The article's title, "Lebron James to the Lakers: There's much to unpack here", gives a brief insight towards the biggest offseason move in the NBA. There are many different factors that prompted Lebron James to make this switch from Cleveland to Los Angeles. Mainly being the troubled and sensitive relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. The two of them never seemed to see eye to eye about how certain situations were handled. This eventually would snowball escalating towards a damaged relationship that would not be healable. Also the lack of talent and potential of the players playing alongside Lebron in Cleveland. Now the Lebron James decided to move his family and basketball talents to a more prestigious basketball city he will face new factors and situations that he hasn't been exposed to in the past. Also Lebron will now be talked about in a different light and manner. For example, Lebron will now join the Lakers and place himself among some of the best scorers that the NBA has ever seen. He will join the Lakers legacy of top NBA scorers extending their list to owning six of out the top eight scorers. Also, Lebron James will join a team that is lead by Magic Johnson. I strongly believe that this move will elevate Lebron's game to a whole different level. Mainly because he will be surrounded by great basketball minds, players, and will be playing for his mentor in a sense. Magic and Lebron share many athletic attributes that they can teach eachother.
2
Good for LeBron. Good for the NBA, meh. I called Lakers when Ball olayed LBJ the first time. He needs to be surrounded by young people who habe a lot,of energy and can challenge him in that department but still,do the King's bidding. Daddy Ball ans LBJ wont cross paths.
1
The article "LeBron James to the Lakers: There's Much to Unpack Here." Having a passion for basketball this article interested me. I think LeBron is a very talented player, however I don't agree with him leaving Cleveland to go to the Lakers. With his talents the Lakers can use him.
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Labron wants more rings. I'd like SOME rings. Or one ring. But more rings will make Labron happy. And if Labron is happy, I'm happy. Because that's what it's all about. Not my happiness. And not your happiness. But Labron's happiness. And as long as Labron's happy, I'm happy. We're all happy.
2
Ever since LeBron made that movie "Trainwreck" a few years back- he set his sights on returning to Hollywood. He already started his own production company. I predict 2-3 seasons with the Lakers then he'll retire to have fun in LaLa Land.
So, he has to play with his "irritant" Lance Stevenson?
That sounds…umm….irritating.
I wouldn't want to ride in the same subway car as Stevenson, much less spend a whole season with him.
I really like LeBron.
Pride of the league I'd say.
Mature from the day he entered at age 18. Knowledgeable of the history of the game.
Love and respect for the game.
Talent that set a new standard.
But, I prefer the days of Russell, Havlecek…or Jordan or Isaiah Thomas or anyone who stayed put and made their bed with the fans and city that adored them.
I don't begrudge him wanting to play at a high level with great talent (Lakers?) or doing what's best for family.
It's just nice to have our heros to ourselves till age do us part.
I'll always wish him the best.
1
Finally the Lakers are a better team than the Knicks.
5
The NBA star dominant league is a microcosm of America and its economy. The rich get richer. The poor try desperate mean to get out of purgatory. The league may be enjoying popularity, but I find the practice of the stars trying to align together boring and not very good sportsmanship. Guys at a playground when choosing up teams have a sense of what fair competition is. Imagine...for a month an entire sports network talked about nothing else but a billionaire player making a decision about which team he would grace his presence with. I feel smaller everyday.
3
It seems there are 20 or so teams that never have a chance. Cleveland (post James), Milwaukee, Charlotte, Nashville, Sacramento, Detroit, Salt Lake, Orlando.... will find it virtually impossible to compete with cooler markets like LA and San Fran. At some point tier 2 fans will stop going to the games.
