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LOS ANGELES (AP) From George Mikan to Kobe Bryant, superstars have been the lifeblood of the Lakers for decades.
LeBron James is already the biggest star of his generation, and he has followed a familiar path to Los Angeles. When he decided to sign with the Lakers as a free agent, it's no coincidence that this prestigious 16-fold franchise has always attracted great players with outrageous ambitions. James, 33, took up the challenge as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O. Neal all accepted close to the bonuses of their career
Becoming a basketball superstar is one thing, and no one Is bigger than James after 15 prolific NBA seasons and three championships. Succeeding with the Lakers is different, according to many men who have worn this gold jersey.
Just ask Bryant, who has won two Olympic gold medals as James's teammate throughout his 20-year career with the Lakers.
"The NBA is doing better when the Lakers are at their highest potential," said Bryant, who retired in 2016, to Fox Sports Radio on Monday. "And for the city of Los Angeles, it's important for us to have that star power." Jerry (West) was here. "Elgin Baylor was here." The wilt was here. </ P> <p> The magic was there. (Abdul-Jabbar) was here, Shaq, myself, and now, let's go back again.You have LeBron here now.It's his turn now.I hope he'll be able to – what it will do – give back to this franchise its notoriety. "
Since DeMarcus Cousins was added to the already ridiculously laden Golden State Warriors' lineup, a league seems logically out of reach of anyone in the world NBA James was already aware of the challenge he would face in the north of the country after losing three of the last four finals of the NBA against the Warriors in Cleveland.
And with d & # 39; 39 innumerable variables to be regulated before the regular season, it is impossible to predict
But at The lesser half-decade of the franchise's history should become a bad memory for Lakers fans, who have experienced five irrelevant seasons highlighted primarily by Bryant's retirement tour. The 35 victories of the Lakers last year were their best performance for five years without a playoff game for a team that had never missed the playoffs more than two seasons in a row.
After James announced his decision to join the Lakers on a four-year, $ 153.3 million Sunday, Lakers jersey sales soared and prices climbed into the secondary market for banknotes. Fans gathered among the statues of Star Plaza outside the Staples Center, tossing chalk in the air in a simulation of James' famous gesture
Los Angeles also did a series of complementary movements. Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson join James. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remains, with – for the moment – Brandon Ingram's young core, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
Julius Randle, Isaiah Thomas and many others went out. The Lakers will build around James, and they will continue to try to land Kawhi Leonard or another superstar with him over the next year.
With the departure of Randle, the Lakers will have more players in their lineup. with Bryant in his last match in 2016. The Lakers are moving towards a new future, without linking them to the lamentable recent past.
But with the signature of a free agent superstar, the Lakers have already followed the most important part of the plan was established 16 months ago by Magic Johnson when it took over the basketball operations of the club. Although he has spent his entire career with Los Angeles, Magic knows the magnitude of the lure of the Lakers
Chamberlain made this move in 1968, with the NBA's most valuable player requesting an exchange from Philadelphia to join Baylor and West
. Abdul-Jabbar made it in 1975 after applying for a Milwaukee exchange to a cosmopolitan city, and he became the NBA's career scoring leader for 14 seasons with the Lakers.
O Neal went as a free agent in 1996, embracing the benefits of living in Hollywood as an actor and rapper in the moonlight.
James is arguably taller than anyone, a multimedia star with a legitimate entertainment production company that already produces content for NBC, the Channel History and Starz.
When James qualifies for the opening of the season, six of the top eight scorers in the history of the NBA will be Lakers.
"It's a special place," Johnson said recently. "We know what's special about this franchise.The people we choose to come here will know it too."
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