LA Lakers News Roundup: Lakers superstar tops the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, Denver Nuggets star reminisces about Kobe Bryant and more - May 12th, 2022  

NBA powerhouse the LA Lakers have never been off the airwaves. The most storied franchise in league history has had a tumultuous campaign. They have been linked with major moves this summer to get back to competing for the title next season.

Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis' futures with the franchise have been a constant in the news. The firing of head coach Frank Vogel has been the headline act of the Lakers front office since the end of their season.

With that said, here is the latest LA Lakers News Roundup for May 12th, 2022, brought to you by Sportskeeda.

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LeBron James tops the list of the highest paid athletes in the world

LeBron James courtside against the Phoenix Suns.

LA Lakers superstar LeBron James has topped the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world. The NBA superstar has beaten out the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and others.

The four-time champion and Finals MVP took home $127 million in the last 12 months. This includes his salary from the Lakers and his business ventures off the court as well. Messi and Ronaldo finished second and third, respectively, by taking home $122 million and $115 million, respectively.

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Jamal Murray takes to Twitter remembering Kobe Bryant

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray took to Twitter to post a three-worded tweet about how he misses Kobe Bryant. The former LA Lakers great was an incredible influence on players such as Murray and Jayson Tatum.

Murray has been out of action for quite some time as the Nuggets star is recovering from an ACL injury suffered last year in April. However, he was possibly in line to return to action had the Nuggets gone deep into the postseason this year.

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Phil Jackson wants to keep Russell Westbrook and trade LeBron James

Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss in attendance for one of the games.

Former LA Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is reportedly advising owner Jeanie Buss to move on from LeBron James. He recommended keeping Russell Westbrook as the focal point of the franchise, according to Bill Plaschke of the LA Times. Plaschke said:

"I’ve heard that Phil would like LeBron traded. I’ve just heard that, but I’ve got nothing to back that up. No on-the-record stuff to back that up. I do know that Phil would like to keep Westbrook and try to make that work with him."

Jackson and James have a history as the former head coach is not a fan of James' entourage and referred to them as his "posse." Jackson also has a bad history with James' teammate Carmelo Anthony.