15 trades that rocked Southern California sports, from Chamberlain to Doncic

• February 5, 2025

Luka Doncic hardly is the first superstar to be traded to or from a local team, but the newest Laker brings with him such a rare combination of a sensational track record and so much promise for the future that this feels different.

Doncic, who was acquired Saturday from the Dallas Mavericks, was introduced Tuesday at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, sparking comparisons to other game-changing players who arrived in the region via trade.

Here’s a chronological look at 15 trades that shook the local sports scene, starting with the first by the Lakers that led to a championship and ending with the Doncic deal:

Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers, July 9, 1968: Chamberlain already had a title and four MVP awards when the Lakers landed him just before he turned 32, but he helped the Lakers reach the NBA Finals four times and win it all in 1972 – the season that included their record 33-game winning streak.

Nolan Ryan to the Angels, Dec. 10, 1971: Forget that GM Buzzie Bavasi later let him go with the insult that he could replace him with two 8-7 pitchers. For a time, the Angels had the most exciting pitcher in baseball, and he threw four of his record seven no-hitters and a modern-era record 383 strikeouts in a season for them.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers, June 16, 1975: Like Chamberlain, he had a title and multiple MVPs when the Lakers traded for him. But Abdul-Jabbar played 14 seasons with the Lakers, won another three MVPs, set the since-topped NBA scoring record and, once Magic Johnson was drafted, won five championships.

Eric Dickerson from the Rams, Oct. 31, 1987: Rams fans might rank this as the No. 2 worst moment in franchise history behind that temporary – OK, 21-season – relocation to St. Louis. Dickerson was one of the top players in the league and ran for nearly 7,000 yards in his first four seasons. The Rams got two running backs and six picks in return, but Dickerson had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for the Colts and ended up in the Hall of Fame.

Wayne Gretzky to the Kings, Aug. 9, 1988: Canadian fans despised this deal so much that government officials tried to stop it. Gretzky won a Hart Trophy in his first season, had 918 points in eight seasons and reached one Stanley Cup Final with the Kings. More important, he changed the region’s relationship with hockey forever. The Anaheim Ducks would not exist without this trade.

Teemu Selanne to the Ducks, Feb. 7, 1996: His arrival created one of the most lethal one-two punches in the region’s history with Paul Kariya. Selanne was traded to San Jose in 2001, but his relationship with the Ducks led to a reunion in 2005, a Stanley Cup in 2007 and his status as one of the most popular athletes ever in Orange County.

Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, July 11, 1996: Those who remember Bryant wasn’t drafted by the Lakers might argue that this was the most consequential trade in local sports history. After all, Bryant – acquired after the Charlotte Hornets picked him – was part of five championship teams in his 20 seasons with the Lakers, earned one MVP award and two NBA Finals MVPs and 18 All-Star selections in his Hall of Fame career.

Mike Piazza from the Dodgers, May 14, 1998: This was the Dodgers’ version of the Dickerson deal, though Piazza was even more popular locally. The future Hall of Famer was sent to the Florida Marlins in a trade that brought the Dodgers Gary Sheffield, but it angered a lot of fans that they didn’t reach a contract extension with the big-hitting catcher. He quickly went to the New York Mets, the team whose cap he wears on his plaque in Cooperstown.

Pau Gasol to the Lakers, Feb. 1, 2008: Bryant won his first three titles with Shaquille O’Neal, but once the big man was traded to Miami in 2004 it took some time for the Lakers to return to the top. The addition of Gasol from Memphis, however, immediately elevated them. They went to the NBA Finals three years in a row and won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

Anthony Davis to the Lakers, July 6, 2019: When the Lakers got Davis from New Orleans, the results were immediate. The Lakers won their first title since 2010 with the combination of Davis’ presence in the middle and LeBron James.

Paul George to the Clippers, July 10, 2019: This seemed like it could be exactly what the Clippers needed to reach the top when combined with Kawhi Leonard’s signing. The Clippers, however, reached the conference finals only once in George’s time with the team.

Mookie Betts to Dodgers, Feb. 10, 2020: Some wonder if Red Sox fans hate this more than Dodger fans love it. Betts had won a title with Boston and was adored there. He’s at two World Series titles with the Dodgers so far and made it clear following their triumph over the Yankees that he’s not done.

Matthew Stafford to Rams, March 18, 2021: The Rams’ swap of quarterbacks with the Detroit Lions led immediately to their only Super Bowl title in Los Angeles, so some of their local fans consider this the ultimate trade. It’s hard to argue from a local NFL standpoint.

Kelsey Plum to Sparks, Feb. 1, 2025: This significant WNBA deal was instantly overshadowed by the Doncic trade, but the three-time All-Star should lift the Sparks from a forgettable 2024 season.

Luka Doncic to Lakers. Feb. 1, 2025: The shocking trade draws justified comparisons to some of the biggest in the region’s history. Doncic only turns 26 on Feb. 28 and already is a five-time All-NBA selection. Now he joins James and could long be the face of a franchise that thrives on superstar power.

​ Orange County Register 

Join the club: Apps to speed EV charging experience

• February 5, 2025

Now that you have bought your first EV, how will you keep it charged? Plugging into a standard 12-volt household outlet could take 50 hours or more to recharge a depleted battery. Drivers with garage space can install a Level 2 240-volt charger, which slices recharge time to 4 to 10 hours to reach 80 to 100 percent.

EV drivers without access to home charging are dependent on public charging, but it can be challenging to find an open charger and then swipe your credit card to get things started, with the hope there are no glitches with the payment system.

Downloading apps from network providers can improve your experience, said Electrify America spokesman Octavio Navarro.

A mobile app on a smartphone is like a loyalty perk. A network provider’s app will contain the user’s credit card information and identify available chargers, ruling out any that are down for repair.

“Starting the charge is much easier and works 95 percent of the time, vs. about 80 percent with just a credit card,” Navarro said. “People just showing up (without an app) have to wait if no charger is available.”

In-car app technology

Meanwhile, public EV charging is on the threshold of a dream with the advent of in-car app technology, said J.P. Canton, vice president of global communications for ChargePoint, a leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network. The dream for users, he said, “is to show up, plug in, pay, and go.”

“In-car charging technology is where the apps are going,” Canton said. “The next element is how are you finding, arriving and initiating the charge? The embedded charging app will tell the charger that the registered user is here and ready to charge.”

Some automakers are exploring partnerships with charging systems that allow drivers to make reservations at specific chargers. When the driver taps on the vehicle infotainment screen to seek a charge station, the system will locate it, map the route to the station, and reserve a slot in the user’s name.

“Moving from phone to dashboard is progressing pretty quickly,” Canton said. But until all EVs have built-in charging apps, a network’s charging app will still be needed to expedite the process.

Apps for public charging networks include:

• PlugShare: Shows the location of more than 300,000 charging stations worldwide and allows users to filter by plug type.
• ChargePoint: Helps users find and manage charging slots and shows sites based on price and speed.
• EVgo: Helps users find and pay for charging at EVgo’s 1,050 DC fast chargers.
• ChargeHub: Shows the location and status of charging stations across the US, including in rural areas.
• Chargeway: Helps users find working chargers and determine if they have enough range to reach them.
• EVHotels: Helps users find hotels with charging stations or charging stations near hotels.
• Chargemap: Has a large network of charging points, including more than 450,000 in Europe.
• Zap-Map: Offers customizable trip planning and allows users to select from three routing methods.

Independent apps

Along the way to a one-step charging experience are independent apps, some of which are supported by new-vehicle manufacturers.

A unique and independent app for planning long-distance travel is A Better Route Planner. The app allows users to plan travel by factoring in charging stops based on their vehicle’s range and available charging stations along the route. It is considered one of the best options specifically for EV drivers when planning long trips.

There’s also Plug & Charge, which streamlines the charging experience without the driver having to pull out a credit card, present an RFID card or use a mobile app. Plug & Charge is not an app but an embedded protocol in new EVs. Though not available yet for all makes or models of electric vehicles, it allows users to check for available stalls or nonfunctioning chargers.

When using Plug & Charge, the session begins as soon as the driver connects their EV’s charging cable to the charge port. EV owners with vehicles compatible with Plug & Charge will create an account with the charging network provider and the payment method. The system will automatically identify the vehicle and begin charging, billing the user through the pre-registered account

Mark Maynard has been writing about cars, their people, and products for 30 years. Email him at [email protected] and visit his website, MaynardsGarage.com.

The news and editorial staffs of Southern California News Group and The San Diego Union-Tribune had no role in this post’s preparation.

​ Orange County Register 

Judge changes mind — rapper T.I. Harris and wife win $53 million more in doll case

• February 5, 2025

A federal judge in Santa Ana this week reinstated more than $53 million in punitive damages against MGA Entertainment in a legal dispute with rapper T.I. Harris and his singer-songwriter wife.

