LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball and his company Big Baller Brand are suing co-founder Alan Foster, alleging he conspired to steal millions of dollars from the shoe and clothing line.Foster concocted "a fraudulent scheme" to enrich himself with company money and also buy property in Ethiopia, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It seeks more than $2 million in damages.A number for Foster and information about his attorneys could not be found Wednesday.Foster mishandled tax filings and failed to distribute profits to Ball, the complaint alleges. Ball, who owns 51% of Big Baller Brand, has removed Foster as a manager of the company.The lawsuit accuses Foster of making unexplained cash withdrawals totaling at least $1.5 million between 2016 and 2018. The suit says when confronted, Foster was unable to account for the missing funds and threatened "to publicly disseminate false and misleading information" about the Ball family.Ball... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball and his company Big Baller Brand are suing co-founder Alan Foster, alleging he conspired to steal millions of dollars from the shoe and clothing line.The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court claims Foster concocted "a fraudulent scheme" to enrich himself with company money and also buy property in Ethiopia. It seeks more than $2 million in damages.A number for Foster and information about his attorneys could not be found Wednesday.The complaint alleges Foster mishandled tax filings and failed to distribute Big Baller profits to Ball.The lawsuit accuses Foster of making unexplained cash withdrawals totaling at least $1.5 million between 2016 and 2018. The suit says when confronted, Foster was unable to account for the missing funds.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James' first season with the Los Angeles Lakers is over.James will sit out the final six games of the Lakers' sixth consecutive losing season, the team announced Saturday. In a statement, President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka claimed the decision will provide James with a head start on offseason healing for a three-month-old groin strain, the first significant injury of his career."After consulting with our team doctors and medical staff, we have decided to hold LeBron out of games for the remainder of the season," the statement said. "This decision will allow his groin to fully heal, and is best for the future success of both LeBron and the Lakers."James is the NBA's fifth-leading scorer at 27.4 points per game, and he averaged 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists in his first season on the West Coast. He will accompany the Lakers on their upcoming trip to New Orleans and Oklahoma City, but the 16-year NBA veteran won't play... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers guard Josh Hart will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury.The Lakers announced the decision Thursday.The second-year pro has missed four straight games and five of the last seven with right knee tendinitis. He had an ultrasonic debridement procedure on his right knee patellar tendon on Thursday morning.Hart is expected to return to basketball activities in about 12 weeks, the Lakers said.Hart is averaging 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a key part of Los Angeles' young core, which has been besieged by injuries. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are already out for the season.The Lakers (33-42) will miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

In this era of players wanting to join up with other players, or even just being friendlier with some opponents than guys on their own teams, it's nice to know there is still some good, old-fashioned hatred in the NBA.Yes, Joel Embiid hates the Celtics.He hates Boston so much that he got fined $25,000 last time the 76ers played them because he was so sick of losing to the Atlantic Division foes that he lost his cool afterward.On Wednesday, he gets his last chance during this regular season to beat Boston.The 76ers host the Celtics, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season, spoiled their opening game in this one, and then ruined their Christmas with another nationally televised victory.A long-time rivalry that delivered a famous fight between Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Julius Erving has become so one-sided that Embiid declared earlier this season that it wasn't even a rivalry anymore, because the Celtics always win.Boston has won 17 of the last 19 regular-season meetings, the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm, the team announced Saturday.Ingram has missed the Lakers' past two games after he reported shoulder pain following a morning shootaround last Monday. Lakers coach Luke Walton said earlier this week that Ingram had pain whenever he attempted to lift his arm.A deep venous thrombosis is a condition caused by a blood clot, frequently accompanied by swelling and pain in a limb. The condition usually occurs in legs, but can occur in the upper body.Walton did nothing to quell Lakers fans' concerns about the seriousness of the 21-year-old Ingram's health problem when he pointedly refused to provide any details while speaking to reporters before Los Angeles' home game against Boston."We've released what he's got going on, but I'm not going to get into all the details," Walton said. "I'm just finding out a lot of it myself. All I'm going... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm.The Lakers announced their decision on the former No. 2 overall draft pick Saturday.Ingram has missed the Lakers' past two games after he reported shoulder pain following a morning shootaround last Monday. Lakers coach Luke Walton said earlier this week that Ingram had pain whenever he attempted to lift his arm.A deep venous thrombosis is a condition caused by a blood clot, frequently accompanied by swelling and pain in a limb. The condition usually occurs in legs, but can occur in the upper body.Walton did nothing to quell Lakers fans' concerns about the seriousness of the 21-year-old Ingram's health problem when he pointedly refused to provide any details while speaking to reporters before Los Angeles' home game against Boston."We've released what he's got going on, but I'm not going to get into all the details," Walton said.