Laker Nation

There are a few things I think we can all agree on: We love the Lakers. We love to eat. We love to be served. Thanks to Ron Artest, all three of these things will be happening simultaneously, and you can be a part of it. Tomorrow (Saturday, 6/18), Ron will be serving lunch from 12pm – 3pm at the grand opening of Saladish in Pasadena. Check out the image for all the relevant details.

It was a chaotic first season in the purple and gold for Matt Barnes, and according to reports, it won’t be his last.

Warranted or not, there has been plenty of speculation around Dwight Howard’s alleged desire to swap beach cities. Aside from the obvious reasons a superstar would want to play in L.A., it seems that Gasol’s puzzling absence and Orlando’s early exit this postseason have only validated what some fans have thought to be a foregone conclusion. However, according to an ESPN report earlier this evening, Dwight Howard’s thoughts and future ambitions both lie with the Orlando Magic:

We're all familiar with the rumored (but never vocally confirmed) rift between ex-Cavalier LeBron James and newly appointed Lakers head coach Mike Brown. Lost in that story was the stanch support Brown received from his ex-point guard, and current Clippers guard, Mo Williams.

LakerNation columnist Jason Riley warns of a Lakers future that has Jim Buss calling the shots.

A lot of things are changing in Laker-land. The Lakers are set to welcome new head coach Mike Brown, all while saying goodbye to assistant GM Ronnie Lester, whose contract will not be renewed for next season

In what has been a whirlwind 24-hours for the Lakers (and their fans), an official statement has been issues from the team regarding the hiring of Mike Brown.

Per multiple NBA sources, the Lakers are in serious discussions with Mike Brown about becoming the Lakers new head coach. According to Yahoo Sports Marc Spears and Adrian Wojnarowski, there could be an agreement in place within the next 24 hours.

There are a lot of angles you can take on the Lakers catastrophic demise, which ultimately ended on Sunday in a lopsided and humiliating loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The most glaring of those is the play – or better yet, disappearance – of all-star Pau Gasol.

Dirk - who has never been known as the type to engage in any sort of confrontation - continued that trend in an ESPN report this morning, where he had some rather kind words for Mr. Bryant

We may not know how this season will end yet, but we know how next season will begin (assuming there is a season). The Lakers officially released their 2011-12 preseason schedule this afternoon, with games all over California - Fresno, Ontario, Anaheim, San Diego, Bakersfield and, of course, at Staples Center in L.A. and vs. Sacramento in Las Vegas.

For tonight's Lakers, Celtics preview, we decided to show some love to a few of our favorite blogs/sites. Here's a nice round-up of game previews. Enjoy!

According to ESPN, the Lakers have officially inquired about Carmelo Anthony. Per Chris Brousard, the package would be built strictly around Andrew Bynum. Sources insist that the Nuggets simply aren't interested in Ron Artest or Lamar Odom.

Set your DVR's, Laker Nation. NBA-TV will premier NBA Unscripted: Lakers today (Monday) at 3pm PT. Per the write up from the L.A. Times this morning, producer Steve Weintraub had this to say about the documentary: