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Newsletter: Lakers! LeBron James weighed in on Lakers things, and everyone went nuts

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Hi, this is Tania Ganguli, Lakers beat reporter for the Los Angeles Times, here with your weekly newsletter.

As soon as Lonzo Ball notched his first career triple-double, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to do so, I checked in with a friend who covers the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Let me know if LeBron says anything,” I said.

I knew he’d have something to say. It was James’ record that Ball broke after all. James had his first triple double at 20 years and 20 days, while Ball did it at 20 years and 15 days. James has seemed to enjoy tossing little bits of chum into the “Is he going to the Lakers?” water here and there. Ball’s first triple double afforded him a great opportunity to do so.

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James didn’t mention Ball’s triple-double the night it happened, but he did address it Monday morning after the Cavaliers’ shootaround at Madison Square Garden.

“I definitely think back to when I was that young,” James told reporters in New York. “There’s not many games that I can remember when I was 20 years old or 19 or even 18. So first of all, congratulations to him. I think he’s going to be a really, really good point guard in our league, probably a great point guard if he continues to work on his craft, which it seems like he does. They got a good one.”

Any time James compliments Ball, people get a little bit frenzied — like when James wished Ball a happy birthday the day he turned 20.

James also had a second item of interest to the Lakers. He said he was specifically taking a shot at Phil Jackson when he argued that the Knicks should have drafted Dennis Smith Jr.

“I’m a fan of the game as well,” James said. “It’s great when the Knicks, the Celtics and the Lakers are great in our league all at the same time. It’s best for our league.”

Effort matters

The Lakers had their first real road test this week, and it didn’t go well. They started with three straight losses and then beat the Phoenix Suns, who are 5-10 and will face the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday.

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The Lakers have played several Eastern Conference contenders, and their schedule will only get harder playing the West’s best teams. The West, of course, is the much stronger of the conferences and includes the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Before the season began, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka promised that the Lakers would play hard every night, regardless of their win total. Since the season started, that hasn’t always been the case, but they’ve accomplished that goal more often than not and it’s a big part of why the Lakers have been in some games they shouldn’t have.

“As part of our identity,” coach Luke Walton said, “we [want to] become good at defense and we become a team that any time someone else plays us, they’re like, ‘Damn, we gotta play the Lakers tonight. They play hard.’ ”

Since last we talked

Kuzma’s big day(s): The night Lonzo Ball notched his first career triple-double, Kyle Kuzma had a big day too. Kuzma’s mom attended her first regular-season Lakers game to watch her son. Karri Kuzma spoke to reporters before the game after driving six hours from near Flint., Mich., to Milwaukee. She was asked about how the Flint water system impacted her (it made her hair fall out and damaged her immune system). She discussed her thoughts on Ball patriarch LaVar, and it became clear the Lakers’ two top rookies, who are becoming best friends, have families that are becoming close too. In that game, Kuzma scored a team-high 21 points and got his third double-double of the season. On Wednesday, Kuzma had what might have been his strongest game since being named a starter. He scored a career-high 24 points. He had a very respectable shooting percentage of 50%, making nine of 18 shots.

Some Xs and O’s notes: The Lakers had done well with ball security until going on this trip. They averaged more than 20 turnovers per game through three games on the trip and gave up a season-high 23 turnovers against the Bucks. Free-throw shooting also has been bad. Although they did better on Wednesday, their percentage has been in the 60s.

Jordan Clarkson makes waves: Clarkson’s comment about who makes him want to succeed raised some eyebrows this week. Most of the conversation was about how the Lakers guard took a more business-like approach this summer and has had a more mature attitude this season. He also has been more comfortable expressing his opinion. That could be because he’s getting older, or it could be that he recognizes his future won’t depend on anything other than how he plays. I asked Clarkson who makes him want to succeed. As part of his answer, he said, “The girls.”

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A wonderful story: Larry Nance Jr. met the pen pal he had in the military 14 years ago. They found each other on Twitter. I was grateful she was willing to share her incredible story. And speaking of Nance, he was able to participate in a “Call of Duty” event Tuesday, just two week after suffering a broken hand in Portland. His cast is off and now he’s able to properly hold the video-game controller. Nance said it served as some of the best rehab he’s had.

Up next

The Lakers will play the Suns and Nuggets at home before a home-road back-to-back that involves Chicago at home before Sacramento on the road. Until their next long road trip, which begins Dec. 6, they’ll have some time to recharge.

Friday vs. Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday vs. Denver, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., NBATV

Wednesday at Sacramento, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Until next time

Stay tuned for future newsletters. Subscribe here, and I’ll come right to your inbox. Something else you’d like to see here? Email me. Or follow me on Twitter @taniaganguli

tania.ganguli@latimes.com

Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli

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