Lakers two-way player Christian Koloko cleared to play - Los Angeles Times
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Lakers two-way player Christian Koloko cleared to play

Raptors center Christian Koloko lifts the ball as Magic's Paolo Banchero defends.
Center Christian Koloko, left, looks to score inside the paint while defended by Magic forward Paolo Banchero in 2022. Koloko was drafted by Toronto and played one season before an issue with blood clots paused his career.
(John Raoux / Associated Press)
By Dan Woike
Staff WriterFollow
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Center Christian Koloko, whom the Lakers signed to a two-way contract while he was still not cleared for competition, has been approved by a panel of doctors to return to the court for live action.

The news, which came more than a week after Koloko met with a panel of NBA doctors, means the Lakers will have an intriguing 7-foot-1 rim protector to add to their frontcourt.

According to people with knowledge of the situation Tuesday who are not authorized to speak publicly, Koloko is expected to begin his ramp-up process during South Bay Lakers training camp this week.

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Koloko, the third pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft, had his career paused because of an issue with blood clots. He missed all of last season.

As a rookie in Toronto, Koloko played in 58 games, starting 19, while averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots.

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Dan Woike

Dan Woike is the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times after spending two seasons covering the league as a whole, with an emphasis on Los Angeles’ teams.

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