Lakerholics

When you’re a Lakers fan, it’s a challenge to select four superstar players to be immortalized on your Mount Rushmore but choosing one superstar with which to start a franchise among these legends is tantamount to impossible.

How do you choose from what are without question four of the greatest players to ever put on a purple and gold jersey, possibly the best NBA point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and center to ever play this game? It’s an impossible task but you have no option. You’re the general manager with the number one pick in the draft and this is the greatest draft class in the history of the league. So put on your big boy pants and make your pick.

The rules are simple. We’re talking about today’s modern NBA game where the three ball dominates, the game has become positionless, and science has given us 21-year old clones of these four players to start new teams. You’re to assume there will be elite players available with modern skill sets at all five positions with which to build out your roster and bench but none with the dominant generational superstar talent of these four players.

The challenge is figuring out who would be the best superstar around which to build a championship team considering the talent, character, versatility, and durability of these players and their fit in the modern game. To help you make your final decision who to draft, here’s my brief take on the relative strengths of each of the players as well as critical questions regarding how they might fit in today’s analytically driven league:

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1. Magic Johnson, 19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 11.2 apg, 52.0/30.3/84.8%

There’s a strong argument to be made that no position in today’s modern game is as important as point guard and there’s almost universal consensus that the 6–8 Magic Johnson is the best point guard to ever play the position. Winner of 5 NBA championships, 3 League MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs, 2 All-Star Game MVPs, and 9 First Team All-NBA awards in 13 NBA seasons, Magic was the ultimate fast break orchestrator and championship team leader.

If you have a chance to draft the greatest point guard in the history of the game, it’s hard not to decide to take Magic. His only weakness might be his mediocre 3-point shooting percentage and average defensive rating.

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2. LeBron James, 25.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 10.6 apg, 50.4/34.4/73.5%

No superstar in NBA history can match LeBron James’ versatility and unique ability to play and defend all five positions on the court. It’s why when his career is over, he may be considered to be the greatest ever. Winner of 3 NBA championships, 4 League MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs, 3 All-Star Game MVPs, and 12 First Team All-NBA honors in 17 seasons counting, we may never see another superstar with LeBron’s physical and mental talent.

If you have a chance to draft the player who may eventually be the GOAT, it’s hard not to decide to choose LeBron. That he can play the point as well as Magic but is a better 3-point shooter and elite defender may be decisive.

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3. Kobe Bryant, 25.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 44.7/32.9/83.7%

There is no superstar more beloved by Lakers fans than Kobe Bryant, who’s tragic death with his daughter Gigi in a helicopter crash earlier this year shocked the city of Los Angeles and basketball fans around the world. Winner of 5 NBA championships, 1 League MVP, 2 Finals MVPs, 4 All-Star Game MVPs, and 11 First Team All-NBA honors in 20 seasons, Kobe was one of the greatest clutch scorers and toughest defenders in NBA history.

While the opportunity to draft a generational superstar like Kobe Bryant is special, it’s hard to imagine him matching the impact of a Magic Johnson or LeBron James despite his unique two-way talent and Mamba mentality.

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4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 24.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 36.8/5.6/72.1%

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored more points than any other player in the history of the NBA and his offensive and defensive prowess makes him in the minds of many experts the greatest center to every play the game. Winner of 4 NBA championships, 6 League MVPs, 2 Finals MVPs, 5 First Team All-Defensive teams, and 10 First Team All-NBA honors in 20 seasons, the Captain and his sky hook will always be among the league’s legends.

It’s hard to argue against drafting a superstar who scored more points in his career than any other player and was one of greatest two-way centers ever but the game has changed and centers no longer anchor championship teams.

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Choosing between four of the greatest superstars in the history of the NBA is not easy, especially when you think of each in their prime. While you couldn’t go wrong with any of them, the truth is the game has changed. That’s why I would select LeBron James first because of his unique physical talents, his positional versatility, his ability to fit in the modern analytics driven NBA of today, and the fact he he still has time to add to his resume.

While most NBA franchises would be happy to win a single championship, the Los Angeles Lakers have always looked for ways to build dynasties that could win multiple championships. That’s how you win 16 championships.

The Los Angeles Lakers have more unfinished business besides finishing the 2019–20 season and winning their 17th NBA championship. Their goal this offseason is going to be to make a blockbuster trade for a third superstar. While speculation has the Lakers waiting until next offseason to pursue forward Giannis Antetokounmpo as their third superstar, the smarter move might be for them to go hard after a young superstar guard this offseason.

When you look at the great superstar duos or trios in NBA history, they all included at least one superstar guard. Magic and Kareem, West and Baylor, Michael and Scotty, Kobe and Shaq, LeBron and Wade, LeBron and Kyrie. Trading for a young superstar guard this summer could actually enhance the Lakers’ chances of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo if he opts to leave Milwaukee next summer by giving them a valuable sign-and-trade chip.

