The Forum - An LA Lakers Podcast

The Forum discusses the Lakers' low point of the season so far before taking a big picture look at the team's roster construction in the wake of Quinn Cook's release.

The Forum discusses the Laker's ability to flip the switch, and how the growth of THT, AC, and KUZ solidify the team's place in a tier of their own.

The Forum discusses the Lakers' recent road success, examining Kuz's new role player persona and LeBron's MVP candidacy.

One week into the 2021 season, the Lakers sit at 2-2 after a dispiriting loss to the Blazers. In this one, the guys discuss what we've seen from the team thus far.

The Forum discusses THT's breakout preseason games and where he fits in the grand scheme of the Lakers 2021 rotation.

The Forum discusses LeBron James' recent comments on the Road Trippin' podcast and the James Harden/Houston standoff before previewing the Lakers first preseason game against the Clippers.

The Forum breaks down the new-look Lakers and what we anticipate from the new additions.

The Forum shows their appreciation for Dwight Howard before discussing the NBA's aggressive rescheduling, and what the Lakers can do to improve the team during this truncated offseason.

Ketchup makes its return to The Forum as the guys give Frank Vogel his flowers and share their favorite storylines from this past season.

This podcast was recorded immediately after the Lakers were crowned the 2020 NBA Champions. Re-live the moment with The Forum.

The Lakers are in the Finals. The Celtics are out of the playoffs. The Clippers are without a coach. Let the celebration and the slander continue with The Forum.

The Lakers neglected to match Denver's energy in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The Forum reacts.

Playoff P, Klaw, Lemon Pepper Lou, and the rest of the Ballmer gang couldn't get the job done against the Nuggets. The Forum reacts.

After 10 years, the Los Angeles Lakers have returned to the Western Conference Finals. The Forum returns to recap the Lakers' series victory against Houston, the LAC/DEN series going to seven games, and much more.

Los Angeles Lakers. Playoff basketball. The reunion is here.

The Lakers are running through the bubble with their woes. The Forum discusses.

The Forum reacts to the Lakers' restart-opening win against their crosstown rivals.

True to form, this episode starts with the guys lamenting Rondo's critical hand injury, and what to look for in the coming weeks from the Lakers' guard rotation, and ends with a 15-minute debate on Aubrey "Drake" Graham.

The Forum gang touch on the Kobe vs. Tim Duncan debate that's taken Lakers Twitter by storm, and also discuss the league's plans to alter the playoff structure to finish off the 2019-2020 season. Last, the guys discuss whose NBA careers they would choose to live out.

Ali, Raj, Ric, and Kendrew continue their discussion of The Last Dance, reviewing whether BJ Armstrong was in the right, the infamous Steve Kerr punch, and why Jordan doesn't get his children free sneakers.

The Forum gang is back, making up for lost time by recapping (in a meandering, true to form way) the last six episodes of The Last Dance. You will hear Michael Redd's name more than you have in a decade.

Kendrew (@kendr3w) returns to The Forum, and the guys discuss the nation's collective rewatch of Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, before digging in the crates for Dwight's best game as a Laker (the first time around) in a March 6, 2013 win against Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Hornets.

The Forum reflects on the last week without basketball and expands their subject matter expertise to the best quarantine snacks, which former and current Lakers you would want to be quarantined with, and more.

The Forum reacts to a weekend where the Lakers, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis re-asserted their dominance.

The guys discuss their favorite moments from the All-Star weekend before recapping the Lakers' inactivity during the buyout frenzy and what that could mean for the team as they enter the final leg of the season.

The Forum returns from their week hiatus to recap the Lakers radio silence at the trade deadline, zooming out to analyze league-wide transactions, before ending with an ode to Kobe Bryant.

