Baseball is diamond in the rough to black players at Gardena Serra

May 15, 2013

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon on a cluttered street in Gardena, some very big and skilled athletes are hanging out on a concrete basketball court, bouncing around underneath rusted backboards and chain nets, acting out a typical inner-city scene, with one small exception.

With this Little League squad, it's a mom-and-pop-up operation

May 11, 2013

The manager was rushing directly to practice from work, so she jogged onto the infield carrying a plastic bucket of baseballs while wearing a skirt.

Without a turnaround, Dodgers could turn to someone other than Don Mattingly

May 10, 2013

The new Dodgers owners, it turns out, jazzed up every corner of Dodger Stadium but one.

Fan can't believe Matt Kemp's gesture

May 8, 2013

He had just made the final out in a city where his name is booed, his jersey is reviled, and his team had been swept.

From the hire point, the descent can be sudden for L.A. coaches

May 4, 2013

He was once the face of college basketball, Hoosiers personified, a small-town kid who this spring brought a smile, a swagger and a national championship resume to the UCLA program.

He's just the man to lead the Lakers: Phil for president

May 1, 2013

On farewell day, they waved until their hands hurt.

Lakers, Dwight Howard need to walk away from each other

April 29, 2013

His exit from the Lakers' season was as regal as his entrance, Dwight Howard surrounded by screams and gasps as he swaggered through the Staples Center tunnel into the shadows of summer.

Mike D'Antoni takes chants, still hopes to turn them to cheers

April 28, 2013

It is the chant that has defined the season, yet somehow has not defined the man.

This can't end soon enough for the Lakers

April 27, 2013

The Lakers guard stepped to the foul line and the familiar chant rose from the Staples Center crowd.

Dwight Howard can't hold it all together for Lakers

April 25, 2013

SAN ANTONIO -- Kobe Bryant wasn't tweeting Wednesday night, so perhaps the most compelling electronic observation came from a text sent to press row from a neighbor who probably spoke for a city.

If Steve Nash is on his last legs, the Lakers could be on theirs

April 22, 2013

SAN ANTONIO — He was the last one to climb off the trainer's table, trudging through the musty high school gym Monday with the pained look of a kid who had just left detention.

While Lakers lose, Kobe Bryant lets off steam on Twitter

April 21, 2013

SAN ANTONIO — On the court here, surrounded by hostile screams and rattling balloons and at least one dude in a black Lucha Libre mask, the new Lakers were struggling to find themselves.

Lakers begin playoffs with a '1996' vibe, and that could be bad

April 20, 2013

The last time they tried this, it didn't go so well.

Dwight Howard is looking super again

April 18, 2013

In the final minutes of the final night of the regular season, one of the NBA's freshest stars was met in front of the basket by one of the NBA's most frustrating stars.

In the list of great Lakers accomplishments, this isn't one of them

April 18, 2013

Lakers aren't good-looking, but they'll have fun while it lasts

April 15, 2013

On the first night of the rest of their season, the Lakers without Kobe Bryant looked like Steve Blake's bright purple low-cut sneakers.

As Jackie Robinson was making history, Wendell Smith wrote it

April 14, 2013

Baseball's greatest story will be rewritten again Monday as the sport celebrates the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking the major leagues' color barrier.

Lakers weren't strong enough to protect Kobe Bryant from himself

April 13, 2013

Earlier this season, when Kobe Bryant was in the middle of a mindless streak during which he played at least 40 minutes in 10 consecutive games, his coach could only laugh about it.

Lakers' balloon 'popped' with Kobe Bryant injury

April 13, 2013

He carried the Lakers for as long as his weary body could carry them, a relentless giant among underachieving mortals.

If only Shaq, Kobe said it in public

April 3, 2013

Shaquille O'Neal dominated the Staples Center court one more time Tuesday, in a halftime jersey retirement ceremony that perfectly mirrored his Lakers career.

New blue harmony in Dodgers' opening-day win

April 2, 2013

It was a mound of mystique, on a day of magic.

