Friday afternoon desk-clearing

Bill Sharman, coach of the Lakers when they won their first title in LA and later the general manager who drafted Magic Johnson, died today at home in Redondo Beach at age 87. Sherman grew up in Lomita and Porterville, was an All-American for USC, played baseball briefly in the Brooklyn Dodgers system, starred in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, and coached the Lakers as well as the LA Stars of the ABA and the LA Jets of the American Basketball League. He never played in a game for the Dodgers, but was ejected from a game. (Updated item.) LAT, ESPN, Lakers Nation

From a statement by Jerry West:

Bill Sharman was, without a doubt, one of the greatest human beings I have ever met and one of my all-time favorite individuals, both as a competitor and as a friend. He was the epitome of class and dignity and, I can assure you, we find few men of his character in this world.

Plus:

• Hal Needham, the former stuntman turned director, died in Los Angeles at age 82. LAT
• Reaction is mounting, from Mayor Eric Garcetti and others, to the news that LAUSD Supt. John Deasy may resign. LAT, DN, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Magazine, LA School Report
• A Santa Clara County judge announced Friday that serial rapist Christopher Hubbart would be released from Coalinga State Hospital and sent to live in Lake Los Angeles, in the Antelope Valley. KPCC, LANG
• The season's first confirmed influenza death in Los Angeles County was a woman "with underlying medical conditions" who resided in the San Fernando Valley. The particular strain of influenza was identified as type B. County Public Health
• The Koch brothers in California. New Yorker
• Meet John B. Emerson, the U.S. Ambassador in Germany’s hot seat this week. Los Angeles Magazine
• Amazon Studios is developing "Grand Avenue,"a large-scale period drama set in 1910 Los Angeles written by Ian Goldberg based on a story he wrote with producer Jessika Borsiczky. Deadline.com
• How Wallis Annenberg is changing Los Angeles: video. CBS This Morning
• Production has begun on an 80-episode Spanish language series based on William C. Rempel's book, "At the Devil’s Table: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel." Website
• How Wilshire Boulevard was extended into downtown. SoCal Focus
• KCET's Artbound is starting to air nationally on LinkTV.
• Ranking 104 LA neighborhoods by their potential for affordable, transit-friendly housing. Curbed LA
• Starbucks may remodel and fix up a former Gilmore Gas station on Highland Avenue. Larchmont Buzz
• The Dodgers' A.J. Ellis is doing some better-than-decent analysis of the World Series. LA Times