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm.The Lakers announced their decision on the former No. 2 overall draft pick Saturday.Ingram has missed the Lakers' past two games after he reported shoulder pain following a morning shootaround last Monday. Lakers coach Luke Walton said earlier this week that Ingram had pain whenever he attempted to lift his arm.A deep venous thrombosis is a condition caused by a blood clot, frequently accompanied by swelling and pain in a limb. The condition usually occurs in legs, but can occur in the upper body.Blood clots have affected several prominent athletes including Chris Bosh and Serena Williams in recent years. Bosh eventually retired due to blood clotting issues, but many other athletes have continued to play.Inram is averaging a career-best 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game along with 3.0 assists.The lanky swingman's chemistry... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm.The Lakers announced their decision on the former No. 2 overall draft pick Saturday.Ingram has missed the Lakers' past two games after he developed shoulder pain following a morning shootaround last Monday. The swingman is averaging a career-best 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, along with 3.0 assists.Lakers coach Luke Walton said earlier this week that Ingram had pain whenever he attempted to lift his arm.Los Angeles also might be without Lonzo Ball for the rest of the season with a sprained ankle.The Lakers (30-35) are in 10th place in the Western Conference.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball needs at least one more week to recover from his bone bruise and sprained ankle.The Lakers' medical staff evaluated the point guard Thursday.Ball has missed 14 consecutive games since Jan. 19, when he sprained his left ankle in a collision with Houston's James Harden. The Lakers projected Ball would miss four to six weeks, and he will pass six weeks this weekend.The Lakers plan to re-evaluate Ball in one week, the team says. They are 5-9 in his absence.Ball is averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds while playing strong defense in his second NBA season.Rajon Rondo returned to the Lakers' starting lineup Wednesday in their 125-119 victory over New Orleans.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — D'Angelo Russell stood high above Times Square, a spot where stars are showcased in New York.He was front and center on a billboard celebrating the Nets' midseason success, pictured with three teammates who joined him in Charlotte for the NBA's All-Star festivities."Brooklyn is having an All-Star weekend," it read.Russell hopes it will turn into a playoff season.Brooklyn heads into the stretch run in good position for the first postseason berth of his career, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference when play resumes Thursday."I think we're in a great position right now," Russell said.And after some tough times, so is Russell.The point guard Magic Johnson didn't want has become the floor leader the Nets need, raising his level of play after injuries to Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Allen Crabbe left them severely short-handed in the backcourt.Russell had 36 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the final game before the break, a 148-139 triple-overtime... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — General manager Rob Pelinka hopes the Los Angeles Lakers will come out of a tumultuous trade deadline period with more mental toughness for the stretch run.After 10 days of team-wide uncertainty during their widely reported pursuit of disgruntled New Orleans superstar Anthony Davis, Pelinka said he believes the Lakers will bounce back strongly.Pelinka already saw signs of it Thursday night, when Los Angeles beat Boston on Rajon Rondo's dramatic winning basket just a few hours after the deadline passed and Davis remained with the Pelicans."What I've come to learn is that any time in life you face a challenge or a moment of adversity, you have to look at that as an opportunity," Pelinka said Friday. "When you go through anything as a team, if you go through adversity, you can choose how to respond. Does it draw you closer together, or does it push you further apart?"Pelinka and his boss, Magic Johnson, also remain confident in the Lakers' ability to end the franchise's... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James is back in the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers after the longest injury-related absence of his 16-year career.The leading All-Star vote-getter was set to play against the Clippers on Thursday night after missing 17 games. He was originally listed as out but was upgraded to doubtful earlier in the day.Lakers coach Luke Walton said James won't be on a minutes restriction, but he'll be closely watched. The four-time league MVP has participated in two full-contact practices leading up to his return.James' last game was on Christmas at Golden State, where he strained his left groin.The Lakers went 6-11 during James' absence and fell out of a potential playoff spot.He is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists.Kyle Kuzma (left hip strain) and Josh Hart (left knee tendinitis) also returned Thursday.The Lakers got Rajon Rondo back last week. He was also hurt in the Christmas win over the Warriors.They remain without Lonzo Ball, who has an ankle sprain that will keep him out until at least late February.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, Utah's Donovan Mitchell and Dallas' Luka Doncic were among the 20 players announced Tuesday as participants in this year's Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend.Simmons is the reigning rookie of the year, and Doncic is the favorite to win that award this season.For the fifth straight year, the game that features rookies and second-year players will use a U.S. vs. World format.The U.S. team includes Mitchell, Jarrett Allen of Brooklyn, Marvin Bagley III and De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jayson Tatum of Boston, Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis, and John Collins and Trae Young of Atlanta.The world team has Doncic, Simmons, Cedi Osman of Cleveland, Josh Okogie of Minnesota, Lauri Markkanen of Chicago, Rodions Kurucs of Brooklyn, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Los Angeles Clippers, Deandre Ayton of Phoenix, OG Anunoby of Toronto and Bogdan Bogdanovic of Sacramento.Bogdanovic was the game's MVP last year when the World team beat the U.S. 155-124. The World team is 3-1 in the current format of what was once called the rookie-sophomore game.The game is Feb. 15. Boston's Kyrie Irving and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki will be honorary members of the coaching staffs.