On an NFL roster, they say no player is more popular than the backup quarterback. For the Lakers, it might just be the fourth-string center.
OK, so Kobe Bryant, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle would all have something to say in a popularity contest. But when it comes to those farther down Byron Scott’s bench, none seems to have captured the imagination of the fanbase quite like Robert Upshaw.
Yes, he’s the troubled guy who was kicked off teams at Fresno State and the University of Washington. But he’s also a shot blocker in the truest sense, a 7-footer with a 9-foot, 5-inch standing reach.