3
It is very interesting that the name of the article is "LBJ to Lakers: There's Much to Unpack Here." a huge move for the league megastar LeBron James has already made a upheaval in NBA. as the author Marc Stein said, 7 out of 8 NBA top scorers has been to LAL, which means LA always been a wise choice for NBA superstars.i feel that Jeanie fire her brother was a wise choice and let magic Johnson be the lead recruiter for James. Magic always been a respectful person in real life and has a good relationship with most of NBA players, he must said something good to LBJ about moving to LA that LBJ cannot resist. also i strongly agree with what Marc said, at this stage of LBJ's life, maybe championship is not that important like usual, family and business might be more important. Hollywood clearly is an vital factor that LBJ moves to LA, thinking about entering the entertainment industry or get into with other commercial business, it will be so much profitable than staying Cleveland, also his son Bronny entering a famous high school in LA, that is all LBJ need to concern. However, the cons are how to deal with other team in western conference. it is way to crowded, LAL team still not comparable to other team like Golden Worries, even with LBJ. how can LAL stand out and straight into NBA finals if theres only 1 legitimately super star. Not to mention that LAL was not even in the playoffs last season, what change can LBJ brought to LA. also need to concern the impact of LaVar.
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I’m sure this will make Jack Nicholson very happy.
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Jack is 81. He does not remember the Lakers.
3
What if it’s the lakers and warriors in western conference championships?
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As someone who has followed LeBron since he was young (he ran the scoreboard while in high school when my daughter was in a basketball tournament) the biggest thing he is giving up is the ability to walk around his hometown without being accosted by fans. People in Akron respect him and have always protected him and his family.
Good luck in LA - he gave it his all in Cleveland!
8
LA is a much more beautiful and interesting city. LeBron made the right decision. No matter where he is going to be we all will enjoy watching him play basketball games. He is indispensable. Life without LeBron will be boring. Good luck to LeBron. I like California too.
5
Yes, we have some of the greatest homeless beaches in the country here.
3
LeBron will be carrying just as many teammates next year that he carried this year, Add to that list, one very vocal "Ball" player's father and the immovable snd talented Golden State Warriors, and it's clear LeBron simply tired of shoveling snow and wanted an improved lifestyle.
He may be back one day as part owner of the Cavs. And thanks to earning Cleveland a championship, he'll forever be a hero where, thankfully, his first "Decision" will not be remembered as his last.
Bravo LeBron
6
Shoveling snow must be a metaphor for cold winters. Not too likely that LeBron had his own personal shovel.
2
The Lakers just bought a Porsche with 15 year old tires. James has taken great care of himself but who knows how long he can hold up at 6'8" 250 but dominating the ball on most every play? They also just made one of the best passers in the NBA less effective (Lonzo Ball, who can't shoot) by pairing him with a player who has initiates the offense on virtually every play in half court. Help will come, but not the elite support LeBron has had at other stops. He was frustrated at his Cleveland teammates in the playoffs. Guess what? This will be worse.
11
If you think Lonzo is staying in LA then I got a bridge to sell you.
5
get rid of LaVar Ball and his kid, Loranzo, and king James will raise the lakers visibility. That will bring in one or two studs to challenge the Bay Boys.
1
Next big act: The Brothers Ball all go to Cleavland!
4
I wonder why LeBron on the backside of his career chose to leave his home town team. Perhaps it really just involved moving somewhere that his family wanted to go. Or, maybe he thinks that Cavs franchise is not going to help him. Ultimately, he needs a little help and that is what Kuzma provides. Can they get more?
LeBron went to a team with less talent than this year’s Cavs team and into a far tougher conference.
1
I don't think this Lakers team is any less talented than last year's Cavs. At least they've had some continuity playing together under the Walton(warriors) system. Lebron needs to buy in to a more ball-sharing / multiple pass system so take some pressure off and save himself for the playoffs. The Lakers need to add more shooters though.
Well I think that all you "Warriors are going to win next year people" should keep in mind that Houston almost beat them without Chris Paul. I wouldn't be so sure. It will be harder next season in the West, esp with a healthy Houston team come playoff time.
