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Luke Walton gathered his team after practice in the middle of the court to deliver a message the players needed after Thursday’s season-opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

LeBron James prepares to challenge a shot by Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum in the season opener on Oct. 18, 2018, two days before he makes his Staples Center debut. (Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James prepares to challenge a shot by Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum in the season opener on Oct. 18, 2018, two days before he makes his Staples Center debut. (Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

He spoke about attention to detail and about making the most of their time — this after a long Friday session that focused heavily on defense.

What might have helped drive his message home was one Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s voice. On Friday morning, Kendrick Lamar spoke to the Lakers as part of their “genius series,” through which the Lakers’ front office aims to expose their players to high achievers in different fields. He spoke about his preparation for shows and for recording albums, and how he shields himself from negativity before performing.

“He talked about accountability, guys that hold him accountable in his own profession, whether he’s doing a show, whether he’s in the booth working on a song or working on an album,” Lakers guard Josh Hart said. “When he’s working on a album before it comes out, six months before he starts working on it, he starts getting into that mind-set of how he wants the dialogue to go, how he wants the listener to react. Stuff like that.

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