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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641 Articles

JJ Redick: Max Christie In Starting Lineup Presents Optionality Defensively For Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has spent the first portion of the season trying to find the right combination of starters to accompany LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. Seeing how L.A. needs more two-way players, Max…

Matthew Valento

Lakers News: Dalton Knecht Surprised By LeBron James’ Commitment To Madden

As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James nears his 40th birthday, somehow he is still maintaining a high level of play. Seeing how many miles are on his body throughout 22 seasons is unfathomable, but he continues to find ways…

Matthew Valento

Anthony Davis Discusses How Lakers Have Improved Defensively

Defense is something that the Los Angeles Lakers have typically taken pride in, but that script completely flipped to start the 2024-25 season. That came as a bit of a surprise considering Anthony Davis is manning the middle, but head…

Matthew Valento

Lakers News: LeBron James Commends Rui Hachimura For Doing Little Things

Something the Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for is a player who does the little things. That player is typically Jarred Vanderbilt, but he has yet to suit up this season so Rui Hachimura seems to be trying to…

Matthew Valento

Jayson Tatum’s Agent Sets Record Straight After Magic Johnson’s Comments About Lakers Pre-Draft Workout

The 2017 NBA Draft was important for the Los Angeles Lakers as they were in the midst of a youth movement. That class featured high-quality talent in Markelle Fultz, Jayson Tatum, De'Aaron Fox and Lonzo Ball, who L.A. would ultimately…

Matthew Valento

Carmelo Anthony Believes Window For Lakers To Trade LeBron James Has Closed

One could argue that the Los Angeles Lakers front office and specifically general manager Rob Pelinka have not given LeBron James and Anthony Davis ample opportunities to contend for championships in recent years. Obviously the duo won a title in…

Matthew Valento

Robert Horry, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony & Marc Gasol Headline 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame Candidates

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2025, featuring several high-profile first-time nominees like Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, Doc Rivers, Billy Donovan, Sylvia Fowles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mark…

Matthew Valento

Lakers Vs. Kings Preview: Looking To Win Back-To-Back Games In Sacramento

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in action on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Sacramento Kings for the second straight game at Golden 1 Center. These two teams faced off on Thursday and the result was a dominant win for…

Matthew Valento

Lakers News: Caitlin Clark Believes LeBron James Is GOAT

As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James navigates through the latter stages of his career, he has always made sure to give others their flowers. One is Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, an electrifying talent who brought a ton of…

Matthew Valento

Anthony Davis: Lakers Need To Shoot Ball With Confidence

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers returned to action after five days off to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Friday night. While it was evident that L.A. needed a break after their recent road trip, rust…

Matthew Valento