3
You should keep in mind that the Warriors also were handicapped, missing Andre Iguodala, their smartest player on either end of the floor, for the last FOUR games of that series, not just two like Paul. There's always a lot of "what ifs" in sports. As far as I'm concerned, the Warriors have won four straight titles, with Bogut out, Curry playing injured, and that bogus technical against Greene.
"As far as I'm concerned, the Warriors have won four straight titles."
Oh, puh-leaze. My computer doesn't have enough memory to run a spreadsheet with all the opponent injuries the Warriors have benefited from in the playoffs these past four years. Starting with the starting point guards for every team they faced in 2015.
As far as I'm concerned, a healthy Cavs team wins in 2015 -- heck, they were up 2-1 with a 6-man rotation and two all-stars out -- and then we'll see what happens after that.
1
Steve*** comparing a starting point guard, esp one of Paul's caliber to a sixth man, utility forward, is quite a stretch. I like Iguodala, think he is a fine player. A much more apt comparison or analogy would be if Curry or Thompson went down. Without Paul opposing teams could get away with doubling Harden. Believe me that makes a big difference.But injuries are part of the game.
This is not about going back to the Finals for a 9th straight year. This is a business deal for his future after basketball. And, mind you, I don't begrudge him at all. He delivered a title to Cleveland. But the idea that the Cavs picking up Clarkson, Hood, Nance and a first-round pick makes them the loser in this deal is short-sighted. The Cavs season was marred by injuries -- but Irving's trade demand pretty much ended their chances to overtake Golden State. In the long run, the Cavs got younger and faster -- and the stranglehold the salary cap had become will be gone after the 2019 season. Best of luck Lebron, but the Cavs will move on too.
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There’s no reason for any superstar to go to Cleveland now. It’ll be decades before they win another Cham.
1
For me, the most interesting takeaway from LeBron's move is his budding partnership with Lakers president, Magic Johnson. The two are similar in so many ways: playing styles, humble Midwestern roots, community spirit, business ambition. Between the two of them, they promise to extend the clout of black NBA superstars beyond hoops glory into larger game-changing arenas like social justice, economic uplift and perhaps national politics. Regardless of what happens to the Lakers, Magic and the LeBron make a formidable duo that will be more interesting to watch than anything Michael and Scottie ever dreamed of.
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Um, no. Nobody matches the pure esthetic of Michael.
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Mr. Michener is talking about a different aspect of life and society than esthetics.
He has earned the right to play wherever he wants. Enough said.
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The Warriors will still be the Lakers and win the conference next year!
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Meanwhile, the only team I really care about (The New York Knicks), continue the slow and painful march towards consistent mediocrity. I remain ever hopeful, even though the team's relative distance from another NBA championship is likened to the distance of Pluto from the sun.
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The Knicks have a ways to go to mediocrity. They are still terrible.
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I grew up in the time when basketball players were still pretty much normal-size people and little guys could play the game.
Strategy and set plays are not much in evidence anymore.
They have been replaced by three-point shots from near half-court, stuff shots from over the rim of the basket, with pretty much nothing else going on in-between.
Dunking gets repetitious and boring.
The charm and science of the game is fast disappearing.
I blame McDonalds for this. It must be something in the Big Macs and Quarter Pounders.
With improvements in their menu, we’ll soon be seeing players who are 8 feet tall and make LeBron look like a midget.
Along with Earl (“The Pearl”} Monroe (only 6’ 3”), I believe raising the basket by six inches would help.
And possibly it would get me back in the game.
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/05/20/should-the-basketball-r...
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If you're saying there is no strategy in basketball now, it puts into question whether you even watch the NBA anymore. The Warriors are not just about chucking threes, they run a complex system that evolved from Phil Jackson's triangle. Look up videos on Youtube analyzing their offense, it's fascinating. Then of course there's Popovich and his disciples around the league, and then the rising mastermind Brad Stevens who is always at the forefront of tactics.
