The Los Angeles Lakers found a way to keep everyone’s mind off Dwight Howard on Wednesday evening. About an hour before game time, Steve Blake walked out of the Lakers’ locker room wearing a suit.
Nick Young was reportedly vocally upset and had to be coached by the Lakers’ PR staff to keep the details and his emotions quiet. After that, Blake walked out into the corridor and toward his car.
NBCLA.com caught up with the veteran point guard, as he attempted to process what all had happened. Apparently, Blake was told that he had been traded to the Golden State Warriors.
“I had no idea,” Blake said. “I was in my warm ups, in my uniform. I was ready to go.”
As details emerged, NBCLA.com can confirm that the Lakers will receive Kent Bazemore and Marshon Brooks in return. Bazemore is a 24-year-old shooting guard out of Old Dominion University, and Brooks is a 25-year-old small guard/forward out of Providence College. Neither player would be categorized as a star.
Blake, as he ambled toward his car, expressed concern for his wife and children before professing his love for the city and his time in Los Angeles.
“Absolutely,” Blake responded when asked if he would consider coming back to LA as a free agent in the upcoming summer. “I loved my time here...you start to get comfortable, and we loved where we lived.”
However, Blake goes from a team at the bottom of the Western Conference to a team that has postseason aspirations.
“I’m going to, obviously, a really really good team,” Blake said.
Still, Blake was adamant that Los Angeles and the Lakers had been great to him.
“I always loved the support of the fans,” Blake added as he walked off to a car and likely boarded the next flight out of town.
