Matthew Valento

Matthew Valento graduated from Boise State University with a major in integrated media and strategic communications and a minor in journalism. He grew up in Santa Clarita, California and played basketball at Saugus High School. Along with writing for LakersNation.com, Matthew also hosts a basketball podcast called, "The Basketball Maestros." Contact: MattV@MediumLargeLA.com Twitter: @matthewvalento Instagram: matthew.valento
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720 Articles

Lakers News: Jeanie Buss Reveals Potential Plans To Honor 2020 Championship Team

Since winning a championship in 2020, Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is looking to return to the mountaintop. They have been unable to get back there since, although acquiring Luka Doncic this season has suddenly put them back into…

Lakers News: Anthony Edwards Unfazed By Playoff Atmosphere At Crypto.com Arena

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves handled business in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a great all-around shooting performance. A concerning sign for L.A. is that Edwards did not have a strong shooting game as he…

Lakers News: Luka Doncic Believes Return Game Against Mavericks Was Top Performance Of Career

When the Los Angeles Lakers shockingly traded for Luka Doncic, all focus shifted to the April 9 game when he would return to take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center for the first time. Mavericks fans made their…

Luka Doncic & JJ Redick Acknowledge Need To Get Lakers Players Involved Offensively

Game 1 did not go according to plan for the Los Angeles Lakers and head coach JJ Redick as they gave up their home-court advantage by losing 117-95 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was a game where Luka Doncic seemingly…

Lakers News: Luka Doncic Wants Mavericks’ Nico Harrison To Move On

Saturday marks a new chapter for Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers as this season's playoff run begins. General manager Rob Pelinka landed Doncic in the biggest trade in NBA history as L.A. locked in their future after LeBron…

Lakers News: LeBron James Praises Anthony Edwards Ahead Of First Round Matchup

A challenging first-round matchup lies ahead for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers as they take on Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. This season was the most competitive the Western Conference has been as every playoff team presents…

Mark Daigneault: Two Games Against Lakers Made Thunder Better

As the Los Angeles Lakers looked to solidify their seeding in an ultra-competitive Western Conference, they played against championship-caliber teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City has been far and away the best team in the conference with a…

Lakers News: Sasha Vujacic Compares Luka Doncic To Kobe Bryant

When trading for Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers knew they had found their next superstar, hopefully for the next decade-plus. Obviously, the All-NBA guard needed time to adjust to his new situation and there was even an outside chance…

Lakers News: Austin Reaves Expresses Appreciation For LeBron James

Arguably the most significant contributor to the Los Angeles Lakers winning 50 games was Austin Reaves, who took a massive leap as a secondary ball handler and scorer. Particularly in the second half of the season, Reaves played at an…

Luka Doncic Emphasizes It Will Take ‘Everyone’ For Lakers To Win Championship

After a blowout win against the Houston Rockets, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers have clinched the third seed in the Western Conference and now await the postseason. By acquiring Doncic, expectations have skyrocketed as championship hopes are back…