New UCLA Coach Steve Alford steps out on a big stage — is he ready?

March 31, 2013

He has a rock-star image with an opening-act resume.

For Westmont College women, sadness fueled an ardor on the court

March 30, 2013

MONTECITO — Her final pep talk wasn't a pep talk at all. Kirsten Moore was beyond pep.

Aaron Craft is Ohio State's fearless leader

March 29, 2013

He not only made the winning pass, he ordered the winning basket.

UCLA wants more than Ben Howland could deliver—and it's entitled to

March 25, 2013

How can they fire a coach who just won a conference championship? How can they fire a leader who spent 10 years winning more than twice as many games as he lost? How can they fire a salesman who last season brought in the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the country?

Only thing UCLA did was start the clock ticking

March 23, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas -- It wasn't so much a goodbye wave as a slap in the face.

There's no Cinderella, and other keys to picking bracket winners

March 19, 2013

I know the look. For the last three decades, every year at this time, I get the look.

There's no sugar-coating it, Ben Howland is on thin ice at UCLA

March 17, 2013

LAS VEGAS — Despite the sudden loss of one of its best young players, the UCLA basketball team showed up here Saturday night determined not to throw in the towel.

Jordan Adams' worst moment comes after best game

March 16, 2013

LAS VEGAS — This could only happen in this town, at this moment, to this dramatic, desperate, dancing-with-doom UCLA basketball team.

Sleepy Bruins wake up in time to put Arizona State to bed

March 14, 2013

LAS VEGAS — A UCLA basketball team that has sleepwalked through parts of the season has taken the metaphor to an entirely new level.

At 77, he's running marathons for two

March 12, 2013

He runs with a cellphone pressed tightly against his hip, but she never calls, so for 26.2 miles he runs with his memories.

A tribe's favorite son comes up big

March 9, 2013

SOBOBA INDIAN RESERVATION, Calif. — On a cracked and weed-choked court buffeted by mountain winds and watched by coyotes, the basketballs seem to grow on trees.

In keeping Kobe Bryant, not Shaq, Jerry Buss made right call

March 7, 2013

It was the summer of 2004, and an aging sports owner was faced with a decision for the ages. It was a choice between two small words with giant ramifications. It was a hurried selection that would last forever.

Jerry Buss' everlasting purple and bold effect

March 3, 2013

Jerry Buss may be gone, but Jerry Buss hasn't gone anywhere.

Jerry Buss and Earvin Johnson made magic together

March 3, 2013

The beloved mentor and his favorite student spent their final hours together holding hands on a hospital bed.

From Lakers insider to food truck driver

February 28, 2013

The hand that once wrote about daily NBA schedules on a greaseboard in the Lakers' locker room now composes daily specials on a surfboard propped against a sunset-colored truck.

Matt Kemp sets the tone for the Dodgers in more ways than one

February 23, 2013

There are many accents in the rich and diverse Dodgers clubhouse this spring. There are a babel of twangs and tones from the Far East to western Australia, from the Dominican Republic to Defiance, Ohio.

A memorial service perfectly suited to Jerry Buss: glitz, grace and some goofiness

February 22, 2013

The stage was filled with flowers and gold. The audience was filled with short skirts and diamonds.

To replace Jerry Buss, Lakers should dream of Jeanie

February 20, 2013

He was speaking only for his weary and rumpled self, speaking in the singular, sorrowful tones of someone who just lost a boss and friend of more than three decades.

Jerry Buss' legacy is creating a team all of Los Angeles could love

February 19, 2013

Jerry Buss was one of the greatest owners in the history of professional sports, the creator of the most entertaining championship teams ever, a fearless pioneer who bonded a giant and disparate city under a brilliant blanket of purple and gold.

To Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss was friend, mentor and 'second father'

February 19, 2013

The beloved mentor and his favorite student spent their final hours together holding hands on a hospital bed.

