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The first time LeBron James left Cleveland, the shadow of his chaotic divorce persisted for nearly two years, until he landed his first title and began to win back observers who believed his Exit of 2010 in Miami had been an insignificant shortcut. This time, the best player in the NBA seemed determined to learn from his mistakes, to start from scratch, without burnt jerseys and comics without screeds.
Indeed, almost all aspects of his signature with the Lakers in July contrasted with 2010. Instead of announcing the decision on a television show too long, James has issued a laconic press release. Instead of proclaiming a coming dynasty in front of his new supporters, he flew to Europe and did not make a public appearance in Los Angeles for more than two months. Instead of accusing Dan Gilbert of treason, the owner of the Cavaliers promised to hold a jersey removal ceremony. James' outing even came with a mind-blowing starter gift: the I Promise Academy, an Akron Public School for at-risk students. Once the imposing Nike mural in downtown Cleveland fell, the friendly split was over.
Although James carefully managed the minutia of this move, he could not control the complications that awaited him in LA Fact, the Lakers failed to gather Heatles classmates, missing Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and even DeMarcus Cousins. Without even a superstar mate to help defy the Warriors, James was suddenly open to a new criticism: winning titles was no longer his only goal. "Strictly a commercial decision," said TNT commentator Charles Barkley. "He is at the edge of his career. He wants to be a big Hollywood mogul. He will drive near the beach every day.
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Meanwhile, Lakers fans who had insisted for decades to claim that Kobe Bryant was a superior player to James were suddenly forced to rethink their allegiances: In Latin America, a pair of murals depicting LeBron was erased.
It is then the turn of the local media to stir. James was asked how he expected to gain the "loyalty and respect" of those who had mixed feelings about his arrival. "Who me? Me? Huh? He murmured with wide eyes. "I signed a four-year contract. What do you want more? Shortly after, she was asked about her long habit of wearing number 6, rather than 23, on her training suit. "I am beginning to understand that many of you do not recognize who I am," he said. In Cleveland, of course, everyone knew the King James Bible.
Although he sometimes felt that the quality of L.A.'s reporters was inadequate, James must have been impressed, or at least amazed by their quantity. More than 200 people attended a media day, more than 100 were in San Diego for their pre-season debut, and dozens wrapped around their locker room after their first home game at Staples Center. briefly blocking access to the showers. The unpredictable reception and the chaotic scene raised the question: will the James Lakers be anything but a show?
Luke Walton understands glory, L.A. and basketball played at the highest level. However, at the opening of the camp, the coach of the third-year Lakers admitted that he still felt his new franchise player. James and Walton were both drafted in 2003 – the first first and the second in 32nd – but their paths have rarely crossed. Walton, Bill Walton's son, a Hall of Fame member, spent most of his 10-year career as a follower of the second-unit glue for the Phil Jackson Lakers.
After retiring in 2013, Walton turned to training, where he finally got a deep look at LeBron. As a Warrior assistant, Walton faced James's Cavs twice in the final. He took the win in 2015 and increased the lead 3-1 over the next year. "Our plan was to keep it as often as possible with one guy and try to get it all done," says Walton. "He did everything in 2016."
Although Walton did not follow his father's footsteps at UCLA, he embodies John Wooden's famous phrase: "Be quick, but do not hurry." He walks around the court and his words are so terrible; his quick wit goes hand in hand with a deliberate delivery. When a reporter interrupted a group interview by collapsing on a temporary backdrop, Walton smiled, waited for two beats, then said with a smirk, "Are you drinking at work?"
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It's too simplistic to classify Walton, 38, as a laid-back surfer in San Diego, but his personality makes him a long way from the last two coaches who want to welcome James after an independent movement. Erik Spoelstra from Miami was very hurt; Cleveland's David Blatt was not sure of his lack of NBA credentials. Throughout the camp, Walton wore a pair of James signature limited edition Nike sneakers – a collaboration with designer John Elliott – for over $ 400 at online retailers. Few coaches in the NBA have such heat, and many would feel uncomfortable doing so with James on their list.
Although Spoelstra and Blatt faced early frictions with James, Walton dismissed the current view that he now holds the toughest job in the NBA. "I have the best job," he says. "I like this opportunity. It's great for me that I develop a relationship and trust [with James]. We do not need to be friends and go to the movies together, but we need to be able to talk openly about what we see. If he has problems with something, do not have to worry about something bigger than two basketball minds trying to discuss what is best for the team. "
Spoelstra managed to win and maintain James' confidence; Blatt is not there. The Heat smartly reorganizes his attack to increase the spacing and shooting around James. Blatt hesitated between moments of constraint, such as a memorable playoff game in the second round of 2015 against the Bulls, in which he tried to call a timeout he had not had before James canceled his call for possession of the ball.
Walton has chops, thanks in part to his mentors: Jackson and Warrior coach Steve Kerr. (Walton led the Dubs to a 24-0 start in 2015 when Kerr was sidelined.) To prepare for this season's challenges, Walton contacted both former bosses and former coaches of James , Spoelstra and Tyronn Read. A text from Jackson provided the most judicious advice: "Stay true to your convictions. Work with the players, but do not compromise your beliefs. "
The Lakers' group said Walton's fundamentals – a fast tempo associated with long interchangeable queues that can change everything – guided their polarizing movements in the off-season. "Our team and our forces are in perfect harmony with our coach and our forces," said General Manager Rob Pelinka. "We want this team to have a lot of thrust. We have several game leaders who can come to you with strength. "
Echoing this sentiment, the team's president, Magic Johnson, who has won five titles with a huge center, has converted to the gospel of no-position basketball. "We built this team on what we saw in the playoffs and how the game unfolds today," said Johnson, before teasing a flashback of Showtime. "We want to run. Whoever gets it, we left. "
The Lakers' plans are more intelligible than their list. After missing George and Leonard, Los Angeles signed a series of one-year contracts for veterans: leader Rajon Rondo, goaltender Lance Stephenson, small forward Michael Beasley and center JaVale McGee. The quartet was nicknamed Meme Team, because of its propensity to make antics on the field, erratic behavior and flashes of genius.
