Newsletter: Lakers navigating another holiday with COVID surge
![LeBron James bends forward, reacting to a foul called on him.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eabda08/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5486x3657+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2Fe1%2Fd58d700442878d2c9705d6b9fbb8%2Fsuns-lakers-basketball-23757.jpg)
Happy holidays everyone, itās Dan Woike with the Los Angeles Times delivering to you the latest weekly Lakers newsletter. You can find this every Thursday or Friday in your inbox between shipping delay notifications.
Our executive sports editor, Chris Stone, suggested I try to describe what it was like to be traveling alongside the Lakers last week as they went through a COVID-19 outbreak spurred by the Omicron variant, so Iāll do my best.
All things Lakers, all the time.
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When will it be me?
That was sort of the big question that I got from everyone beginning last week in Dallas, where the Lakers landed with three players lost to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols. One of those players, Malik Monk, traveled with the team.
Before tipoff Wednesday night, the Lakers had lost other members of their traveling party, including TV broadcaster Bill Macdonald.
There was some uneasiness with some folks I know who now either play or work for the Mavericks. Not totally dissimilar to the Lakersā final pre-pandemic game on March 10, 2020, players joked with me as they came in for handshakes and hugs. But those jokes werenāt dismissive. They were more for cutting through the tension.
āYou sure you want to risk it?ā I said to one player Iāve known for his entire career. We both laughed. But seriously, were we sure?
At this point, I should say that Iām fully vaccinated and boostered, meaning my risk for serious illness is very, very small.
Yet as the father of two young children, my anxiety was centered on either bringing the virus into my house or, if you ask my wife, even worse, getting stuck on the road in a 10-day quarantine while she tries to wrangle a toddler while caring for a newborn.
By the time we left Dallas and got to Minnesota, weād gotten word that a new handful of players had entered the protocols, meaning we were dealing with a full-on outbreak. I was set to visit my parents in Chicago before Sundayās game, so I quickly ordered a rapid test and had it delivered to their home (could still get them on Thursday).
Conversations with team staff members Iād bump into either at the arena or around town were always the same. They were testing negative, but there was almost always a āfor nowā tacked onto the end of everyoneās answers when I asked how they were doing.
Some of those people have since tested positive. Luckily, no one Iāve spoken to is seriously sick.
I think the other part of all of this that I need to explain to you is that whenever a beat writer travels with a team during the winter, you invariably end up feeling sort of crummy.
Late games, early flights, quick climate changes ā itās a recipe for feeling rundown and sniffling. Trying to figure out how and what Iām feeling at any given moment when you factor in the ānormalā things ā itās stressful.
Thankfully, Iāve tested negative so far. I donāt have any symptoms, and after a good night of sleep, Iām feeling pretty spry.
But I know thatās all āfor now.ā It could all change in a sneeze.
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Programming notes
Iām so excited about some of the projects weāve got coming up at the L.A. Times between now and the new year.
Donāt want to spoil anything ā but among the things weāve been working on is a list of the top Lakers moments at Staples Center. I, of course, misunderstood the assignment and put together a list of the top overall moments.
Here is what was on my initial list:
Lakers title in 2000 vs. Indianapolis
Lakers title in 2010 vs. Boston
Kobeās 81-point game in 2006
Kobeās final game 2016
Kingsā Stanley Cup in 2012
All-Star Weekend 2011 ā Blake Griffin wins the dunk contest, sets stage for Clippers reinvention while Kobe wins MVP
Michael Jackson funeral 2009
Nipsey Hustle funeral 2019
L.A. Sparks title 2001
Kingsā Stanley Cup 2014
Wrestlemania 21
Prince/BeyoncƩ open the Grammys 2004
Robert Horry game-winner against Sacramento 2002
Kobe-Shaq lob in 2000 against Portland
2000 Democratic National Convention
Chris Paul beats the Spurs in Game 7 in 2015
Clippers beat the Warriors after Donald Sterling gets banned in 2014
Kobe and Gigi Bryant memorial 2/24/20
Lakers get their rings in front of an empty Staples Center in 2020
Clippers host a conference finals game for first time in 2021.
Song of the Week
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love
For a second, letās ignore Phil Spectorās involvement and just focus on Darlene Loveās vocals ā beautiful but desperate. Thereās an awesome saxophone solo. Ignore U2ās cover. This, for me, is the song I want to hear most this time of year.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Since we last spoke ...
- Lakers donāt want to be guessing about who they are for much longer
- Plaschke: Lakers miss chance to end Staples Center era with meaningful win
- Q&A: Jared Dudley on how being a championship Lakers player helps him as a coach
- Lakers really need LeBron James right now. Can he still deliver?
- Unfamiliar-looking Lakers yearning for a return to whateverās normal
- Inside look at how pieces of cowhide are transformed into NBA game balls
- Lakers star Anthony Davis out at least four weeks because of knee sprain
- Lakers success spurred Jason Kiddās coaching quest to win another title in Dallas
Until next time...
As always, pass along your thoughts to me at daniel.woike@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!
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