Here are four trades for talented young guards with superstar potential who would be great fits with LeBron and AD and give the Lakers a second star to play alongside the 26-year old Davis when the 35-year old James retires:

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1. Lakers Trade for Chicago Bulls’ Shooting guard Zach LaVine

25-year old Zach LaVine would be the perfect complement to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game with the Bulls last season while shooting 45.0%/37.5%/80.2%.

The Lakers would have to include their 2020 and 2025 first round picks along with budding star Kyle Kuzma, proven veteran Danny Green, and bench GOAT Alex Caruso to tempt the Bulls to trade the talented LaVine.

But Zach would give the Lakers the third superstar they desperately need to make them the unquestioned best team in the league now and give them the second superstar to go with Davis once the 35-year old James retires.

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2. Lakers Trade for Washington Wizards’ Shooting guard Bradley Beal

26-year old Bradley Beal would be a great fit playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He averaged 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game with the Wizards last year while shooting 45.2%/35.3%/84.2%.

The Wizards might be tempted by an offer for Beal of potential young star Kyle Kuzma, proven vet Danny Green, bench GOAT Alex Caruso, defensive ace Avery Bradley, and the Lakers’ 2020 and 2025 first round draft picks.

Adding a third superstar like Bradley Beal to the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis would elevate the Lakers over other NBA teams and give them a young superstar to complement Davis and eventually replace James.

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3. Lakers Trade for Indiana Pacers’ Shooting guard Victor Oladipo

27-year old Victor Oladipo would give the Lakers a dynamic young guard to go with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He has career averages of 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 44.1%/35.0%/79.3%.

Because of his injury and looming big raise, the Pacers might be interested in an offer of the Lakers’ 2020 first round pick, young star Kyle Kuzma, bench GOAT Alex Caruso, and proven vet Danny Green for young Victor.

A healthy Oladipo would solve the Lakers need for a third superstar to make them the dominant team in the league and give them a superstar guard to anchor the team with Anthony Davis when LeBron James finally retires.

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4. Lakers Trade for Utah Jazz’ shooting guard Donovan Mitchell

23-year old Donovan Mitchell would be an ideal third superstar to go with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He averaged 24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last year while shooting 45.3%/36.3%/85.9%.

Because Mitchell makes so little, the Lakers would need to offer their 2020 and 2025 first round picks plus Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, and Talen Horton-Tucker for Mitchell and Ingles to interest the Jazz in a trade.

The youngest of the four trade targets, Mitchell would be give the Lakers a superstar shooting guard to go with LeBron and AD and make them the best team in the league and give AD a great running mate after LeBron retires.

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Nobody knows if the Bull, Wizards, Pacers, or Jazz are going to be willing to trade a young superstar like Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo, or Donovan Mitchell or whether the Lakers’ offer would be the best available. How the various Lakers’ players included in the above trades perform should the NBA resume the season and playoffs will certainly be a major factor in determining their value in any potential trades this offseason.

Even if they win their 17th championship this season, the Los Angeles Lakers are not going to stand pat. They’re going to be looking to take the team to the next level and build a sustainable championship dynasty.

Slowly but surely it’s become obvious the coronavirus pandemic is going to create a new normal we never envisioned and transform everything we’ve known and become accustomed to about the NBA and professional sports.

How many games are played, when the seasons and playoffs start and end, the stats and records, the conferences and divisions, salaries and finances, everything will forever be divided into eras before and after coronavirus. Just as life in general is going to change, get ready for a new reality as the rush to salvage the 2020 season and economic challenges will undoubtedly scramble professional sports like nothing we have seen in modern times.

Forget worrying the pandemic is going to put an asterisk on this season because coronavirus is going to change everything going forward and compress what could have been decades of changes into a year or two. Games without fans, realignment of divisions and conferences, rise and fall of big markets, shortening of seasons, and limits to free agency are just a first wave that will inundate and change the landscape of sports forever.

Just as the pandemic will transform how we work, study, and get services and speed up the adoption of telecommuting, online education, and remote services, it’s going to change the basic fabric of sports and entertainment. Streaming sports and entertainment events to remote viewers will grow even faster than before as people look to avoid the risks associated with attending live games and concerts in crowded arenas and stadiums.

The halcyon days of 15,000 rabid fans at an NBA game, 40,000 at at an MLB game, or 100,000 at a college football game may be long gone should the coronavirus turn out be be more deadly or last longer than expected. Even after the pandemic is over, attending a live game may never be the same. Stadiums may have to dramatically reduce capacity to allow for social distancing to ensure their fans it’s safe for them to show up in person.

The NBA’s talking about hopefully finishing the current season and playoffs with teams playing in arenas without fans in an isolated venue like Las Vegas or Disney World with the NBA Finals stretching as far as September. Keeping options open to finish the 2019–20 season and crown an NBA champion has resulted in the league seriously planning to shift the start of the 2020–21 and future seasons from late October to Christmas Day.

MLB’s plans to finish the current season include ditching the American and National Leagues and realigning teams into Cactus and Grapefruit leagues playing in Arizona or Florida depending on their spring training venues. That solution to save this season then sparked ideas for a radical permanent geographical realignment with ten-team East, West, and Central divisions designed to reduce travel and increase regional and local rivalries.

