The Land O'Lakers Podcast by the Kamenetzky Brothers

Kobe Bryant is done as a Laker. We look back on his career with Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, who covered Kobe through the Threepeat years. Then, we remember the life and music of Prince, who died Thursday at 57.

D'Angelo Russell made a big mistake, accidentally leaking Nick Young talking about his infidelity. His teammates reportedly froze him out. What happens now? Plus, is Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside a good fit for the Lakers this summer in free agency? Karl Malone gets his Land O'Lakers statue, more sound from the first LaMarcus Aldridge pitch meeting, AAK! (Ask a Kamenetzky) and more.

This week, we take a break from the hustle and bustle of a rollicking Lakers season to hop in the NBA time machine.

Many of you know Jonathan Abrams from his newspaper work, whether the Los Angeles or New York Times, or more likely though his consistently excellent contributions to Grantland. Now, he's the author of "Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution," a fantastic look at the crop of young players entering the league straight from high school, starting with Kevin Garnett in 1995.

We talk a lot about KG, and even more about Kobe Bryant, and how he ended up with the Lakers in 1996. Why did those guys succeed? What are the common characteristics of the successful preps who made the leap? What about the guys who failed? Why did the rules change, and should they have changed?

It's a great book, and Abrams provides some fantastic perspective on iconic players from a fascinating chapter in NBA history. Listen to the podcast, then buy the book.

The Lakers nearly picked up a win Sunday against New York ... but would it have been worth it? Once again, Byron Scott's priorities are a topic of conversation. Is he chasing wins at the expense of development? After L.A.'s kiddie corps watched the fourth quarter against the Knicks in favor of Lou Williams, Marcelo Huertas, and Brandon Bass, many were asking the question.

So we did, too. What's the balance between one game and season long progress?

From there, we have an excerpt from our interview with Jonathan Abrams, formerly of Grantland, and the Times NY and LA about his new book, Boys to Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution (http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Among-Men-Prep-Pro/dp/0804139253). The full conversation comes next week, but here he talks about 1996, and how Kobe got to Los Angeles.

All that, plus the news of the day (including Kanye's offer to re-design Chuck the Condor, ostensibly in some sort of neutral colored post-apocalyptic theme), our Lakers Statue segment (featuring Vlade Divac!) and secret audio from the first LaMarcus Aldridge pitch meeting.

It's a doozy!

We're back!

We vowed not to podcast again until the Lakers earned their 12th victory of the 2015-16 season, and Tuesday, it happened! And we were so confident, we recorded before the purple and gold took the floor against the Nets.

On the agenda...

NBA News. Does Kyrie Irving really want out of Cleveland? Who loves Chuck the Condor? Is the Dirk Burger an appropriate culinary honor for Nowitzki? And how much has Phil Jackson actually helped the Knicks?

Lakers. Before D'Angelo Russell blew up for 39 Tuesday against Brooklyn, the big conversation of the week centered around his leadership skills. How good are they now? How good can they become?

We introduce the Lakers Statue Game. Everyone gets one, but where? And how big? This week, Nick Van Exel!

Finally, AAK! You ask a Kamenetzky, and we answer. Oscar talk -- Did Spotlight deserve best picture? Which NBA player takes down the bear from The Revenant? And finally, choosing between Iron Maiden and Rush, in concert.

The Lakers have a roster. Is it any good? How about the Summer League efforts? Should fans be encouraged or discouraged? Plus Cosby/Trump controversy, Batman vs. Superman, and more summer blockbuster spectaculars!

Big or small? Big or small? Big or small?

That was the question in the weeks leading up to Thursday's NBA Draft, and in the end the Lakers surprised a bunch of people -- and royally screwed the Philadelphia 76ers -- by selecting Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell with the second pick.

Good idea? We think so, break down why, and what about Russell appealed to the Lakers when push came to shove.

Plus, Larry Nance Jr. at 27 (and a most regrettable social media moment), Anthony Brown and 34, and what the new stable of Lakers means for their free agent search going forward. Mitch Kupchak says they'll look to bolster the frontcourt. Does that mean LaMarcus Aldridge? Greg Monroe? Kevin Love?

Plus, Mitch interviews Robin Lopez!!!

Who should the Lakers take with the second pick in the NBA Draft? Should they dump Byron for Thibs? What about Kevin Love, is he LA bound? Plus Caitlyn Jenner, and the NBA Finals.

Should the Lakers sign Rajon Rondo?

The Kamenetzky Brothers break down LA's horrible showing in ESPN's Front Office rankings, talk Kevin Durant's season ending injury, off category "Final Fours," and much, much more.