Lakers forward Jared Dudley said the team was motivated by Clippers star Paul George‘s comments last season, with Dudley clarifying further in his book released earlier this week, “Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine”.
“We hear some of those guys talking about how they’re the team to beat in L.A.,” Dudley and co-author Carvell Wallace wrote, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It’s fine if Kawhi [Leonard] says stuff like that. He’s defending a championship. We don’t trip if someone like Patrick Beverley is talking trash; that’s how he feeds his family. We get it. We respect the hustle.
“But we think it’s disrespectful for Paul George, who hasn’t won, to put himself on the level of [LeBron James] and [Anthony Davis]. This motivates us.”
Dudley also mentioned how the league could benefit from having a Lakers-Clippers rivalry, with both teams seemingly eager to meet in a playoff series — potentially the Western Conference Finals.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns are set to welcome back fans for the first time this season, the team announced on its website. Phoenix will host 1,500 fans on February 8, with suites being available to purchase at 25% capacity for each game after February 7.
- Marc Stein of the New York times examines the pairing of Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, exploring whether the duo has gotten even better together since signing long-term extensions in the offseason. Los Angeles has opened the 2020/21 season with a 16-6 record, good for third-best in the Western Conference.
- Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic looks at the making of Warriors swingman Juan Toscano-Anderson. Toscano-Anderson is in his second season with Golden State, with the 27-year-old adding 16 points off the bench in Tuesday’s loss against Boston. “He has an appreciation for the grind that it’s taken for him to get to this level,” teammate Stephen Curry said. “He has a spirit of representing Oakland. Playing for the hometown team for him has got to be such a dope experience. But when it comes to getting on the floor, he plays hard. He’s a smart basketball player. He’s reliable in that sense. He’s worked for everything he’s gotten, for every opportunity. … He hasn’t taken his foot off the gas pedal.”
COVID incubation suites, FFS
Where I live we drink beer in little weatherproof “igloos” because all the bars are closed. It’s enough to make one want to jump out a window.
Dudley…Seriously? Dude writes a 42-page “book” talking smack about other people talking smack.
He had to do something while he was sitting on the bench all last season…surprised he couldn’t get more pages out though
42 pages is an essay
“Acting without acting” is what I thought of
I wonder how much the “co” author got paid?
Wait are you serious? It’s only 42 pages? That isn’t a book that’s like a reading assignment in college.
Trade value
Wiseman + Wolves pick in one trade package
15 years long term valuable assets are available
Comparable to Knicks entire team
Trade value of current Knicks 15 players
Current roster
Why do you make these comments? They make no sense at all
Something tells me he bought Gamestop at $300/share.
Can’t stand dudley. All he does is talk smack while his lard ass rides the pine all season. No one cares what you think you about as useful as rob pelinka
Why would Jeanie Buss give the go ahead to Pelinka to sign and then resign this retirement bod when he’s the same salty fool who claimed that no one wanted to play with Kobe?
AD Regressed this year not better
So Dudley gets all this from the bench. I guess Covid stopped the cheerleaders. So someone has to make up slack. And he wrote a book about it. OK
True LA vs LA is good for sport and city. I like Clippers this yr. I hope Dudley is still on team come playoff time. At least he’s doing his part this yr with 3.7 mins a gm.
Stars get better with time. The true test comes in playoffs. AD and Bron are a good mix. But it’s their bench that has to come thru to win another Chip.
In between him sitting out games for a butt bruise, his ppg are down, biggest decline is ft %.. career 80% and now at 70%.. complacency can be a bad thing when you get paid.. lebron numbers are still strong with less minutes..
Does Jared Dudley know he’s a bench warmer. He sure talks a lot for a guy that played only two minutes in the Finals.
Lakers/ Lebron has enough help, i think they’re still the team to beat!
I’m very sure, that Elmer Fudd felt that he played a crucial role in the LAKERS winning last season’s championship.
Mr. Fudd just had to write a book on the struggle and his awesomeness leading the way.
Toscana has all the makings of a fan favorite. I gotta admit I root for him too.
Kelly with 40 tonight OMG ….. trade him now.