THE "NEVER AGAIN" LAUGH: INSIDE THE HILARIOUS POSTGAME EXCHANGE BETWEEN LUKA AND RUI
Discover why Luka Doncic called Rui Hachimura's pregame performance "terrible" following a much-needed Lakers victory in LA.
The Lakers have been trying to find some energy since the All-Star break, but things haven’t really clicked. They’ve slipped to sixth in the West, and with only a two-game cushion over the Suns, their spot outside the play-in isn’t exactly safe.
Before their game against the Kings, the Lakers decided to shake up their usual pregame ritual. Normally, LeBron James tosses the ball in the air, and the team drops into a squat together. This time, though, it was Rui Hachimura taking LeBron’s place.
Apparently, Luka Doncic wasn’t impressed with Hachimura’s attempt at the routine. He didn’t hold back in his postgame press conference, either. When someone asked about Hachimura stepping in for LeBron, Doncic just laughed and said, 'Never again. Never again. He was terrible.”
Honestly, Hachimura didn’t quite nail it, but for this matchup, it didn’t really matter. The Kings haven’t exactly set the world on fire offensively; they’re near the bottom of the league. The Lakers, who had dropped five of their last eight, just needed to get back in the win column, and they did.
Maybe Hachimura should botch the pregame routine more often if it leads to wins. He moved to the bench a few weeks ago, and the results have been inconsistent. With him out of the starting lineup, the Lakers are missing a strong wing defender, and that’s been obvious at times.
As for Doncic, he’s just looking for ways to keep things light while the Lakers try to get back on track. Beating bad teams is still progress, and right now, the Lakers need every win they can get.
Health has been a huge issue for the Lakers all season. It actually started before opening night; LeBron was dealing with sciatica, missed the first month, and took a while to get back into form. Austin Reaves has had his own injury problems lately, too.
Doncic has missed a few games here and there, but nothing serious yet. Now, finally, the team is healthy as the season enters the home stretch. If they want to avoid the play-in, they have to keep it that way.
They’ve struggled on defence, ranking ninth-worst in the league. Now that everyone’s back, they need to find some chemistry, especially with Doncic, James, and Reaves all sharing the floor. It hasn’t been easy.
With a pretty average remaining schedule, there’s a real chance for the Lakers to climb the standings as long as they stay healthy and start clicking together.
MILLION DOLLAR BET: LOGAN PAUL’S OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE NFL BACKFIRES AS BELL ACCEPTS
Logan Paul is ducking: Read about Le’Veon Bell’s $1M challenge, Tom Brady’s "cute" insult, and the Pittsburgh Draft fight rumours.
A former NFL star just called out Logan Paul, saying he’s dodging their $1 million fight.
So here’s what’s been going on: Logan Paul, who’s held the WWE United States Championship, got into it with NFL legend Tom Brady. Brady kicked things off by saying pro wrestling is “cute” and throwing shade at Paul’s athleticism compared to NFL players.
Logan didn’t let that slide. He fired back, claiming 99% of NFL players would fall apart if they tried wrestling in WWE, and then flipped the script by calling football "cute". Things really heated up when Brady straight-up called him a b*tch, and Logan decided to up the ante.
On his IMPAULSIVE podcast, Logan claimed no football player could beat him in a boxing match. He even put $1 million on the line, daring any NFL player to prove him wrong. A bunch of NFL guys jumped in, but Le’Veon Bell, a former Steelers star and a pro boxer himself, really took the bait.
Bell challenged Logan to fight in Pittsburgh during the 2026 NFL draft. He didn’t hold back, posting, “STOP DUCKING, @LoganPaul. Bro’s trying to fight an NFL player that’s never fought before. Let’s set it up; we all heard you say you can beat any NFL player. We can fight in April; the NFL draft is in PITTSBURGH. Let’s make it happen.”
Logan fired back. He pointed out that Bell isn’t in the NFL anymore, and since Bell actually knows how to fight, Logan said he’d need serious training time, which means stepping away from WWE, something he’s not willing to do. Plus, Logan claimed the fight isn’t worth it because Bell doesn’t draw a big crowd. “You’re not in the NFL. You can actually fight, so I’d have to properly train and step away from WWE (which I’m not doing, especially not for you). There’s no money here because you’re not a draw. Prove me wrong. Of course, you want the opportunity. I’m a goldmine for retirees like you. But gg,” Logan replied.
Bell wasn’t having it. He accused Logan of ducking out, saying Logan’s only interested in fighting NFL players with zero boxing experience. “THIS MF A (duck emoji) bro said, 'You can actually fight,' so he’s telling everyone he wants to fight someone who he feels can’t fight. That’s what we call DUCKING,” Bell shot back.
THIRD FASTEST EVER? HOW DID JAYSON TATUM BEAT KEVIN DURANT’S RECOVERY BY 254 DAYS?
Jayson Tatum is back: Read about his 298-day Achilles recovery, the 15-minute limit, and why the Celtics are now title favourites.
Jayson Tatum sat at the Auerbach Center, listening to questions from reporters during Celtics media day, looking like he was itching to get back on the court.
The Celtics’ star forward is finally on the verge of returning after tearing his Achilles less than 300 days ago, but don’t expect to see him logging big minutes right away. Reports say Boston plans to be extra cautious. Brett Siegel from ClutchPoints even said he’d be surprised if Tatum plays more than 10 to 15 minutes per game at first.
Tatum’s officially listed as questionable for Friday’s home game against the Mavericks. If he suits up, it'll be a huge boost for Boston, and honestly, a bit of a shock, considering how long other players have been out with the same injury. Just look at Dejounte Murray; he had to wait nearly 100 days longer than Tatum before coming back, and the Pelicans have limited him to 25 minutes a night since.
At the start of the season, most people figured Tatum would sit out the whole year. That’s what usually happens with Achilles injuries; guys like Durant, Klay, and DeMarcus Cousins all missed at least a year. Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, who tore their Achilles in last year’s playoffs too, were ruled out for the entire season.
But then whispers started. Suddenly, Tatum was practising with the G League’s Maine Celtics, then joining full scrimmages with the big club. The rumours got louder, and now, here we are. If he does play Friday, he’ll have pulled off the third-fastest return from an Achilles tear in recent NBA history; only Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups came back quicker.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Kobe Bryant: 240 days
Chauncey Billups: 296 days
Jayson Tatum: 298 days
DeMarcus Cousins: 357 days
Kevin Durant: 552 days
Of course, Boston isn’t taking any chances. Tatum had to hit every checkpoint – conditioning, weight, you name it – before they’d let him suit up. And by all accounts, he looks good. Derrick White said Tatum has been moving well and playing like his old self in practice. You can see how hard he’s worked to get to this point.
The Celtics are 41-21 and already one of the league’s best, but Tatum’s return suddenly makes them the favourites to win the East and push for another Finals trip. Oddsmakers have noticed, too. Thomas Gable at Borgata said Tatum’s comeback could give Boston’s title odds another bump, and David Lieberman at Caesars pointed out that bettors have already started to back the Celtics with his return in mind.
So, yeah, Boston fans have a lot to be excited about. Tatum’s almost back, and the Celtics’ championship hopes just got a whole lot brighter.
