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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JJ Redick Commends LeBron James’ Sacrifice To Help Lakers

On Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made his return to the lineup after missing three straight games. During his absence, speculation grew about whether James truly raised L.A.'s ceiling for winning games. This…

Lakers News: JJ Redick Remains Confident In Jake LaRavia

Jake LaRavia has struggled for the Los Angeles Lakers, despite their four straight wins. His three-point shooting took a nose dive as he is currently 1-for-14 from distance in March. LaRavia does not have a reputation of a knockdown shooter,…

Lakers News: LeBron James Opens Up About Legacy Ahead Of Eventual Retirement

Retirement is a day that comes for every professional athlete, yet it feels like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will never hang it up. Despite dealing with nagging injuries in his 23rd season, James found a way to still…

Lakers News: Magic Johnson Congratulates LeBron James On Breaking NBA FG Record

Through nearly 23 years in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has seemingly every accolade possible. However, another box remained unchecked as leading up to this week, he was second in field goals made behind another Lakers legend…

JJ Redick: Upcoming Schedule Gives Lakers Chance To Prove Themselves Against Quality Competition

As the regular season winds down, JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a peculiar situation. Record wise, L.A. is not a bad team at 38-25, but they have struggled against playoff-caliber competition. On Thursday against the…

Luke Kennard Feeling More Comfortable But Excited To Keep Growing With Lakers

Luke Kennard has been a great addition for the Los Angeles Lakers as an impactful bench scorer they had previously lacked before the trade deadline. Most sharpshooters in recent years have struggled when playing under the bright lights in L.A.,…

Rick Carlisle: Luka Doncic Is Future MVP & Best Player I’ve Ever Coached

Being a referee in today's NBA is difficult, given how stars have gotten sneaky with how they get to the free throw line. An example of that is Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, as he knows plenty of ways…

Lakers News: JJ Redick Defends Luka Doncic Amid Criticism About Excessive Complaining

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is a generational talent and he has played like a top-five player this season. But unfortunately, L.A. has struggled to build continuity due to injuries, so they have a number of doubters in the…

Lakers News: Shaquille O’Neal Critical Of Deandre Ayton

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton has been in the headlines this week due to comments surrounding his role on the team. Ayton shared some interesting comments, referencing that he is not like Houston Rockets center Clint Capela, who has…

Lakers News: JJ Redick Commends Luke Kennard For Creating ‘Blender’ In Offense

When the trade deadline came and went, the Los Angeles Lakers' lone move was acquiring Luke Kennard. While Kennard is an upgrade from Gabe Vincent, there were lofty expectations to bring in more 3-and-D personnel to vault L.A. into contender…