2
I guess Lebron has his reasons, I wonder if any of them have anything to do with Basketball. The NBA took a big step backward over this, The Golden State warriors will cruise to another championship and nobody will care, Lebron will get knocked out in the first or second round of the playoffs and no one will care. The NBA is moving away from being a legitimate sport with human drama and human stories endemic to all endeavors in which a championship is the quest at the end the day, it now resembles packaged entertainment, nothing more. Its no good when its July 2018 and we all have a pretty good idea who will win the NBA championship in 2019, even worse when we don't care.
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I'm guessing you were fine when the Yankees were perpetual favorites in MLB. The Warriors are a great team, They have deserved to win.
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Ok, well, this is all very nice, but the reality for the NBA is that LeBron's summer moves are more interesting than the League itself. LeBron in LA is great for LeBron, Inc, but next June the Golden State Warriors will win again. Baseball, much maligned by sports media people who want to look cooler than they actually are, has five or six teams who can win it all, and the MLB playoffs will be genuinely involving. But in basketball's case, the interesting part of the season ended last night. See you next summer.
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Lebron brought Cleveland a championship. Mission accomplished. And he will always regard northern Ohio as home. That should suffice. Cleveland is still Cleveland, after all. It still has the Rock and Roll Museum and rousing memories of Donald Trump's convention.
But for Lebron it's back to the bright lights and an appointment with history. If he can step out of the phone booth and rescue his new team from deep oblivion, restoring it to the top of the NBA heap, he might well lay claim to being the greatest Laker of them all. It's a singular challenge to undertake for his final act -- he'll enjoy it. And we'll enjoy watching it.
3
He’s not going to bring a championship to LA, and won’t be loved more than Magic or Cap in Tinseltown.
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Judging by the movie "Train Wreck," Mr. James is an excellent comic actor, IMHO. Welcome to Hollywood! The possibilities are endless.
2
The NBA West is becoming a real 'murders' row.' The Warriors are on top, but I don't think they have a lock. Had Chris Paul not been injured in the playoffs, Houston might very well have won that series.
You can't count out Oklahoma or the Twin Towers of New Orleans, and you can never count out the Spurs (unless maybe they lose Kawhi). Portland, Utah, and the T-wolves are all up and coming. The Bucks, with the Greek Freak, are coming into their own. And under Luke Walton, the Lakers have gotten a lot stronger too.
Outside of possibly Oklahoma, what characterizes the West is team ball--especially with the Warriors and the Rockets. Team ball wins games. And it's always more interesting to watch.
2
If Chris Paul had not been injured and Steph Curry had gone blind at the same time the Rockets might have had a strong chance to win the title. Big Whoop! Think of all the possibilities. What if Kevin Durant had to play in lead shoes? In the last four years in the real world the Warriors have an excellent record against Chris Paul led teams. In these playoffs they beat the Rockets by an average 25 points per win. The Rockets won their three games by a 9 point average.
1
I said "might." But the fact is that the Rockets were leading 3 games to 2 after the game when Paul got hurt. The Warriors won game 7 by 8 points. Do I think Chris Paul is capable of making an 8 point difference?
I'm not saying that he would have--there are too many other factors--but I think he's capable of it. It seemed to me that every time he touched the ball, Houston scored. He gets the best out of his teammates.
Also note that the Rockets beat the Warriors 2-1 in the regular season.
The Warriors/Rockets series was the real championship this year.
1
If Irving and Hayward were healthy, the Celtics would have beaten the Cavs in 6 and probably taken the Warriors to 7. As it happened, The Celtics took the Cavs to 7 without Irving or Hayward.
There are very few players who bring their A game every single night, and LeBron is atop that list.
My only question: When did LA become a good place to raise a family?
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Why would LA not be a good place to raise a family?
4
Rich celebrities like LeBron bring their own cities with them. Reality is a far far ride away.
