Trading Block

Are some of the Lakers youth on the trading block?  In recent weeks, we've seen the the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance in trade discussions with various teams.  It'll be interesting to see, as these players were part of the Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak regime.  The three have been role players this year in Coach Luke Walton's system, as the emergence of rookie Kyle Kuzma and his Kobe-esque mamba like mentality has been tremendous.  And, with the Lakers shooting for high profile free agent superstars this summer, the Lakers need to do all they can to get dump as much salary possible.  Is LeBron James, Paul George or DeMarcus Cousins in the cards?  We'll find out.

Clarkson and Randle have played well in recent games, helping the Lakers to their 6th win in their last 8 games.  Both scored 27+ points in today's win vs. the New York Knicks.

Crypto Weekend Updates

Cryptocurrency markets have struggled in recent weeks, fueling selloffs driven by Asian markets denouncing support.  It remains to be seen what the future will hold, but there is still heavy support for the methodology behind the virtual currency -- blockchain.  Read more about it and decide for yourself.

Is Luke in the cards for next year?

The Lakers are riding a 4-game winning streak for the first time all season.  However, it hasn't always been rosy this year for Laker coach Luke Walton, who is trying to find his way with this team and to get his players to gel.  If anyone wanted to question if he was on the same page with the Lakers brass, here you go.  In Luke we trust...

Need Momentum?

Suits, the legal drama now in its 7th season, is well known for its witty quotes by Harvey Specter and Mike Ross, both of which are main characters on the series. Following are some of Harvey's sayings that even me and you can utilize when you need to drum up some momentum!

1.  Sometimes good guys gotta do bad things to make the bad guys pay.
2.  It's not bragging if it's true.
3.  What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head?  You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one.  Or, you call their bluff.  Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty six other things.
4.  They think you care, they'll walk all over you.
5.  The ends don't justify the means until it's your ass on the line.
6.  Sorry I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.
7.  Ever loved someone so much, you would do anything for them?  Yeah, well make that someone yourself and do whatever the hell you want.
8.  You always have a choice.
9.  Loyalty is a two-way street.  If I'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me.
10.  I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I don't want to.
11.  That's the difference between you and me, you wanna lose small, I wanna win big!
12.  Winners don't make excuses when the other side plays the game!
13.  I don't get lucky.  I make my own luck.
14.  Anyone can do my job, but no one can be me.
15.  I don't take meetings, I set them, and my respect isn't demanded, it's earned.

Who Won?

Leading up to this year’s NBA draft, many around the league have been wondering where Paul George (“PG13″), a forward who has spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers, will end up given his recently stated intentions that he prefers to play for his childhood favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers.  PG13 becomes a free agent after the 2017-18 season ends.  Having grown up in Palmdale, PG13 is familiar with southern California and would love nothing more than to reunite with his childhood dream team.  Several sources who are close to PG13 have indicated his intentions to come back to Los Angeles next year, regardless of which team he is traded to.  So which team won the 1-year rental fight?  The Oklahoma City Thunder, which shed Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, were the winners here, as they really didn’t give up too many assets and instead they get PG13, a proven veteran All-Star who averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 rebound during the 2016-17 season.

PG13 was coveted by many teams but the fact that he made his feelings well known that he wants to be a Laker put off many teams, but those who felt they didn't need to give up too much in exchange for 1-year (at a minimum), was enough.  In addition, whichever team traded for him would end up with his bird rights and allow them the opportunity to offer a max deal next year.

So who is the real winner here?  I tend to think the Lakers  were smart not to give up assets to acquire PG13 because they feel they are confident they will get him next year in free agency and they’ll be a far better, deeper team when they do.  The Thunder will likely not make it to the Western Conference finals, even with PG13, making it much more likely he bolts from OKC to Los Angeles.   Only time will tell.

Conversations

Recently, I was requested by INSPIRERY to do an interview about my career and my story. It was a fun experience.  Check it out!  Here's a snippet:

"Born in Fresno, California in August of 1977, Bronson Quon was the youngest of two sons belonging to the Quon family.  When he was 7 years of age, the Quon family relocated to Visalia to support the family grocery business.  From an early age, Bronson started taking Shotokan karate lessons along with his brother and earned his black belt when he was 14.  An avid sports fan, Bronson also played track and football in high school.  It was through his experience in sports where he learned teamwork, commitment, and focus.  After graduating from high school, Bronson studied business administration with an emphasis in Accounting at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.  He was fortunate to have experienced internships at two Fortune 500 companies prior to kickstarting his career in public accounting in southern California.  The exposure to a mix of public and private businesses in various industries, as well as earning his CPA license in the state of California, helped provide a well-rounded background and eventually, Bronson went into the private industry where he has served in various financial management positions in electronic payments, real estate property tax and software-as-a-service (SAAS) in the auto industry.  The collection of industries, employers, and experiences in the business world have helped shape Bronson who he is today.  Along the way, there were both good and bad decisions, successes and failures, mistakes and emotions.  During this time, Bronson married the love of his life and has two beautiful daughters.  If there is anything Bronson has learned, it’s that family is everything.  Happy wife equals happy life, so no matter how difficult or challenging work is, the one constant in one’s life will be family.  If family is disturbed, the entire work/life balance will be disrupted."

Other interviews in the past include:

EPN

IdeaMensch

Voices of Marketing

How Good was KD?

This past Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors took Game 1 of the Finals by sticking it to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  When King James was asked what stood out about the Warriors in Game 1, his response was "KD".  My gosh, how good was KD in Game 1?  A stat line read 38 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds when it was all said and done.  Now, there have for sure been better performances in NBA history in the Finals.  But we all know, for those who watched, that KD was on fire.  He relished the moment and made mincemeat of any opposing player.  He drove and dunked.  He fired from 3 point range.  He completed an alley oop.  He took a charge from Lebron.  He ignored Rihanna yelling "brick".  He was everywhere and he helped the Warriors take advantage of home court.  KD has a lot to prove given his offseason transition from OKC.  Whether you agreed with his move or not, winning seems to solve a lot of problems, like shutting the haters up.  The Warriors likely would have been in the same position they're in now without KD, but I have to admit that they're a lot stronger and confident with him in the lineup.  If I was Lebron, I'd be a bit shaken from Game 1, especially with a potential 5th Final's defeat looming.  There's only been 1 game so let's not count out the Cavaliers just yet.  If history is an indicator of future performance, there's a lot of basketball left to play.  And it's going to be fun!