Dan Woike
@danwoikesports.bsky.social
Covering the Lakers for The Athletic, listening to Dad Rock a little too loud and eating a little too much pizza
Exclusively @theathletic.com, LeBron James tells me “If it had to end, the perfect ending for the streak is tonight. It’s literally who I am. That’s who I am.” - My story from Toronto on the perfect ending James got to author. www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...
LeBron James says his assist was ‘the perfect way’ for scoring streak to end
James wrote his own ending, wrapping up a streak that began 15 days after Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was born.
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Exclusively @theathletic.com, LeBron James tells me “If it had to end, the perfect ending for the streak is tonight. It’s literally who I am. That’s who I am.” - My story from Toronto on the perfect ending James got to author. www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...
Reposted by Dan Woike
The NBA widened its own betting probe to ask for cell phones. Two Lakers close to LeBron — and to Damon Jones, who is charged — are among those who complied. @mikevorkunov.bsky.social @samamick.bsky.social @danwoikesports.bsky.social and me www.nytimes.com/athletic/681...
NBA seeks cell phones from multiple teams, including Lakers, in gambling investigation: Sources
The NBA is continuing its investigation into illegal sports betting after three current or former players were federally indicted.
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:19 PM
The NBA widened its own betting probe to ask for cell phones. Two Lakers close to LeBron — and to Damon Jones, who is charged — are among those who complied. @mikevorkunov.bsky.social @samamick.bsky.social @danwoikesports.bsky.social and me www.nytimes.com/athletic/681...
It was obvious the Lakers have a long ways to go to get the OKC Thunder’s level. Also obvious? The Thunder are only adding to the distance the field is going to need to make up www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
Thunder dismantle Lakers; Luka Dončić reflects on Dallas after Mavs GM's firing
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:37 PM
It was obvious the Lakers have a long ways to go to get the OKC Thunder’s level. Also obvious? The Thunder are only adding to the distance the field is going to need to make up www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
Jake LaRavia knows how to play basketball, his coach said Sunday. Here’s why that’s higher praise than it sounds www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...
Jake LaRavia's fit on the Lakers has been seamless: 'He just knows how to play'
www.nytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Jake LaRavia knows how to play basketball, his coach said Sunday. Here’s why that’s higher praise than it sounds www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...
Ready. To. Spend.
November 2, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Ready. To. Spend.
We got some tough motherf—–s, man,” Jarred Vanderbilt told @TheAthletic. And Austin Reaves might be the toughest of em all. www.nytimes.com/athletic/676...
Austin Reaves' buzzer-beater lifts short-handed Lakers past Timberwolves
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:10 PM
We got some tough motherf—–s, man,” Jarred Vanderbilt told @TheAthletic. And Austin Reaves might be the toughest of em all. www.nytimes.com/athletic/676...
For @theAthletic: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Austin Reaves walk into a record book. No joke. I showed Reaves the lists and he couldn't believe it. "Why me? … those are like the greatest players ever. And my name just randomly pops up.” www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...
Why does Austin Reaves keep ending up next to NBA legends? Even he's stumped
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM
For @theAthletic: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Austin Reaves walk into a record book. No joke. I showed Reaves the lists and he couldn't believe it. "Why me? … those are like the greatest players ever. And my name just randomly pops up.” www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...
“I told Luka, I said, ‘Yo bro, you have power.’ Like I’ve seen true power today,” DeAndre Ayton told me. “Like I seen four dudes on him. Bro, I set the screen and it was like they had to bring four.
“What the f—?”
All this for a missed dunk
www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...
“What the f—?”
All this for a missed dunk
www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...
In a game where Luka scored 49, the biggest play for the Lakers was a missed dunk
Deandre Ayton attacking the rim with force fueled hope inside the Lakers' locker room that this year’s team has a higher ceiling.
www.nytimes.com
October 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
“I told Luka, I said, ‘Yo bro, you have power.’ Like I’ve seen true power today,” DeAndre Ayton told me. “Like I seen four dudes on him. Bro, I set the screen and it was like they had to bring four.
“What the f—?”
All this for a missed dunk
www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...
“What the f—?”
All this for a missed dunk
www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...
Reposted by Dan Woike
The Lakers, on and off the court, are obviously Luka Dončić’s team. It was never clearer than on Opening Night. Also clear? They really need LeBron James. www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...
Luka Dončić‘s night in the spotlight against Warriors highlights Lakers’ need for LeBron
In Golden State, LA could see what hurdles exist in this potentially awkward season.
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The Lakers, on and off the court, are obviously Luka Dončić’s team. It was never clearer than on Opening Night. Also clear? They really need LeBron James. www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...
The Lakers, on and off the court, are obviously Luka Dončić’s team. It was never clearer than on Opening Night. Also clear? They really need LeBron James. www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...
Luka Dončić‘s night in the spotlight against Warriors highlights Lakers’ need for LeBron
In Golden State, LA could see what hurdles exist in this potentially awkward season.
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The Lakers, on and off the court, are obviously Luka Dončić’s team. It was never clearer than on Opening Night. Also clear? They really need LeBron James. www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...
“I’ve had my head down working for so long. It’s hard to look up sometimes.” @TheAthleticNBA spoke 1on1 with the expected starting guard about a rough few years with the Lakers and why he’s still all in with the organization www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...
Three years into his Lakers tenure, Gabe Vincent makes a true start
www.nytimes.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:10 PM
“I’ve had my head down working for so long. It’s hard to look up sometimes.” @TheAthleticNBA spoke 1on1 with the expected starting guard about a rough few years with the Lakers and why he’s still all in with the organization www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...
Luka Dončić sure looked like himself Tuesday night in a way that Lakers fans really haven’t seen www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
The real Luka Dončić showed up in his Lakers’ preseason debut
“I felt great,” Dončić said. “That was probably better than I expected."
www.nytimes.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Luka Dončić sure looked like himself Tuesday night in a way that Lakers fans really haven’t seen www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
Going to put together a Lakers preseason mailbag - put your questions here
October 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Going to put together a Lakers preseason mailbag - put your questions here
If he’s going to matter, either as a Laker or as a valuable trade asset, Dalton Knecht is going to have to figure some things out www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...
Can Dalton Knecht be the player the Lakers need? ‘He has to figure out who he is’
Whether or not Knecht will be able to adapt in the way the Lakers need him to is one of the more important stories of this season.
www.nytimes.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM
If he’s going to matter, either as a Laker or as a valuable trade asset, Dalton Knecht is going to have to figure some things out www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...
Jake LaRavia might be the only NBA player with a hobby where Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Luka Doncic can stink and where Ryan Rollins is a find! I ripped some packs this summer with the Lakers' new forward and wrote about his collecting www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...
From wax packs to rated rookies, success is in the cards for Lakers' Jake LaRavia
www.nytimes.com
October 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Jake LaRavia might be the only NBA player with a hobby where Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Luka Doncic can stink and where Ryan Rollins is a find! I ripped some packs this summer with the Lakers' new forward and wrote about his collecting www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...
For @TheAthletic - Lakers F Jake LaRavia has the one hobby in the world where Giannis, Luka, LeBron and Shai can stink — but Ryan Rollins gets special attention, We ripped packs with a card collector who just so happens to be on the cards himself www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...
For Lakers’ Jake LaRavia, success is in the (mint condition) cards
“I'm a regular person,” says Lakers Jake LaRavia of his sports card collecting hobby.
www.nytimes.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:28 PM
For @TheAthletic - Lakers F Jake LaRavia has the one hobby in the world where Giannis, Luka, LeBron and Shai can stink — but Ryan Rollins gets special attention, We ripped packs with a card collector who just so happens to be on the cards himself www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...
Picked one quote from each media session yesterday to sum up what mattered most for the Lakers www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...