3
Here's something else to unpack: Will LeBron be able to deal with an *actual* coach with an *actual* strategy and the *actual* coaching acumen to execute--which will require that LeBron buy in and apply his considerable talents accordingly?
The biggest challenge The King will have in LA is Luke Walton, who is the real deal--something he couldn't abide in Cleveland.
1
There is a clear imbalance in the NBA that has been around for years. With Lebron going to Los Angeles, the gap between the Eastern and Western conferences widens. It seems that the West is where the majority of good players want to be. Taking a look at the last 20 NBA Finals, 14 of them have gone to the West. Clearly, the West is the more competitive conference with the better teams. And now Lebron James (arguably the best player in the league right now), after spending his entire career in the East, has also made the jump to the West.
With this uneven distribution of talent, does the NBA need to change? The way the NBA schedule is structured currently, teams play other teams within their conference 4 times per season, while only playing out of their conference two times per season. This means Western conference teams are facing more tougher opponents on average than than Eastern conference teams. This leads to Western conference teams having worse records for the season than the East. Therefore, when playoff time comes around and the top 8 teams with the best record are selected for the playoff, some better Western teams are left out.
With Lebron going to the West, even more talent is now being concentrated in the West. Does this mean that the league should review how many games should be played within each conference? It seems that the only fair option is to split the 82 game season between both conferences.
3
So self-styled "King James" is flying the coop of Cleveland yet again, in search of of fame, yet more lucre, and more self-aggrandizement? He may be the best player in the world but it's always all about him.
6
What would you rather his decision be about? He's a professional athlete (read: entertainer), so why shouldn't he pursue riches and fame?
2
It does drive folks crazy here in Portland that you didn't include Damian Lilliard, a first team NBA All Star pick, on your list of great players in the West....
2
Pleased he's not going to Philly ... this is a made for Hollywood Lakers show.
Future: Lose Lonzo ... CAV's in ashes ... no chance for a Ring in 2018 or 2019. DUBS remain best in West [read: NBA]
1
THE COLD REALITY OF LOGIC:
If LeBron wanted to go back to the NBA Championship and win another ring in 2019...and possibly in 2200, 2021, and 2022, there is only one team that could almost guarantee it.
LeBron should have joined the Golden State Warriors.
---
GSW will continue to be dominant and strong for the next few years, and LeBron joining the Lakers will not change that. (Unless LeBron could lure Steph Curry or Kevin Durrant or both to the Lakers.)
5
There comes a time when the decimal point being moved does not matter anymore, but for professional sports players seeking ''legacy'', it seems they can do both.
I am sure for Mr. James, he has in the back in of his mind to be considered in the select group of players to have won a championship with three different teams. That is of course, to ultimately be considered the greatest player ever.
We shall see and good luck to him and the Lakers.
1
The tension between Lavar and LBJ all ready started:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/josh-peter/2018/07/02/le...
I still say he should have gone to college.
6
How soon before LeBron tells Lavar Ball to "stuff it"? Best thing to happen to the Lakers is getting rid of the Balls, both elder and younger.
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There's not much to unpack. This is LeBron setting things up for the next chapter of his life after basketball. LeBron Inc. in L.A.
Along the way, he and the Lakers will benefit financially by packing the seats with celebrities and fans. But, will the relationship result in a championship? That's the biggest question that will remain while the clock ticks on a player who will be 34 years-of-age shortly after the season starts.
1
The common thread among LeBron's last 3 teams is that he's played for young, flimsy coaches LeBron can override at any time (Spoelstra, Ty Lue, now Walton).
He's the greatest player in the world and has won championships with all of them so maybe it is for the best, but who's to say he wouldn't have won even more championships with more established, respected coaches?
3
Luke Walton. World's highest-paid assistant coach.
2
If getting rings is LBJ's goal, he shoulda signed for the minimum with the Warriors.
1
I'm glad he didn't. The super teams will be the undoing of the league.