U.S. District Judge James Selna had tentatively ruled nearly a month ago that he would erase the jury’s $53.6 million punitive damages award and uphold the $17.8 million in profits to the singers. But after hearing arguments from both sides on Jan. 6, he said he would issue a final ruling later.

The rapper and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, won all of the $17.8 million in profits from seven MGA dolls and the $53.6 million in punitive damages in a verdict handed down Sept. 23. The Harris family successfully made the case that seven dolls copied their OMG Girlz singing group, which consisted of their daughter and her two partners.

Selna issued a tentative ruling saying there was not enough evidence to show MGA, which has its U.S. headquarters in Chatsworth, acted in a way that would legally warrant the punitive damages in the infringement case.

The argument last month hinged on whether the jury’s verdicts were advisory, which would leave it up to Selna to decide the monetary award.

Selna, however, ruled that both sides had agreed to a jury verdict.

Selna ruled “the parties consented to a jury trial and there was no indication that the verdict on punitive damages was to be treated as an advisory verdict.”

At issue in the trial was whether consumers would be confused and think the Lol Surprise! OMG doll line was some sort of partnership with the OMG Girlz group, which broke up in 2015 but reformed for a show at the Apollo on New Year’s Eve in 2017, officially reunited in 2023 and have toured and recorded since then.

In the follow-up trial the case was narrowed down to seven dolls: Chillax, Roller Chick, Metal Chick, Bhad Gurl, Prism, Miss Divisne and Runaway Diva.

Attorney Paul Loh, who represented MGA, argued to jurors that the company had “never heard any complaints from customers or problems about confusion.”

Since the jury had found the company must turn over all of the profits from the seven dolls, that should be enough punishment, Loh argued.

​ Orange County Register 

Senate confirms Pam Bondi as US attorney general, putting Trump ally at Justice Department’s helm

• February 5, 2025

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and STEPHEN GROVES

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general Tuesday evening, putting a longtime ally of Donald Trump at the helm of a Justice Department that has already been rattled by the firings of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican president.

The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, joining with all Republicans to pass her confirmation 54-46.

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of Trump’s ire over the criminal cases it brought against him. She enters with the FBI, which she will oversee, in turmoil over the scrutiny of agents involved in investigations related to the president, who has made clear his desire to seek revenge on his perceived adversaries.

Republicans have praised Bondi as a highly qualified leader they contend will bring much-needed change to a department they believe unfairly pursued Trump through investigations resulting in two indictments.

“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

But Bondi has faced intense scrutiny over her close relationship with the president, who during his term fired an FBI director who refused to pledge loyalty to him and forced out an attorney general who recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.

While Bondi has sought to reassure Democrats that politics would play no part in her decision-making, she also refused at her confirmation hearing last month to rule potential investigations into Trump’s adversaries. And she has repeated Trump’s claims that the prosecutions against him amounted to political persecution, saying the Justice Department “had been weaponized for years and years and years, and it’s got to stop.”

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., praised Bondi as “accomplished and competent” but said his “grave concern is really about President Trump and what he is clearly demanding.”

“That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary,” Welch said.

Bondi’s confirmation vote came just hours after FBI agents sued the Justice Department over efforts to develop a list of employees involved in the Jan. 6 prosecutions, which agents fear could be a precursor to mass firings.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove last week ordered the acting FBI director to provide the names, titles and offices of all FBI employees who worked on the Jan. 6 cases — which Trump has described as a “grave national injustice.” Bove, who defended Trump in his criminal cases before joining the administration, said Justice Department officials would carry out a “review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”

Justice Department officials have also recently forced out senior FBI executives, fired prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team who investigated Trump and terminated a group of prosecutors in the D.C. U.S. attorney’s office who were hired to help with the massive Jan. 6 investigation.

Bondi repeatedly stressed at her confirmation hearing that she would not pursue anyone for political reasons, and vowed that the public, not the president, would be her client. But her answers at times echoed Trump’s campaign rhetoric about a politicized justice system.

“They targeted Donald Trump,” Bondi told lawmakers. “They went after him — actually starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him.” She added, “If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”

Trump nominated Bondi for attorney general after it became clear that his initial pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, could not win enough support from Republican senators to be confirmed.