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Already without injured star LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers will be missing guard Lonzo Ball for the next four to six weeks after an MRI on Sunday showed a sprained left ankle.Ball was injured in the third quarter of the Lakers' 138-134 overtime loss at Houston on Saturday night. He remained on the court for a couple of minutes talking with trainers before he was helped to his feet where he hopped on his right foot for a few steps before being carried off the court and to the locker room by teammates Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley.An MRI revealed a Grade 3 sprain, the team tweeted Sunday.James has missed the Lakers' last 13 games with a strained left groin.Los Angeles hosts Golden State on Monday night.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo will be sidelined at least a month after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament on his right ring finger.Rondo sprained his finger during Los Angeles' surprising Christmas Day victory at Golden State. He missed the Lakers' last-second loss at Sacramento on Thursday night along with LeBron James, who strained his groin against the Warriors.Rondo had surgery Friday, and he is expected to fully recover in four to five weeks, according to the team. Rondo initially hoped to play through the pain in his troublesome shooting hand, but decided it would be impossible without surgery."He tried to pick up a basketball and palm it, and it was killing him," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "His decision was based on, 'All right, I can fight through this and see how much I can do, or I just get it done ASAP and come back 100 percent and try to make a late-season push.' That was what all parties decided was the best option."The Lakers also played without... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo will be sidelined at least a month after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament on his right ring finger.Rondo sprained his finger during Los Angeles' Christmas Day victory at Golden State. He missed the Lakers' last-second loss at Sacramento on Thursday night along with LeBron James, who strained his groin against the Warriors.Rondo had surgery Friday, and he is expected to fully recover in four to five weeks, according to the team.The Lakers face the Clippers on Friday night in the first game of the season against their Staples Center co-tenants. The Lakers (20-15) have vaulted back into playoff contention with the Western Conference's fifth-best record, a half-game behind the Clippers (20-14).Rondo is averaging 8.4 points, 6.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds while providing solid leadership in his first season with the Lakers, who signed him as a free agent in July.But the veteran has appeared in only 14 games because of a three-game suspension... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — This was hardly the ideal way for LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers to cap what amounted to an eventful week of highs and lows.And arriving one night after what seemed to be a breakthrough performance, this dud demonstrated just how much more room for improvement four-time NBA MVP James and his new teammates have.James shot just 5 for 16, managing merely a season-worst 13 points. He and the rest of the Lakers put up barely any resistance at the defensive end and trailed by as many as 27 points while stumbling their way to a 128-110 loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday night."We're a good team," James insisted afterward. "Tonight was just one of those instances where we didn't play well."That's certainly true, at both ends of the court and in various ways.The 22 turnovers. The 51-43 rebounding deficit. The 0-for-8 start on 3-point attempts. The way they allowed Wizards point guard John Wall to dominate en route to a 40-point, 14-assist performance."Not a lot of... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James stopped worrying about his place in history long ago. His legacy has been secure for years. The argument about where he ranks, whether or not he's the best player to ever step on a basketball court, will continue forever and there will never be a definitive answer.That is, unless he keeps doing things like this.In his 16th season, James can still make the game look absurdly easy. The latest entry on the long list of his unforgettable nights came Sunday, when James scored 51 points and led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 113-97 win over the Miami Heat. He's only the second player to score at least 50 in a game this deep into an NBA career; the other is Kobe Bryant, in his final game, and that was aided by 50 shot attempts."I've always been a guy to let the game talk for itself, speak for itself," James said. "My body of work speaks for itself, still to this day, 16 years in."He paused for a second, breaking into a big smile."If there's ever a discussion," James said,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rajon Rondo had surgery Thursday on his broken right hand, and the Los Angeles Lakers plan to use a variety of strategies to replace the veteran point guard while he heals.Los Angeles will be without Rondo for four to five weeks after he was injured in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' fourth straight win, 126-117 over Portland on Wednesday night. Rondo apparently hurt his hand while making a steal, but he kept playing for several more minutes before coming out of the game.Coach Luke Walton praised Rondo's leadership and two-way contributions after the Lakers' final practice before heading out on a three-game road trip. Although he has played only 11 games for LA, Rondo is already a key component of the revamped club."Obviously we can't replace what Rondo does for our team and how important he is to our team, but we're not going to make excuses," Walton said. "That's not who we are as a group. We're going to step up, and guys are going to pick up the slack and add to... [More]