4
LeBron is no Michael Jordan. Jordan was 6-0 in NBA Finals. But for trying to play baseball for awhile he might have been 8-0.
No NBA player other than Mr. Jordan deserved to win the MVP during his prime. Karl Malone and Charles Barkley were losers.
Having first run off to South Beach now to Hollywood, LeBron has twice traded Lake Erie for the warm Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. But the Golden State Warriors are still standing like a stonewall.
One thing that Los Angeles does not have is any lakes. One thing that the Lakers do not have is a 1st rate NBA team.
10
Looks like it will be Lakers vs Warriors on Christmas.
Lonzo will be traded to the Zombie Sonics before the summer is is over. LaVar and LBJ cannot coexist on the same team.
2
And people complain about CEO salaries. There's no business like sports business.
7
LeBron is worth every penny the Lakers are paying him, even when his production plummets in the last couple years of his contract. In a free market, a team would pay him $100m/year. He would single-handedly justify ticket price increases and TV deal increases for the Lakers.
Player salaries are the product of a free market that is capped at the high end by a ridiculous salary cap. CEO salaries are a travesty that are maintained by an old boys' network.
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@my2sons
There are several key distinctions between CEOs and star athletes.
Most Fortune 500 CEOs are hired help, very few outside of our region founded the company. Their compensation plans nearly always involve equity in the company. Equity is structured as options to be paid in excess of a year, so it has a much lower tax rate. Also, in most cases those options may be converted at an optimal time of the CEO's choosing. Lifestyle perks are paid by the company.
Athletes are also hired help and their income is structured as a salary that is heavily taxed. Within limits they may defer some income over time, but it's still heavily taxed. They pay for their own perks - a team plane is not the same as a private Global Express.
They significantly enhance the market value of the team, but receive no equity or options in the team.
My greatest frustration with pro sports isn't the players, it's the owners and leagues. For example, the NFL blackmails cities to provide public funding for sports stadia without providing any equity compensation for the enhanced team value.
3
CEOs get paid, whether they succeed or not. Athletes have to live-up to their hype, in public. It would be a better world if CEO's decisions faced similarly open scrutiny.
Pro athletes' careers are remarkably brief - for every LBJ there are several thousand elite performers who wash-out. Athletes also have to put up with fickle fans, some who carry dog whistles like yours. And the worst injury a CEO needs to fear is a paper cut. In other words, I think you're out-of-bounds, sport.
4
Well, I would have preferred a move to New York but that was not going to happen so I wish all goes well in Los Angeles. I do admire such an athlete.
5
I was hoping he'd wind up in Philadelphia. Think that would have been the best possible outcome for the NBA, but this is clearly designed to segue LeBron into the next chapter of his life, and is a family friendly move.
I suspect some more pieces are coming over time, but I don't see how the Lakers can really compete with the Warriors or even the Rockets right now. The great question is how quickly will Lebron's skills diminish. Does he have 2 years left as a superstar or 4?
18
LeBron wants to market himself post-basketball in show business. That's part of it.
Another factor is the fecklessness of Dan Gilbert's Cleveland Cavalier organization. He spent a ton of money over the cap, and still could not come close to a team like Golden State. Cleveland only got past Boston with James' Herculean efforts.
LeBron felt most comfortable with Earvin Johnson's management.
A lesser but important factor is James' desire to position his two sons for basketball success. The quality of high school play in Ohio has been diminished along with industry and population.
Luke Walton comes from the Lute Olson-Steve Kerr coaching tree. That will work out fine.
This is LeBron and Magic's team. If anybody proves to be an annoyance, they will be dispatched.
29
I’m happy for LeBron if he is happy. He is a hero to many, I admire him greatly, he is not only a truly great athlete but by all accounts an even better person. I just don’t get the haters, what motivates that, is it envy?
69
¿He might be a decent basketball player, but why would he be a HERO to anyone?
1
Because he’s sending hundreds of kids from his community to college.
