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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842 Articles

Lakers News: Nike Unveils LeBron 23 Shoes To Celebrate 40K Points

As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James' career begins to come to a close, evaluating where he stands in terms of all-time greats has been a common conversation. His ability to play All-NBA caliber basketball at 40-years-old is something no…

Lakers News: Magic Johnson Reveals Favorite Kobe Bryant Moment

It is hard to nail down a favorite moment from Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's career as he had plenty during his 20 years with the organization. Fellow Laker icon Magic Johnson was asked about his personal favorite at…

Derek Fisher Gives Advice To Luka Doncic On Leading Lakers Into Next Era

There is no franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers as the expectations they have each year are to win championships. Coming from Dallas, Luka Doncic is a championship-caliber player, but he has yet to get a full season in L.A.…

FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Highlights: Luka Doncic Drops 39 Points But Slovenia Comes Up Short Against France

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic loves to represent his country when it comes to international play and FIBA EuroBasket 2025 is the latest opportunity to do so. However, things have not panned out for Slovenia as they struggled through…

Mark Cuban Jokes About Wishing Luka Doncic No Success With Lakers

Emotions remain high regarding Luka Doncic's trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers last February. He embodied that organization and took them to an NBA Finals less than one year prior. Now, he is with the Lakers…

2024-2025 Los Angeles Lakers Player Review: Rui Hachimura

After being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Rui Hachimura had to adjust his game to fit around stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Previously playing under Darvin Ham, he struggled to find a consistent role, which stunted his development.…

Lakers News: LeBron James Shares Valuable Message To Young Athletes

Once the 2025-26 season gets underway, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will have played the most seasons in NBA history with 23. What makes that stat even crazier is that James is still playing at an All-NBA level. When…

Lakers News: Furkan Korkmaz Pays Ultimate Compliment To Luka Doncic

A benefit to being a franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers is they tend to get lucky and find a superstar to lead them through various eras. That next face is Luka Doncic and the hope is he will be…

Charles Barkley: Lakers Are Luka Doncic’s Team Now

A passing of the torch is always an intriguing time in an organization's history and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in that position with Luka Doncic. For the first time in LeBron James' career, he is not the focal…

Kobe Bryant & Michael Jordan Trading Card Sells For Record $12.9 Million In Heritage Auction

Over the weekend, Heritage auctioned off a 1-of-1 basketball card featuring signatures from Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan. This exclusive item was featured during their Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction that took place…