The Forum discusses the Lakers' big win against Brooklyn, starting with an ode to KCP (~5:00) before discussing Dwight Howard's spot start (~10:00) and Kyrie Irving's.....Kyrie-ness (~14:00). Afterward, the guys discuss their trade deadline move candidates (~50:00). Be sure to give the guys a follow on Twitter (@Ali_Bephoornia, @UnwrittenRul3s, and @_CharlesDiamond) and rate, review, and subscribe to the pod on your favorite podcast app!

The guys react to the Lakers' loss to the Magic, and what we as a fanbase can take from the result. Afterward, Ali, Raj, and Ric discuss Caruso's All-Star votes and the evergreen subject of Kyle Kuzma's trade value, all while chastising Raj for his lack of tweet notifications for the NBA's biggest newsbreakers.

The Forum welcomes regular guest Kendrew (@kendre3w) to discuss the Suns' almost-comeback against the Lakers as the team's bad habits against bad teams continue. Afterwards, the guys discuss the Darren Collison news and what it could mean for the Purple and Gold. Follow the rest of the guys at @ali_behpoornia, @UnwrittenRul3s, and @_CharlesDiamond on Twitter!

The Forum discusses the Lakers recent loss against the Indiana Pacers and what the guys saw from the team in a close matchup without AD and Kuzma. After that, a game preview of the biggest matchup of the year in Thursday's game against the Bucks.

The Forum discusses the Lakers' heavyweight bout against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, breaking down a few of their favorite plays of the game. Later, the guys preview Ali's latest article for Silver Screen and Roll and grade the nicknames of a few Laker players.

The Forum reacts to the Lakers' THIRD loss in 20 games (oh no, the sky is falling!), discussing the team's performance against the Mavs and looking forward to the Lake Show's hellish December schedule. The guys also discuss the recent NBA ratings dip before reigniting last week's discussion about the proposed in-season schedule.

The Forum reviews the Lakers' home and home series against the Thunder before discussing how LeBron, AD, and company matchup against the other contenders in the West. The guys close the pod by discussing the proposed schedule and format changes reported on by Woj and Lowe.

Kendrew's back! The Forum brings back recent guest @kendre3w to discuss the Lakers being the best team in the league by several measures, and each of the guys gives their league-wide predictions for the rest of the season.

The Lakers are back. And so is The Forum. In this episode (which was definitely not inspired by a Drake album cover), the guys discuss the Lake Show's recent performance in their OT win against the Mavericks before recapping what's been a hell of a season.

The Forum welcomes a guest to the show for the last podcast before the season gets underway. Lakers Outsiders contributor @Kendr3w joins the pod, and things get off the rails for the first guest spot in The Forum history. The guys discuss Dion Waiters, Kyle Kuzma's trade value, and of course Terrence Ross, in addition to everything under the sun.

The Lakers are back! And so is the Forum. The guys gush over Anthony Davis's dominant performance in a relatively tangent-free episode of the pod before discussing the other aspects of the first preseason game they found interesting. On the menu was the point guard rotations, the Lakers' big men, and a surprising defense of Rajon Rondo. Enjoy!

Twitter reacts to Kobe Bryant's youth coaching tactics, Dwight Howard compares himself to Thanos, and Team USA loses because they have too many Celtics on the roster. The Forum discusses all the above, Coach Vogel, and more on this week's episode.

The Forum discusses the Lakers signing Dwight Howard, and what he can bring to the table this season. The guys also touch on Kyle Kuzma's departure from the USA National Team and finish off by sharing their favorite Kobe memories in honor of Mamba Day.

The Forum podcast is BACK from a brief hiatus amidst the lull of the off-season to catch up on everything Lakers. Ric, Raj, and Ali discuss the fallout from DeMarcus Cousins' devastating ACL tear before discussing the Lakers' potential replacement options, then end by analyzing the recently released schedule for next season. Along the way, the guys return to their roots of fast food takes while also somehow defending both Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard along the way.