Sandy Koufax revels in his roots as he comes to help Dodgers bloom

February 18, 2013

— Shortly after noon Sunday, a black SUV pulled up at the front door of Camelback Ranch amid the breathless aura of a royal homecoming.

Yasiel Puig, Eddie Oropesa: In Dodgers camp they're perfect match

February 16, 2013

PHOENIX — They dress side by side in the Dodgers' spring training clubhouse, the hot prospect and the old pitcher, worlds apart, inseparably linked.

Zack Greinke gets through anxious moments

February 15, 2013

PHOENIX — His face is shadowed under an oversized baseball cap. His gaze is often averted to the ceiling or floor. His handshake is distant, his voice is small, his sentences trail off into awkward silence.

Mike Piazza pushes himself further from Dodgers with Vin Scully comments

February 14, 2013

Mike Piazza would never exist today. He would have to be created by the Hollywood machine that once embraced him.

This is not the Steve Nash the Lakers hoped for

February 13, 2013

He drives the lane, spins and slips backward like a fading star. He returns to the lane and scores on a layup under two defenders like a kid.

They were two Caltech games for the record books

February 10, 2013

The 108th loss of Mason Freedman's college athletic career probably looked pretty much like the rest of them.

A month when the Bruins must seize the day

February 8, 2013

February Madness. Larry Drew II dribbles to his left, throws up a jumper, it drops down just as the backboard lights up, glowing red, dancing blue, swish, buzzer, game.

From the darkness emerges a Super Bowl with so many bright moments

February 4, 2013

NEW ORLEANS — It began with the light of the chorus from Sandy Hook Elementary school, saved children singing "America the Beautiful" in tiny voices that moved the soul.

No one should forget about Doug Williams

February 2, 2013

NEW ORLEANS — Just when this week's Super Bowl celebration reaches its bourbon-fueled, Cajun-spiced peak, the football player with the most to celebrate will be leaving.

Jim and John Harbaugh are brothers at arm's length

February 1, 2013

NEW ORLEANS — John Harbaugh, coach of the Baltimore Ravens, stepped onto the convention center stage wearing a suit, a tie and a smile.

Michael Oher prefers his Super Bowl role to being in 'Blind Side'

February 1, 2013

NEW ORLEANS — He's a real person. He's not some cartoon giant being dragged out of a cold fog by Sandra Bullock in a scene that made America cry.

Alex Smith handles demotion like a Super Bowl champion

January 30, 2013

NEW ORLEANS — Barely two months ago, Alex Smith stood alone under center as the NFL's hottest starting quarterback for one of its best teams.

The cold truth Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis can't completely escape

January 29, 2013

NEW ORLEANS — On a glittery stage in a giant football arena, a smiling Ray Lewis is speaking to dozens of journalists about playing this Super Bowl for a higher power.

A community loses its champion in killing of Victor McClinton

January 27, 2013

The people of these worn, winding Pasadena streets still aren't sure exactly who he is, this kid whose bullet tore through their community's soul on Christmas morning, leaving them with an emptiness felt from the faded bungalows of Garfield Avenue to the mansions of Linda Vista.

Dwight Howard is at center of the Lakers' issue

January 25, 2013

The words, spoken by a glowing superstar at the end of a giddy tournament, formed an outline of hope. Five months later, into this same blueprint a despairing team buries its head.

Clippers hold the floor now at Staples Center

January 23, 2013

It starts with the lights. The Clippers never dim the Staples Center lights, allowing their shrieking crowd to become one with their soaring team. The Lakers darken the arena as if they are performing in a nightclub, the Clippers act like they are playing Coachella.

Weird, wild Ravens are ready to shake up the Super Bowl

January 21, 2013

Dodgers should not be leaving Don Mattingly in limbo

January 19, 2013

On the third Saturday in January, the thermostats in the quaint river city of Evansville, Ind., read 53 degrees. But in the winter home of Don Mattingly, thetemperature was the same as it has been throughout the off-season, that being quietly boiling.