All you need to know about the Lakers, one sentence at a time
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — You can forgive the weary-eyed beat reporters who trudge into team facilities to sit and listen to two straight hours of some version of the “best shape of my life” an...
www.nytimes.com
September 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Picked one quote from each media session yesterday to sum up what mattered most for the Lakers www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...
This is a huge part of his leverage in negotiations -- the coming cap jumps plus averages last season that have only ever been exceeded by Magic, Jerry and Kobe -- there's sticker shock, but after a deep breath, it's much more reasonable
$40 million average salary starting next year will be between 20 and 25% of the cap. Thats plus-starter money but not as crazy as it first sounds for AR.
September 30, 2025 at 1:47 AM
This is a huge part of his leverage in negotiations -- the coming cap jumps plus averages last season that have only ever been exceeded by Magic, Jerry and Kobe -- there's sticker shock, but after a deep breath, it's much more reasonable
Reposted by Dan Woike
Lawrence Frank: "We feel confident we are on the right side of this"
September 29, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Lawrence Frank: "We feel confident we are on the right side of this"
Sources tell me Austin Reaves could receive FA offers north of $40 million next offseason. I asked him about that, about being a Laker, thinking he might get traded and about what he wants for himself as a pro www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
Entering key season, Austin Reaves is again proving his worth is par for the course
www.nytimes.com
September 29, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Sources tell me Austin Reaves could receive FA offers north of $40 million next offseason. I asked him about that, about being a Laker, thinking he might get traded and about what he wants for himself as a pro www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
We've been busy....
Who is Uncle Dennis?
A profile of Dennis Robertson — Kawhi Leonard's uncle and a man also in the middle of the Clippers/Kawhi/Aspiration investigation — and how he operates.
From @danwoikesports.bsky.social @samamick.bsky.social and me www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
A profile of Dennis Robertson — Kawhi Leonard's uncle and a man also in the middle of the Clippers/Kawhi/Aspiration investigation — and how he operates.
From @danwoikesports.bsky.social @samamick.bsky.social and me www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
What we know about ‘Uncle Dennis’: A central figure in the Kawhi Leonard, Clippers investigation
The Athletic conducted interviews with 17 different sources, league and team personnel to learn about Kawhi Leonard's uncle and advisor.
www.nytimes.com
September 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
We've been busy....
Reposted by Dan Woike
For @theathletic.com : I went to Poland and spoke with Luka Dončić about why he thinks this year is actually his “start” Lakers - a beginning that comes complete with a new body, new opportunities and, maybe most interestingly, a new perspective on leadership. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Luka Dončić ready to take his stardom to higher level with Lakers: 'This feels like a start for me'
www.nytimes.com
September 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
For @theathletic.com : I went to Poland and spoke with Luka Dončić about why he thinks this year is actually his “start” Lakers - a beginning that comes complete with a new body, new opportunities and, maybe most interestingly, a new perspective on leadership. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
For @theathletic.com : I went to Poland and spoke with Luka Dončić about why he thinks this year is actually his “start” Lakers - a beginning that comes complete with a new body, new opportunities and, maybe most interestingly, a new perspective on leadership. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Luka Dončić ready to take his stardom to higher level with Lakers: 'This feels like a start for me'
www.nytimes.com
September 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
For @theathletic.com : I went to Poland and spoke with Luka Dončić about why he thinks this year is actually his “start” Lakers - a beginning that comes complete with a new body, new opportunities and, maybe most interestingly, a new perspective on leadership. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka showed up in Poland, quashing any questions about the organization's support of Luka Dončić and his desire to play for Slovenia www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
Lakers' Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka in Poland to support Luka Dončić, Slovenia
www.nytimes.com
August 28, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka showed up in Poland, quashing any questions about the organization's support of Luka Dončić and his desire to play for Slovenia www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
Wednesday delivery on a Lakers mailbag - thanks everyone for the questions www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...
Lakers mailbag: Is this LeBron's last season in LA? Could Giannis or Jokić be future targets?
www.nytimes.com
August 13, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Wednesday delivery on a Lakers mailbag - thanks everyone for the questions www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...