Free agency is over. The Lakers' roster is set. Kawhi and Paul George are Clippers. The Forum returns from a brief hiatus after a wild start to July to discuss the madness that occurred, and the guys discuss their favorite moments in free agency, both for the Lakers and beyond.

The Forum discussed the Lakers surprise participation in the draft and also what the value was extracted from the fourth pick the team originally had. After that, the guys look ahead to June 30th and examine the Lakers' prospects in free agency, discussing the likelihood of a D'Angelo Russell reunion before giving predictions on the landing spots for the rest of the big names in free agency.

The trade has been completed. Goodbye to Lonzo, Brandon, and Josh. Hello to Anthony Davis. The Forum reacts to the blockbuster trade that's been four months in the making, and what that means for the Lakers past, present, and future.

Anthony Davis trade talks are back on the menu, so the guys re-assess what it would take for the Lakers to snag AD from the Pelicans. The Lakers, however, have their own business to handle, with Jason Kidd being made the highest-paid assistant coach in the league and Lavar Ball returning to Fox Sports 1 since we all missed him so much. Ric, Raj, and Ali discuss those topics, but first talk Finals after last night's triage/Game 3 and also some new food takes.

Another day. Another Lakers hit piece. The Forum records the 1,029th (estimation) emergency podcast of the show's history to discuss Baxter Holmes' Lakers 2.0 article on ESPN, where we learn more about the Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka's tumultuous tenure working in tandem at the helm of the team's front office. From more of Rob's gratuitous storytelling to Magic's impulsive and intimidating management style, the Forum plays fact or fiction of some of the stories in Holmes' piece.

The Forum breaks down all the events of what will now be known as Black Monday in Lakers' circles, as Magic Johnson headed to First Take to warn us all of the betrayal of Pelinka on the same day the team announces Frank Vogel as the next head coach. The guys discuss the media fallout from the two press conferences, but also try to actually talk about basketball (like, on-court basketball), as they parse through some of the nuggets that Coach Vogel dropped regarding his basketball philosophies.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than smart. The Forum reacts to the Lakers jumping up SEVEN spots to the fourth pick in the NBA Draft. Ric, Raj, and Ali discuss the likelihood of an Anthony Davis trade with this new asset, and the odds of the 4th pick ever playing for the Lakers. Along the way, the guys review the options for the other three teams that make up the top four slots in the draft, and also talk about where to get the best cookies, other dessert treats, and the Austin Powers movies. PLEASE NOTE: We had some technical difficulties, so the pod ends slightly abruptly at around the 45 minute mark due to some lost audio.

The Forum reacts to Frank Vogel being hired as the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, with the polarizing Jason Kidd serving as his number 2 guy. Ric, Raj, and Ali break down what Vogel's hiring says about Jeannie and where the Lakers are positioned for the near future. The guys also discuss what Houston and Boston have to look forward to after their respective playoff eliminations.

This podcast was recorded approximately a week ago, and somehow, most of the thoughts and perspectives are still completely timely. So enjoy a much delayed episode of The Forum, where the guys discuss Linda Rambis as shadow owner, various reports on the state of the Lakers from Ric Bucher and Dave McMenamin, and more perspective on the Lakers coaching search. And of course, stick around for rants on Twitter etiquette, Dame Lillard's "bad shot" to eliminate the Thunder, and other various thoughts from the playoffs.

Luke Walton is no longer coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Forum discusses Luke's departure from the team and his future in Sacramento before they talk about the man who let him go, and Rob Pelinka's growing power in the Lakers' front office. Intermittently, the guys touch on the great debate of ketchup's place in the culinary hierarchy and end on the #ForumWireWatch continuing with a week-long hiatus.

The Magic Johnson experiment has come to a surprisingly unceremonious end with an impromptu press conference and a Maurice Harkless buzzer beater. Ali, Ric, and Raj react to the the Greatest Laker of All Time stepping down as President of Basketball Operations, and discuss what will emerge from the void that his absence has created.