Manti Te'o hoax never should have gotten this far

January 18, 2013

This country's most inspirational sportsman is exposed as a cheat. Two of the greatest players in baseball history are denied entry into the Hall of Fame because they are cheats. The NFL spends the first three weeks of the season using fake referees. A college football powerhouse admits to switching uniform numbers and deflating footballs.

'This one's going to hurt for awhile' for Notre Dame

January 8, 2013

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On a night they summoned memories of the Four Horsemen, they were delivered only the Apocalypse.

Prediction: Notre Dame wins BCS title, and it'll echo through ages

January 6, 2013

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The images will be vivid, history will be haunting, ghosts will be everywhere.

Cierre Wood has the swagger — and the stats to back it up

January 5, 2013

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — He is the Irish whose eyes are smiling, his brows permanently raised in anticipation of saying something that would turn a golden dome bronze.

Stanford's old-school Rose Bowl win a welcome throwback trend

January 2, 2013

Thousands of voices counted down the final seconds. When is the last time you've heard modern sports fans, in unison, actually counting down the final seconds?

USC's dreadful performance is perfect way to conclude imperfect season

December 31, 2012

EL PASO — A football season that once swaggered through the warmth of a No. 1 ranking has curled up and expired in a cold, remote desert, buffeted by a chilled and foreboding wind.

For USC's Marqise Lee, there's quite a story behind the smile

December 24, 2012

And for Christmas, Marqise Lee gives us his smile.

Pau Gasol isn't the Lakers' problem, he's part of the solution

December 19, 2012

Pulling into a Staples Center parking lot Tuesday afternoon, I encountered the Lakers' biggest, shaggiest dilemma.

Signing of Josh Hamilton is another sign of Angels' drive to win

December 16, 2012

Outside, a red carpet stretched into the happiest restaurant on Earth, filled with giggling little girls and twinkling television trinkets and jolly Josh Hamilton squeezing his giant frame into a cheery red Angels jersey,

Angels paint the town red with Josh Hamilton

December 13, 2012

Josh Hamilton? Are you kidding me?

Dodgers show gambling side by rolling the dice on Hyun-Jin Ryu

December 11, 2012

It was one of the only moments in Monday's Dodgers news conference that didn't require translation.

Lakers' great expectations become two tales of one city

December 8, 2012

That didn't take long.

Sarah Baxter doesn't know how to lose

December 7, 2012

She is unbeaten, unreal, and wonderfully unaware.

For AEG's Tim Leiweke, it's been quite a year

December 5, 2012

In the year of his greatest triumphs, the most powerful man in Los Angeles sports was perhaps never stronger than when he took the hand of a child.

Jim Mora has UCLA positioned for a real run now

December 1, 2012

PALO ALTO -- They are close.

UCLA basketball's fresh start hits sour notes

November 30, 2012

It's nearly midnight on a rainy Wednesday, and Ben Howland is sitting in the only part of new Pauley Pavilion that is not spacious and sparkling.

Era of the dumb jock is slowly ending in college football

November 28, 2012

There is one word you've been hearing a lot lately to describe the best college football teams in the country. It is a strange word for a sport of violence. It is an odd way to describe our modern gladiators.

Lane Kiffin's snap decisions all go wrong for USC

November 25, 2012

Eight snaps. In a bulging Coliseum that shook with roars and swayed with groans, one football season for two teams was defined in eight snaps.

It's just football: That's why Max Wittek and USC will win

November 23, 2012

The greatest quarterback show I have personally witnessed this year occurred not on a football field, but in a banquet room.

Bernie Bickerstaff's long journey through life makes time with Lakers special

November 21, 2012

He sits on the second row. The moment he gave up the throne, he moved back to the second row. It suits him there. His journey makes sense from there. He is as close to the ushers as the superstars. He is midway between his deepest roots and wildest dreams.

Double shock: USC falls, and Pat Haden says Lane Kiffin to return

November 17, 2012

Outside, amid the swaying and chanting of thousands of fans in soggy blue ponchos, shock pelted the Rose Bowl like the cold rain.