2
Go Cavs, thanks for the memories.
Too bad you gave up $50 million in salary to move west.
The Cavs are currently better than the Lakers, so why?
4
Warriors vs. Le Lakers, minimum of 4 games, maximum of 11 games per year.
Oh yeah, we are totally going to be burned out.
2
Best Wishes to LeBron and his wife and children.
He has done so much to uplift NE Ohio with his self-discipline, words and philanthropies.
52
Food for LeBron. He has done everything humanly possible for Cleveland including getting a championship, and much more importantly improving the lives of the most needy in Akron (by getting ~1000 people to college).
He is more than earned it, now time for him to enjoy some sunshine.
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@VS & CTMD
I concur. I have relatives in North Eastern Ohio who can attest to LeBron's sincere efforts. I'm a Warriors fan and admire the many athletes who see the big picture.
Perhaps the greatest testament for LeBron is his visible support for education and his community. Yeah, he can play basketball, but so can a lot of guys. Few can behave strategically.
60 years ago I was introduced to a teenager from Akron who was a talented roundball player, but also a genuinely good kid. Nate Thurmond eventually made it to the NBA Hall of Fame and exhibited a lifetime of being a good person. He's a local exemplar that LeBron has studied and improved upon. Well done.
10
Let's face it, the NBA is a joke. A small group of players deciding the fate of all teams and the teams with cash have an advantage. You don't need to draft well. You don't need to develop well. You just need to attract a few players. Drama and soup opera win the day again.
19
The Warriors drafted three all stars and won a championships pre-Kevin Durant. The 76ers drafted two all star caliber players and are now contenders in the East. Cavaliers drafted Lebron James and went to the NBA finals multiple times.
If you don't think the draft matters then you aren't paying attention.
7
Boston debates your opinion. As well as San Antonio. There are other examples but those two will suffice.
I'm not saying Durant didn't elevate the Warriors to unprecedented heights, but Curry, Green, and Thompson were all drafted and developed. So is Bell.
1
A future headline from May 2019, now that he’s left the NBA East’s minor league: “LeBron’s record NBA Finals appearance streak ends at 8.”
9
With LBJ on the team the Lakers still don't beat the Warriors. They need one, maybe two more all stars to compete. That's how dominate the Warriors are. With LBJ's huge pay, can the Lakers attract two more game-changers? That, or some young guns need to step up.
6
Lonzo and Stephenson are sideshows. The real chemistry question is -can LeBron and Luke Walton click? If they can, the Lakers have gained a fan-magnet, always dominant scoring threat whether they win the West or not. But if LeBron can't resist the need to dominate the coaching staff and turn the team into LeBron plus four, then happy days aren't here again. The Lakers aren't Cleveland and Walton isn't Tyrone Lue. IMO.
20
It's been said that there is no I in Team. There is also no I in either Los Angeles Lakers or LeBron James. Let's see if it is so.
5
The atmosphere in L.A. is chill this morning. The Lakers have been surrendered to LeBron. Nowhere is a closer destination than ever. No question about who will run the team now or where it is running either. Clipper Nation here we come.
14
And guess what? The Warriors are still the best TEAM in the NBA! However, since shoe sales play such an important role in NBA success, LeBron will still be able to claim himself as shoe champion, though there just won't be any Finals trophy.
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LOL. Many thanks for that most epic assessment.
1
The SHOE CHAMPION is still Michael Jordan by a ten to one margin.
6
Quality-wise, neither one are stellar. Shoes that is. They look good on older urban wannabes, but I love it when I see kids wearing them. I hope the kids all keep dreaming. They can achieve their dreams whatever brand they wear.
id personally like to see the lakers take this as a building year. it sounds like they will have to give up too much to get kuwai leonard when then can likely
just sign him outright next year. let lebron settle in and see how things come together. the rest he would gain from
an early exit in the playoffs wouldnt be the worst thing in the world for him
either
7