Johnson rejected the idea that James's actors have too many red flags. "Some guys have had different events in the past," he says. "So what we needed was a bit of toughness and tenacity, and we had to make sure that somebody got nervous in case of defensive foul." Unspoken: LA's approach also guaranteed maximum flexibility for the hoods for next summer.
Among the newcomers, 32-year-old Rondo garnered the highest hopes, given his high basketball IQ, his cast, and his ability to mentor second-year goaltender Lonzo Ball. Walton's vision will require James, Rondo and Ball to set a fast pace and generate a high-quality look at the start of the clock. LA wants to go deeper into the bench than the average team, hoping that its top three playmakers, who all had more than seven assists per game last year, can exert constant pressure on the team. their opponents.
However, L.A. is dangerously lean in the middle, with McGee, who is now at his sixth team in 11 seasons, as the only great experienced man. This imbalance forced Walton to experiment with James and Kyle Kuzma in central position. "We're going to sacrifice some of the rim protection," says Walton, "but we will not sacrifice our rebound. I can not bounce the ball, we will not go small. "
The thought of James, 33, who regularly fights in the center should sound the alarm. He led the league in minutes last season, his defensive impact slipped and he will carry the heaviest burden in attack. "Look, we will not play it centrally against Karl-Anthony Towns," said Walton. "We are trying to have five types of players of similar size that can stop, roll over, and bounce back. We think it can work.
L.A.'s downsizing experience has produced delicious moments and occasional break-ups during the pre-season. Hart, a 6 "shooting guard, was found placing screens in pick-and-roll as a" powerhouse attacker. " You see me play my big man? I could be forced to leave at five, "he joked later, as the small waiting lines with Kuzma in the center were punished by the Nuggets' great man, Nikola Jokic, however, which questions about the Lakers' ability to fend for themselves without reinforcements.
James competed in the finals for the eighth consecutive year and qualified for the second round in 13 consecutive rounds, but in his first month with the Lakers he was careful to avoid setting himself objectives. During the media day, he said that this season was "the unknown", that he predicted early "bumps and bruises" and that he committed himself to several times to empty his impatience. "I do not think the only way to make a success of a season is to win a championship," said James. "We have a long way to go to Golden State. They pick up where they left off. We recover from scratch. "
Even then, James dropped suggestions, such as Barkley's, that his growing media empire prompted him to move to LA "I'm a basketball player," he said. "I play ball. That's what I do. That's what I live. As far as my business is concerned, these things took care of themselves well before I came here.
Neat and energetic words, but also a sign that James knows that his change of address will leave him no room for maneuver on the part of critics in April. A first quick exit in the first round would reconnect with the motivations that motivated his decision and the way his CV was completed during all these years in the East. A lottery trip would be a disaster and could spell the end of his reign as the best basketball player by consensus.
A scout, however, viewed James' pre-season commentary as a masterful exercise to reduce the pressure on his young teammates. "The alignment of these Lakers is better than that of Cleveland," says the scout. "And their best final alignment is better than the best Cleveland final alignment." Walton did not hammer the point, but his own expectations are clear. "We want to do the playoffs," he says. "And we want to be fresh and ready to do damage once we get there."
To achieve this goal, it will require continued growth from Ingram, 21, who has become one of James' first favorites. The lockers of both players are adjacent, and James made a point of making his team mate laugh after the matches, adoring his outfits and revealing his full potential to the journalists. Ball, who has spent most of his camp recovering from a left knee surgery, will be another factor x. The Lakers are optimistic about his rider, who looks a little smoother than last year, and they think he can play a complementary role thanks to his altruism and instinct.
At the start of the season, the collective anticipation of the Lakers exceeds their level of stress. Pelinka told the press that he caught James in a quiet moment in September, watching the numbers and the retired trophies decorating the El Segundo sparkling Lakers practice center. Walton was truly excited by the influx of talent after two consecutive lottery seasons: "I want to create a culture of joy like the one we had under Steve [Kerr]. Joy is not stupid. The joy is having fun while you do the work, so you do not feel like you're working. I'm sure LeBron also wants to have fun when he plays ball. "
Johnson, with his ever-present smile, barely needed to be reminded to look on the bright side. "LeBron was in the gym and was shooting at three points for almost half a field, and I thought," Thank goodness we signed it, "he said." When I played, Michael Cooper made me better because I was fighting every day as the best defensive player in all basketball training, and when you play against LeBron you get better. "
As the season approaches, James remains cautious, preferring to let his game speak. In San Diego, he was greeted by a warm standing ovation. In L.A., he cheered and slogans "M-V-P!" While he was running up to get a dunk, then snapped a snap bang bang bang transition sequence.
With these highlights, he has moved closer to a firmer ground with his new fan base. Both sides are accustomed to greatness, they are tired of the Warriors and are wise enough to realize that a fifth season MVP would be the safest method to restore the glory of the Lakers. Much has changed since his moves in 2010 and 2014, but one important thing remains the same: James has presented himself as the savior and he has an audience waiting for him.
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