Bondi has been a fixture in Trump’s orbit for years, and a regular defender of the president-elect on news programs amid his legal woes. In a 2023 Fox News appearance, she suggested that “bad” Justice Department prosecutors would be investigated under the Trump administration.

“The investigators will be investigated,” she said.

Smith has said politics played no part in his decisions and the evidence his team gathered was sufficient for Trump to have been convicted at trial on charges of scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Smith dropped that case and a separate one charging Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, after Trump’s election win in November, citing longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting criminal cases against a sitting president.

​ Orange County Register 

Street racer convicted in death of Orange County Register editor

• February 5, 2025

A street racer was convicted of vehicular manslaughter on Tuesday, Feb. 4, for his role in the 2020 Santa Ana traffic death of an Orange County Register editor.

An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated for two and a half hours before finding Ricardo Tolento, now 29, guilty of felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run with permanent injury or death, along with a misdemeanor count of engaging in a speed contest and a sentencing enhancement for fleeing the scene, related to the July 30, 2020 death of Gene Harbrecht.

The driver Tolento was charged with racing — Louie Robert Villa — was previously convicted in an earlier trial and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Villa, who was driving a BMW, actually crashed into Harbrecht’s pickup. But prosecutors argued that Tolento, who was driving an Infiniti, helped set the deadly events in motion.

Villa — who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal crash and had a previous DUI — was convicted of a more serious count of second-degree murder.

Attorneys during closing arguments inTolento’s trial on Tuesday morning in a Santa Ana courtroom told jurors that the trial really came down to whether or not they believed that Tolento had taken part in a street race.

Jurors were repeatedly shown dashboard camera footage captured by a driver who was stopped behind Tolento and Villa at the Bristol and 17th streets intersection. That footage showed the two vehicles rapidly accelerate and pull away from other drivers on northbound Bristol immediately after the light turned green. Less than a half-mile away, Villa broadsided Harbrecht, who was making a left-hand turn from the other side of Bristol onto Santa Clara.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Orue told jurors that Tolento was traveling at an average speed of 77 mph — in a 45 mph zone — on that stretch of Bristol. Tolento was outpacing Villa, the prosecutor said, until Villa “slingshotted” around Tolento and then crashed into Harbrecht.

Tolento, in his own testimony, repeatedly denied racing Villa. Tolento — who according to the video was in a lane to the right of Villa — said he needed to merge over and believed that Villa wasn’t going to let him in. Tolento testified that he accelerated in order to get ahead of Villa and claimed he was already slowing down before Villa abruptly pulled around him and crashed into Harbrecht.

Harbrecht’s pickup was forced off the roadway, onto a sidewalk and into a fence. Bystanders helped pull the Harbrecht from the wreckage. But he died minutes later.

Tolento testified that he stopped a short distance away and called 911. The call didn’t go through, Tolento said, but a dispatcher quickly called him back and then abruptly hung up after confirming they were already aware of the crash. Tolento said he drove off and continued on his errands, taking a Covid test in Irvine and then going to a church and a tire shop.

Several hours later, an officer pulled Tolento over and arrested him. In an exchange captured on the officer’s body camera, Tolento denied that he had been at the scene of the crash, even after he was told there was video of his car.

When asked by the prosecutor why he lied to the officer, Tolento cited a previous hit-and-run he had been convicted of and a modification he had made to the exhaust on his car to make it louder and said he believed authorities were going to try to tie him to a crash he believed he hadn’t been involved in.

“You heard every excuse under the sun,” Orue told jurors. “A man is dead and the inability to take any responsibility is mind blowing …

“You put that (dashboard) video up, you press play and it is pretty obvious what is going on,” the prosecutor added. “They turned Bristol into their own personal race track and a man paid the ultimate price.”

Tolento’s attorney, Tom Nocella, argued that Tolento wasn’t directly involved in the crash and denied that Tolento had fled the scene.

“Mr. Villa, we know, caused the accident,” Nocella told jurors. “Mr. Villa, we know, crashed …

“He (Tolento) did not hit anyone, he did not race,” the defense attorney added. “He did call 911. He did make those efforts.”

Tolento — who had been free on bail during the trial — was handcuffed and taken into custody following the verdict. He faces up to 11 years in prison when he returns to court for sentencing on April 4.

Harbrecht, a veteran newsman, had been with the Register since 1984, and at the time of his death was serving as the national and international editor for the Southern California News Group, which publishes the Register and 10 other local newspapers.

