In the two seasons since he broke his right tibia he has become a solid playmaker for the team. His versatility is displayed every night as he can shoot, pass, and dribble with ease.

Under first year head coach Luke Walton he averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.

Randle’s best season as a pro was recently followed by the by biggest and most important day of his life as he married longtime girlfriend Kendra Shaw. According to an article by NBA.com a few of Randle’s current and past teammates joined him on his big day.

Among the players that showed were Larry Nance Jr., Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson, Tarik Black, and Metta World Peace.

There was a former teammate who made sure to document the wedding on social media and that was none other than Nick Young. On his Instagram account he gave his audience some playful commentary as Randle was walking down the aisle awaiting to formally tie the knot. Clarkson, Black, and World Peace also posted the congratulations on their Instagram accounts.

With the start of training camp right around the corner Randle’s wedding comes at a great time as he still gets the opportunity to go on a honeymoon vacation.

The upcoming season is an important one for Randle because he set to be a free agent at season’s end. He must show more consistency with his play and show the Lakers brass that he is their man at the power forward position.

These days players always seem to be worried about their 2K rating with many being unsatisfied as they believe it to be too low. Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball has already begun captivating fans with his MVP performance at the Las Vegas Summer League, but how much that could affect his rating was anyone’s guess.

We now know the answer as 2K Sports sent out a tweet revealing the overall rating of Ball, as well as top overall pick Markelle Fultz:

Introducing your 1st look at @Lakers’ @ZO2_ in #NBA2K18! The future is bright with this year’s draft class. #2KFirstLook pic.twitter.com/gegyiqIHJG

— NBA 2K 2K18 (@NBA2K) August 2, 2017

The 80 overall rating for both players is relatively high for rookies but that goes to show how much hype this year’s rookies are generating. It is unlikely other rookies will top Fultz and Ball but Jaysun Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, and Josh Jackson should not be too far behind. The good thing is that the game will constantly update throughout the season so ratings will vary as the season moves along.

Typically, rookies are not given high ratings as they yet to play against NBA competition. Last year’s top two picks Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram were given 79 and 78 overall ratings. However, this year’s draft class is among the best in recent memory. Many top picks could potentially be All-Star caliber players during their careers.

With Durant at a 96 and Curry at a 94 overall rating there are very few other players who could surpass them. There is one player’s rating that has not been released and that is none other than LeBron James. It is likely that James will be rated as the highest player and rightfully so as he continues to prove that he is the best player on the planet.

The previous regime of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss made some questionable decisions that put the team in difficult circumstances. But one thing the duo got right was acquiring guard Jordan Clarkson on draft night after he was drafted in the second round by the Washington Wizards.

Clarkson has become a solid player since coming out of the University of Missouri, as he earned himself First Team All-Rookie honors in his first season.

Since then he has gradually improved his game, and this past season under first-year head coach Luke Walton he thrived as a sixth man averaging 14.7 points, three rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

Although he has become an offensive threat his performance on the defensive end has been a bit underwhelming. Clarkson has been working on his defense during the offseason though, via Mark Medina of the Southern California News Group:

“A lot of it is not just one-on-one defense,” said Clarkson, who cited the team’s need to trust and communicate with each other on rotations. “There’s a lot of team concepts I have to pick up on and really put my mind to this year so I can help the team the best way I can.”

If he can improve his defense Clarkson can develop into one of the better two-way players in the league. The Lakers will benefit greatly by Clarkson becoming a well-rounded player because as a team they have been one the worst in the league on the defensive side of the ball the past few seasons.

The good thing for the Lakers is they have added players who can be two-way threats. The additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma should pay dividends on the defensive end of the floor.

Aside from being the leader and founder of the Big Baller Brand, he is also the coach of the Big Baller Brand AAU basketball team that LaMelo plays on.

The AAU circuit is important for players because numerous college coaches are on hand to scout future prospects. With the growing popularity of the circuit there has also been a massive upheave in coverage in sports media.

Along with his outlandish comments in recent months about himself and his sons, LaVar has now made his presence known in the AAU world. Last week during a game in which Big Baller Brand was ahead, he abruptly pulled his team off the court resulting in a forfeit after receiving a technical foul for disagreeing with a call.

According to Dan Feldman of NBC Sports LaVar had another verbal sparring match Friday at the Adidas Summer Championships in Las Vegas. This time it was directed at the female referee who was helping call the game, as he threatened to pull his team off the court once again if she continued to referee the game:

“She got a vendetta, because she’s a woman who’s trying to act – I get that she’s trying to break into the refereeing thing. But just giving techs and calling fouls, that’s no way to do it. I know what she’s trying to say: “I gave him a tech. I’m strong.” That ain’t got nothing to do with it. Just call the game. If you’re going to be qualified, you better be in shape, and you better know the game. And she’s bad on both of them. She not in shape. She not calling the game right. And she don’t understand. So, now she’s trying to make a name for herself. So, she walking around like, “You know I’m the only woman in here.” Yeah, we get it. I don’t care if you’re a woman or a man or whatever. Just be good at what you do. Don’t try to step in the lane – she need to stay in her lane, because ain’t ready for this. Coach the little kids first and then come up. Because she ain’t did enough. She ain’t got enough on her résumé. I can tell.”

After talking with the other officials and the opposing head coach the game resumed but the female referee was replaced by a male counterpart.

This is not the first altercation LaVar has had with a female, as he refused to speak to Kristine Leahy of Fox Sports 1 when appearing on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd.

Since LeBron James returned home to Cleveland in 2014 the Cavaliers have made it to all three NBA Finals in that time. Along with Kevin Love, James and Irving have formed one of the most potent trios in the league, so when Irving expressed that he would like for the team to trade him, many wondered why.

Irving has been one the most dynamic point guards since he came into the league. This past season was arguably his best as he averaged 25.2 points and 5.8 assists per game.

According to Stephen A. Smith of The Undefeated Irving’s trade request stems from always playing second fiddle to James and not wanting to looked at as a “son” to LeBron:

“Kyrie isn’t saying he’s better than LeBron and should be seen that way,” a close confidant of Irving’s told me. “He’s saying he’s not about to let LeBron ‘SON’ him … treating him like he’s the child and LeBron’s the father or big brother he’s supposed to look up to.

Irving also believes that he is ready to be centerpiece of a team and should be treated accordingly:

“Kyrie knows he’s a franchise-caliber talent. He wants to be treated like it. And he’s tired of hearing about what LeBron needs, and he’s damn sure tired of hearing LeBron sound like he always needs more. As if the crew they have isn’t enough.”

It is still up in the air about what the Cavs are going to do with their former No. 1 overall draft pick. The free-agent signing of point guard Derrick Rose gives the notion that the team is prepared to ship Irving away.

With Irving likely on his way out and the impending free agency of James next summer, the Cavaliers front office is currently in a tough position. In what seemed like a promising future in Cleveland, it could come to an abrupt stop within the next year depending how things play out.