Mitch Kupchak, after 36 years, says goodbye to the Los Angeles Lakers

Posted Feb 28, 2017
Mitch Kupchak was ready. He was going to be a Laker for life. Not the king of Los Angeles or even a member of the marquee group, but it was enough. The season was 1981-82, and the 26-year-old Kupchak (newly outfitted with a seven-year, $6.3 million free-agent deal given to him by Los Angeles basketball chief Jerry West) was set to be the team’s power forward of the 1980s. (Yahoo! Sports)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Jarin Stevenson's Versatility Critical For New-Look Tar Heels
Chapel Hill native Jarin Stevenson enter his senior season with no Caleb Wilson or Henri Veesaar, a new coach, and a fresh group of teammates...
Mon Sep 7, 2026

Big expectations: Inside Michael Malone’s retooling of UNC’s frontcourt
The centerpiece of UNC Basketball's rebuild is Sayon Keita, a 7-foot-1, 205-pound prospect Michael Malone scouted personally in Huelva, Spain, shortly after taking the job...
Sun Sep 6, 2026

Michael Malone on first transfer portal experience: ‘I felt like I was Keanu Reeves in The Matrix’
The Tar Heels, who had a laundry list of candidates, eventually reached a deal with NBA Champion head coach Michael Malone, which was a landmark...
Sun Sep 6, 2026

Scorers, shooters, and facilitators: Michael Malone’s backcourt takes shape
"When that portal opened the day I got the job, it seems like five months ago, we addressed the backcourt,” Michael Malone said at a...
Sun Sep 6, 2026