good for the Lakers, gives his thoughts on the journalistic fallout from that fiasco and then puts together a consolidation trade he'd pull the trigger on to round out the roster with a buy-low candidate. Also in this episode is a quick story about Taj Gibson's camp that really impressed Anthony given the news of his retirement.

HOOK: Lakers FO additions announced; Clippers scandal shows holes in NBA media landscape; Q&A Sep 11, 2026 3461 The guys discuss the latest hires by the Lakers in the front office and what they could mean moving forward. Anthony chooses to be optimistic because he's tired. Then, they have a conversation about NBA media after seeing what this Clippers scandal has shown us about it. They wrap with a couple questions from the live audience.

PART 1: Lakers' FO additions, explained (to the extent we can) Sep 11, 2026 1677 Right before the guys went live, the Lakers officially announced a couple new additions to the front office. Anthony, even in the face of potential cynicism (and partially because of sleep deprivation) decides to go into this with an open mind.

PART 2: Q&A - Other potential directions the Lakers could've gone in this summer Sep 11, 2026 1829 After wrapping up their conversation about the Clippers scandal and the media's role in it, the guys dive into a couple fun questions from the live audience about other signings they felt may have made more sense than the ones made this summer.

FULL: MAILBAG - Lakers game presentation changes; ESPN FINALLY speaks on Clippers reporting; Q&A Sep 10, 2026 2819 Anthony starts with a conversation about the changes coming to what Lakers games are going to look and sound like whether you're in the arena or watching from home. Then, he explains why ESPN's response to questions about its reporting fell hilariously short. He wraps with questions from the live audience.

PART 1: Lakers games are going to look and sound very different this year and moving forward Sep 10, 2026 1376 A listener asked in the iTunes mailbag whether Anthony had heard anything about Lawrence Tanter's replacement, which led to Lakers game presentation in general and the coming changes there. From there, Anthony launches into ESPN's pseudo statement following a week of radio silence about their disproven Clippers scandal reporting.

PART 2: ESPN's defense doesn't hold up; Mailbag/Q&A Sep 10, 2026 1487 Don Van Natta Jr. tried to issue a statement on behalf of his, Baxter Holmes' and Ramona Shelburne's (and Sham Charania's) infamous reporting that didn't age well almost immediately. Anthony explains why the defenses gives fall hilariously short, then dives into questions from the live audience.

FULL: Anthony tempts fate and goes a full episode remaining optimistic about the Lakers Sep 9, 2026 4189 Anthony has heard your notes about how he feels about the Lakers and challenged himself to an optimism battle. He and Harrison discuss the most important factors facing the Lakers and explain what it would look like if those things swung in the team's favor. Buckle up, kids. We're being happy today.

PART 1: Luka Doncic can win MVP; Here's how Sep 9, 2026 1409 Anthony and Harrison introduce the concept of this episode, which takes a little while because of how out of the norm it is for Anthony to practice optimism. They kick things off with what the Lakers need from Luka Doncic.

PART 2: What does Austin need to do to live up to his deal? Sep 9, 2026 1453 Anthony's ask of Austin Reaves this year is relatively straightforward, and something he should be able to carry out. Harrison makes fun of Anthony for racially profiling Austin for like five full minutes.

Episodes

Recommended