Mike D'Antoni's job with Lakers is to sell his offense to Dwight Howard

November 16, 2012

In one corner of the Lakers' practice gym, even on one crutch, Mike D'Antoni was jumping through the roof.

USC sword-stabbing tradition has no place on the Rose Bowl field

November 15, 2012

In the last 15 years, I've covered nearly every USC road game where the Trojans marching band performs on the field, and there's always a moment in those games that makes me cringe.

Blame starts at top for Lakers' bungling of Phil Jackson's return

November 13, 2012

In the final minutes of practice Monday, the Lakers were playing a pickup game. The rich and gifted athletes were running up and down the gym floor like chaotic children on a playground, gunning and fouling and arguing.

Why Lakers' hiring of Mike D'Antoni is bad, in 7 seconds or less

November 12, 2012

The new Lakers coach famously wants his players to shoot in seven seconds or less. I’m not going to require that long to list the reasons that hiring Mike D'Antoni was yet another Buss blunder.

USC's Marqise Lee has no equal in college football

November 10, 2012

Deflate the balls until they are prunes, switch the jerseys until Lane Kiffin is wearing one, and it still won't detract from one undeniable USC truth.

Firing Mike Brown smells of Laker panic

November 10, 2012

The older man stepped into the crowded interview room and sighed. Appropriately, Bernie Bickerstaff's first official statement as the Lakers' interim coach was a whispered expletive.

USC football incident further deflates Trojans' image

November 8, 2012

Three months ago, the USC Trojans had proudly survived NCAA probation to become the top-ranked team in college football.

Mark McGwire earns his chance for a new path with Dodgers

November 7, 2012

When you think of Mark McGwire, you think of numbers, but not those numbers.

Lakers' Steve Blake vs. fan leads to a fine

November 7, 2012

Of all the wacko things that have happened at the start of this Lakers season, this one takes the raspberry cake.

Trojans simply defenseless against high-flying Ducks

November 4, 2012

The game had long since ended, yet the right-hand number on the scoreboard was still glowing, just below where the Olympic flame was still burning.

Now is not the time for Lakers to get rid of Mike Brown

November 2, 2012

Mike Brown finished a long post-practice talk with Pau Gasol on Thursday, walked to a corner of the practice gym, and waited for the media to surround him for his daily interview session.

Lakers' All-Stars left seeing stars after Dallas knocks them dizzy

October 31, 2012

There were so many people standing and taking photos with their phones, I couldn't see the Lakers warming up.

Who says the NBA is unpredictable?

October 28, 2012

It's the most anticipated NBA season in Los Angeles history, so what are we waiting for?

Nobody beats talented but undisciplined Trojans like themselves

October 28, 2012

TUCSON, Ariz. — Marqise Lee dropped to the desert floor as if deliriously parched, covering his head with his hands and kicking his legs.

The Giants leave the Dodgers in their wake

October 26, 2012

The truth hurts. It blinds with the sight of thousands of flapping orange towels. It deafens with the blah-blah-blah about Buster and Bochy and Belt. It batters with every roundhouse kick by that thick third baseman known as Kung Fu Panda.

Alex Rodriguez a temptation Dodgers, Angels must resist

October 19, 2012

I need to get a message to the Dodgers and Angels, and I need to do it quick.

Ben Howland and UCLA wait on the NCAA, and for the smoke to clear

October 17, 2012

I'm watching Kansas basketball players dancing across their court Gangnam Style. I'm watching Tom Izzo marching across his Michigan State court dressed like Iron Man. From all corners of the country, I'm hearing of screeches and laughs while feeling the joyful warmth that accompanies the start of college basketball practice.

USC passes up a chance for a big win at Washington

October 14, 2012

SEATTLE -- In one wide-eyed moment, cutting through this hostile waterside swatch of football field like a fog horn, Matt Barkley was leading USC to another resounding victory.

The national pastime becomes a time machine

October 11, 2012

I'm playing hooky. It's Thursday around noon, and a column is due, but it's 1970 and I'm playing hooky.

