Lakers rumors: LeBron to host pre-season gamer-only minicamp in Vegas

The Los Angeles Lakers won’t start training camp until next week, but LeBron James isn’t letting that stop him from helping the revised roster get a head start to build cohesion as a group.

According to Shams Charania of The AthleticJames will host the team for a players-only minicamp in Las Vegas, something he didn’t do in his first year with the Lakers, but did for years (with the exception of last season, due to COVID restrictions and the short turn around):

“Sources tell me that LeBron has hosted a three-day minicamp for the Lakers in Las Vegas starting Friday before training camp next week. James hosted a similar team function in 2019, the season the Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship. The Lakers acquired Anthony Davis in 2019 and made him into the roster. This offseason, similarly, the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook and will now use this weekend as a catapult before the next NBA season.

Charania did not specify the players only in her tweet, but given that teams are not allowed to hold formal training until the season opens, it seems a safe bet that they are just players. that LeBron invites.

But just because they can’t go, the front office is still hoping that this proverbial Charania catapult refers to the same metaphorical target, as the 2020 Lakers had one of the best chemistry of any team we’ve ever seen. . Last year’s group – due to a combination of health and safety protocols, injuries, limited practices, few opportunities to spend time together, and other factors – simply didn’t never been able to be on the same page as the year before, so that makes it feel like James is taking a head start in bringing the team together now that the league is opening them up again. things to the players and that they had a real offseason to rest.

And hey, the Lakers are literally 1 to 1 on the championships in the years that James is hosting one of these camps. It can’t hurt to see if they can do 2 for 2.

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