Gene Harbrecht, a longtime Register editor, was a ‘newsman to his core’

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Tuesday, Feb. 4

• February 5, 2025

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Tuesday, Feb. 4

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

TUESDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS WATER POLO

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Round 1

DIVISION 4

Malibu 8, Yorba Linda 7

Westridge 11, Tesoro 5

DIVISION 6

Tustin 11, Tahquitz 7

Cathedral City 26, Orange 4

​ Orange County Register 

FireAid concert and Grammys raise more than $124 million for wildfire relief

• February 5, 2025

The star-studded FireAid concerts raised $100 million for wildfire relief efforts last week while the Grammy Awards weekend brought in $24 million for similar efforts, organizers announced Tuesday.

FireAid, which featured more than 30 acts including Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks, and a surprise Nirvana reunion, took place at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Thursday.

In addition to fans inside the arenas, FireAid was seen by about 50 million viewers on 28 different streaming platforms, all of which offered viewers a chance to donate as they watched.

The $100 million estimate announced Tuesday included sales of tickets and merchandise, sponsorships, large donations by artists such as the Eagles and U2 who did not perform, and contributions from the Irving Azoff family, Andrew Hauptman and Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, and more.

The Los Angeles Clippers, whose home is Intuit Dome, covered operating costs. Steve and Connie Balmer, who own the Clippers and their arena, matched every pledge made during the broadcast of FireAid.

The FireAid Grants Advisory Committee, which is led by the Annenberg Foundation and consists of leaders in the Los Angeles region philanthropic and non-profit communities, is working to determine where the FireAid funds can have the most impact, according to a news release from the organizers. The initial round of grants is expected in mid-February.

In the wake of the wildfires that killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and other structures in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and Pasadena, the Recording Academy which runs the Grammy Awards pivoted from its usual celebration to a combination of awards show and wildfire telethon.

Host Trevor Noah reminded viewers throughout the broadcast on Sunday to donate to wildfire relief efforts. On Tuesday, the Recording Academy posted on the social media platform X that the Grammy Awards had raised $9 million.

Other Grammys events held over the weekend, including the annual MusiCares Persons of the Year gala held Friday in honor of the Grateful Dead, added more to the funds raised through Grammys events for a total of $24 million.

​ Orange County Register 

New site sought for 272 living at Pasadena Convention Center fire shelter

• February 5, 2025

The American Red Cross shelter set up by the City of Pasadena at the Convention Center will be winding down operations soon.

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Red Cross said while no official date has been set to close the shelter it is actively looking for a new location for residents to be relocated to closer to their home community.

“When the Red Cross took over management of the Pasadena shelter, the Civic Auditorium Complex requested that the facility be returned to the city shortly after the first week of February,” Red Cross Regional Communications Director Angel Sauceda said in a statement.

Christine Susa, a spokesperson for the Convention Center, referred questions about the shelter to the city.

“The longer we operate the shelter at the Convention Center some business decisions will have to be made,” Finance Director Matthew Hawkesworth said during the meeting. “The Convention Center has contractual commitments to entities that are scheduled to move in and host events and operate there.”

As of Tuesday, Feb. 4, 272 people were sheltered at the site. About two-thirds of those residents are from Altadena, according to the Red Cross. The shelter housed as many as 1,140 people at its peak period during the Eaton fire.

The issue arose during Monday night’s Pasadena City Council meeting when District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison said he had heard a rumor that the shelter would be closing this Friday, Feb. 7.

“Not a single person should be turned out,” Madison said. “I don’t care if they live in Altadena or in Pasadena or wherever. These disasters don’t know city limits.”

During public comment several residents, including those living at the shelter, spoke out against closing the shelter and criticized the lack of transparency for those staying there. Some relayed that residents of the shelter had been told that they needed to be out by Friday.

“Residents in the Pasadena shelter will transition to the new shelter location once identified,” Sauceda said. “At this time, we do not have an official moving date for the shelter.”

Hawkesworth said the commitment from the Red Cross and other partners is to find a place for people housed in the Convention Center to go to once the shelter closes.

The Red Cross said it will continue to have sheltering options until all residents have a plan in place to get them to their next housing solution. Each household will work with a Red Cross shelter resident transition casework to navigate people through available resources.

“While we know shelter transitions can feel sudden, please know that these transitions are carefully planned,” Sauceda said. “Red Cross teams are actively collaborating with local services and continuously communicating with each resident to support a smooth transition.”

​ Orange County Register