The Restitution: Los Angeles Lakers

We all know the NBA is always deficient when the team of Los Angeles isn't in the run for a championship. When you think of Boston Celtics winning all those championships before the modern era, Lakers is the most dominant team of the league in the last 40 years. After fading out from the spotlights Lakers, is now on the mission to get back on top. A time to restore back the things which were once there. A Restitution.

Los Angeles Lakers, hosted a lot of superstars and legends in the history of the league, no doubt about that. Usually team managements, create a team around their superstar and engineer a generation to stayt in the race for a few years, maybe even a decade. But Lakers team culture isn't powered by this idea. They always bring the superstar of the league to the city of Los Angeles and try to win one. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and now LeBron James. Magic Johnson isn't included in this category because he was additionally drafted by the Lakers. So, was Kobe Bryant. Kobe was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets by 13^th pick. So, Kobe Bryant wasn't a future superstar or the face of the league when he wore the Lakers jersey. 

Kobe Bryant, was the face of the franchise and the league until he retired. But he won his last champinoship in 2010. He retired at 2016. So, Lakers didn't actually made it for 6 years. Dwight Howard issue, wrong management strategies and the most important; Kobe's achilles injury. A lot of abstacles occured in those years which held back the Lakers. They brought LeBron in the summer 2018. The first year with LeBron, they didn't even made the playoffs. They had to bring some help.

It wasn't a surprise when Anthony Davis finally got traded to the Lakers. He was trying get here for the last 1 year. Thats why he became a problem for the New Orleans Pelicans management. Their superstar wanted to leave and trhey had to get something for it. The city of New Orleans always witnessed a situation like this. The stars always wanted to leave the city. We'll go over this in another day. 

Lakers management also brought Dwight Howard back. The ridiculous thing about this is that what do they expect from Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard once was the best center in the league. He came to the Lakers in his prime next to Kobe Bryant who was also in his prime. The season not just wasn't lost in 2012-2013, it was also a dissapointment and scandalous. Kobe, torned his Achilles. In the sumemr of 2013, the Lakers management and the city of Los Angeles actually begged for Dwight Howard to stay. All those billboard around the city won't ever be forgotten; “Please Stay” But Dwight Howard was the first superstar who turned his back to the Lakers. He went to Houston Rockets and then got traded from there. Changed a team every year in the last 6 years. So, its kind of a redemption for Howard. On paper, he could be efficient. But as 'team chemisty', it's quite a gamble.

This season is not just a 'crunchtime' year for the Lakers, it's also for LeBron. LeBron James is measured and rated as one of the top 10 greatest players of all-time. Some even ranks him above Kobe, even Jordan. He made 9 trips to the Finals and just won three. So, you can't actually rank him over a guy who has a 6-0 finals record or a guy who is 5-2. LeBron is now 3-6 Finals record. He aged as he's been in his last chapter of his career. If he brings a championship to the city, this will make him the first premier player who championships in three different teams. Now, that could rank him up somewhere. 

Lakers being in the Finals is so important the NBA. For its commercials and economical basis. When you look at the TV rating in the last 5-6 years. It's never been worse. For the good fo the league the NBA commision always wishes the Lakers being in the finals. Or Boston Celtics. When neither of them are, the money its been making always descreases. Never forget, the NBA took off nationally and internationally in the 80s with Lakers-Celtics rivalry. These two teams are actual reason why this league bacame so popular around the globe. Ofcouse after that, with Michael Jordan in the 90s, it exploded. 

It is now the time for Lakers management and the players to bring back the glamourous shine to the city of Los Angeles. With 16 championships, the Lakers fans are the luckiest fans in the NBA. But after all those dark years its now for LeBron and the crew to restore the things which once were there. A restitution.