He says 'Bruins,' they say 'Go'

October 10, 2012

The world's oldest living cheerleader knows he can not only inspire, but irritate. He knows his corny chants can grate on every man, woman and child. He knows there are folks who wish he would just sit down and shut up.

Lakers games become can't-watch-TV

October 6, 2012

The Lakers' first exhibition game is on television Sunday night, but not on my television, and probably not on your television.

USC's Matt Barkley comes back with answers to all the questions

October 5, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY — His Heisman Trophy gone, his team's national title hopes faded, Matt Barkley probably wondered what else could get snatched from him.

Seeing positives in the Dodgers' done deal of a season

October 3, 2012

They had their chance. For one prolonged, precious moment Tuesday night, the Dodgers had complete control of this crazy race for the National League's second wild card.

A Lakers title? Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard can get it, together

October 2, 2012

The Lakers' media-day buzz was a chaotic roar Monday, a sweaty mosh pit filled with clacking cameras and bumping reporters shouting at superstars who were lucky to avoid injury or asphyxiation.

Dodgers' fans deserve some different prizes

September 30, 2012

Oh, good, it's time for that annual ritual in which the Dodgers attempt to appease those unfortunate ticketholders who spend one inning trying to park and two innings trying to buy a hot dog.

Love the game? Thank a zebra

September 28, 2012

They walked on to the Baltimore football field Thursday evening surrounded by huge cheers, standing cheers, and the NFL's newest stars smiled and tipped their caps.

The NFL is a habit America just can't kick

September 26, 2012

Go ahead. Stop watching the NFL. I dare you.

NFL losing credibility with each blown call by replacement refs

September 25, 2012

The fans have spoken. Did you hear the cursing chant from Baltimore? When the Ravens faithful had finally endured enough of the NFL's arrogance Sunday, they rained a unified two-syllable expletive down upon the fake officials that walloped millions of television viewers like a Ray Lewis forearm. I've heard that curse chanted before, but it's never been so consistently loud, and never so amazingly long.

NFL losing credibility with each blown call by replacement refs

September 25, 2012

Hail Mary. Holy hell.

USC is a long way from a preseason No. 1

September 23, 2012

The storm may have passed, but the rumblings persist.

C'mon Lane Kiffin: Trojans are about swagger, not nitpicking

September 21, 2012

Earlier this week, angered by a question about the return of an injured player, Lane Kiffin stormed out of a daily news conference after less than 30 seconds.

UCLA's Brett Hundley gets it

September 12, 2012

Quick, who is the last African American to lead the UCLA football team in passing?

Sportsmanship takes a timeout in USC-UCLA game

November 29, 2009

At the end of a long, brutal fight, Pete Carroll extended an olive branch.

Lakers move the wrong move going with Ron Artest

July 3, 2009

Less than three weeks after the parade, the NBA champion Lakers have already met the biggest threat to their throne.

Lakers' Buss knows when to hold 'em

March 2, 2008

The best owner in the history of professional sports is strolling through his sprawling hilltop home when he comes upon an ornate wooden door riddled with three gaping holes.

A sullied part of Dodgers' history

December 14, 2007

The scene is chilling in its deceit, and startling in its chaos.

Progress was rarely seen in Dorrell era, much like the coach

December 2, 2007

His offense ran off the field for the last time, their soiled and bandaged jerseys passing his spotless and pressed jacket.

Lakers need to speak now to bring the peace

May 30, 2007

This city's most beloved sports storefront stands today covered in dripping eggs and nasty graffiti.

Swarming to Task, They Really Can Win This

April 2, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS — Just when everyone thought they had UCLA's number, the Bruins changed it.

Murray's impact still is plain to hear

March 30, 2006

TEN years ago, when an editor discovered me shivering underneath a pile of one-sentence paragraphs and inexplicably made me a Times sports columnist, I knew there would be changes.

Cohen Didn't Act the Part, so of Course She Didn't Get the Part

February 24, 2006

TURIN, Italy — She didn't want to be there.