The truth is we’re in one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments in time when something major happened that changed everything in ways we didn’t expect and couldn’t predict, like after a world war or the great depression. Sports could fade away and become inconsequential or they could evolve into that one thing that allows people to escape for a few vicarious minutes the tough times and experience the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.

No matter what your crystal ball or time machine predicts, the coronavirus pandemic has opened up an unpredictable Pandora’s box of changes for the NBA and other professional sports leagues. Radical change is on its way.

There’s a chance LeBron James may choreograph an entirely different kind of last dance than the high scoring egos of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan created, one that could set the stage for a Los Angeles Lakers dynasty.

Unlike Bryant and Jordan, whose last dances were focused on the individual accomplishments of their personal careers as shoot first superstars, the pass first James may take an entirely different approach to the end of his career. Instead of demanding a max contract like Kobe and MJ did at the end, LeBron might be willing to accept less than the max salary to create cap space for the Lakers to sign a third superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That’s a move that not only opens the door for the Lakers to create a dynasty that would last beyond LeBron’s career but also give James opportunities to extend his personal career and honor his legacy with more championships. It’s also a move that might appeal to a selfless superstar like James who’s never been as burdened with taking and making the last shot as Bryant and Jordan nor measured his greatness by points scored or dollars earned.

A close scrutiny of the Los Angeles Lakers’ salary cap machinations clearly shows they believe this is a possibility as there is no way they could sign Antetokounmpo to a max contract without James agreeing to take less. Whether it’s Giannis or another max player, the Lakers know they need to find another superstar to pair with Anthony Davis and ultimately replace LeBron James to maintain the Lakers as an elite championship contender.

Watching LeBron embrace his role as a member of the Lakers and assume the leadership mantle from Kobe Bryant, I’m confident LeBron already has a different kind of last dance in mind as his Lakers’ career comes to a close.

There was a time, as a devout Kobe Bryant stan, I was guilty of downplaying how great a basketball player LeBron James was and taking great pleasure in the harsh criticism he received for his ‘Decision’ to join the Miami Heat.

Championing Kobe and downplaying LeBron quickly became my mantra as James assumed the mantle as the league’s ‘new’ greatest player and took over from Jordan as Bryant’s primary competitor and major protagonist. Supporting Kobe over LeBron became a Herculean task over Bryant’s last six years as the Lakers failed to make the NBA Finals or win a championship while LeBron participated in six Finals and won three championships.

Then Kobe retired and rumors started the Lakers wanted to sign LeBron as a free agent, a move I quickly and vociferously opposed as a desperate gambit that would surely compromise the team’s independence and future success. For me, signing LeBron James was tantamount to the Lakers capitulating and becoming a west coast version of the Cleveland Cavaliers, handicapped by his 1-year contracts and handpicked teammates’ costly long term deals.

When Magic Johnson signed LeBron to a four-year contract, I was skeptical and still suspicious about how much control the Lakers would have to yield to James, fearing he would become the team’s defacto GM and head coach. The media spin that LeBron had joined the Lakers because of his long-term desire to move his family and business to Los Angeles rather than any short-term hunger to win another NBA championship only increased my doubts.

Despite a promising start, LeBron’s first season with the Lakers only added to my concerns when he went down to a groin injury on Christmas day against the Warriors and the team finished the season with a 35–47 record. Magic’s failed attempt to trade for Anthony Davis ended up undermining any chance the Lakers had at developing team chemistry and eventually resulted in Johnson’s resignation and head coach Luke Walton’s firing.

But those events created the opportunity for Rob Pelinka to take control of the Lakers, get everybody in the organization on the same page, complete the trade for AD, and install Frank Vogel as the team’s new head coach. Then came two monumental events that finally convinced me LeBron bled purple and gold and deserved to wear a Lakers jersey and converted me from a tried and true Kobe Bryant stan into a die-hard LeBron James fan.

The first of course was LeBron James passing Kobe Bryant for third place in the NBA’s all-time scoring list, an event that resulted in a mutual love fest of respect and praise between the former and the new faces of the franchise. That LeBron at thirty-five years old was still playing at such an elite level, embracing playing for the Lakers, and so respectfully assuming the mantle as the franchise’s new leader simply melted away any lingering negativity.

The second event was obviously how LeBron James stepped up to take the Lakers’ torch from Kobe in the aftermath of the devastating helicopter crash the very next day that killed Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven others. Kobe had congratulated LeBron the night before about passing him and LeBron left no doubt he loved Kobe as a big brother and was committed to carrying on Mamba’s quest for Lakers’ championships and greatness.

The death of Kobe Bryant and the suspension of what was looking like a possible Lakers’ championship season due to the coronavirus pandemic have been a tough double whammy to the Lakers and their millions of fans. On the bright side, LeBron James is still a viable candidate for best player and the Lakers for best team in the league and hope still abounds that the season will be resumed and the Lakers can win the championship.

While Kobe’s death broke our hearts, his passing of the torch to LeBron has erased any conflict between respecting and appreciating the greatness of the Mamba while still embracing King James as the new face of the Lakers.