One seeming Los Angeles Lakers lifer is now no longer with them the team.
Bill Oram of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Lakers have parted ways with longtime equipment manager Carlos Maples, who on Thursday tendered his resignation. Maples had been with the team for over 30 years, dating all the way back to the Showtime era. He started with the team as a 13-year-old ball boy in the 1980s and went on to work under every Lakers head coach since Pat Riley.
Oram adds that the move is “surprising,” given Maples’ history with the Lakers and the team being just months into the LeBron James era. He does also note however that the 16-time champions have undergone a massive overhaul of staffers across all departments under Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, who took over in the front office in early 2017.
Indeed, we see examples of how the Lakers are making a point of moving on from the past, but the abrupt end of Maples’ over three-decade-long tenure with them still feels a bit odd.
