The Lakers are the only superclub in the National Basketball Association: a team with its own history, charm and an exception to all the rules you can think of. The American club, which has been talked about since 1947. The immortal basketball franchise made themselves visible from the first match. The history of the Lakers is a sequence of famous names and stars of the basketball world.
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The Lakers – are they an NBA phenomena?
There is no unambiguous answer why a team like the Knicks still enjoys the success they have achieved in the past (almost 50 years ago, by the way!); and a team like the Lakers continues to create a living history and is considered the most successful club in the NBA. It just so happened that the Lakers were always one step ahead of their compatriots and were on all the radars of American basketball. Brilliant matches, star players, the strongest coaches – the Lakers always had the best.
The history of the Lakers shown in the numbers is something that you can only admire.
The Lakers team became NBA champions 17 times, and in total, had almost five hundred victories in the playoffs. The titans of basketball took their garland of victory 72 seasons ago. And held on to it ever since.
So how did it all start? The one genius discoverer was Sid Hartman, a famous American journalist. The strength of the journalist is his information. Hartman was the owner of a unique, legendary notebook. The information about the best coaches in the country in that notebook was truly precious. One day, thanks to the friendly advice of his fellow coach, he was able to match star Jim Pollard to the club.
The Lakers’ famous starting five
There had always been a lot of gossip and intrigues around the club. Because one thing this world does not forgive is success – especially of this scale. But what is the Lakers phenomenon? Is it brilliant management? Or the millionaire owners who invested tons of gold in the club’s development? No, not at all. The Lakers have always collected the most talented basketball stars. No matter what, the club always fought for the opportunity to acquire the superstars. And it is the players who created the history of the club. This is what is happening now, as well. The age of the Lakers’ starting five is 32 years and older. And this is the first time in 9 years! Before the Lakers, the club that was remembered for their mature players was Dallas, in the distant 2011-12 season.
The Lakers’ starting five was nicknamed “basketball veterans” on the web. Let’s find out who they are.
LeBron James (36 years old) is the most “honoured” club player, who recently quite literally created history. James set a record as the oldest basketball player to score more than 30 points on Christmas Day. And, by the way, he bypassed the famous Kobe Bryant by points. The sports circles are full of legends about James’ “longevity” in basketball. They say that the phenomenal player spends about 1.5 million dollars a year to keep himself in good shape – that includes a gym, personal chef, massage therapists, coaches, etc. And this makes sense because investment into the body is the most profitable one for a basketball player of his level.
Wayne Ellington (34 years old) is a shooting guard who has returned to the ranks of the “veterans” of the Lakers after six years. In a recent interview, the basketball player specified that he never wanted to leave the best club in the NBA. And he considers the triumphant return to be his great luck. Although, it is unclear who is luckier here – Wayne or the Lakers. According to the expert assessment, it is Ellington who deserves special attention out of all newcomers to the club. Wayne is widely famous for his three-point shots, making him an almost unbeatable player and a real threat to the opponent.
DeAndre Jordan (33 years old) is the Lakers’ centre player. According to LeBron James, Jordan has been the star of the workouts lately. This basketball player is sometimes called the “most original” basketball player. And despite the fact that DeAndre’s start in the NBA was far from a bright one, today, he is considered a symbol of basketball. By the way, Jordan has set not only world records but also some of the anti-records. The basketball circles are very fond of discussing one particular fact. Once DeAndre missed 22 times in a row. 22! But this only proves that anyone can make mistakes and increases the number of fans who forgave DeAndre for everything.
Russell Westbrook (33 years old) is a point guard in the Lakers club. Russell has set several records in the history of the NBA and received an honorary MVP award. And even the recent mistakes of the athlete do not spoil the bigger picture: oh well, it happens to everyone. But there is something where Westbrook really has no equal. For example, his abilities to throw and defend. But there are also some things that a professional player has yet to work on. Apparently, the Lakers really do need Russ – recently, Westbrook was brought back from covid quarantine just a day later!
Isaiah Thomas (32 years old) is a Lakers’ point guard who made a stunning comeback after a one-year break. Although, at the moment, just for ten days. Despite all the rumours that the basketball player will move to CSKA Moscow, Isaiah is in the place where he belongs – in the Lakers. Isaiah has already brought the team a winning 19 points in the first match – quite a decent result. Thomas was recognized as the most controversial and promising basketball player in the group.
After their recent victory, the players started talking about how unique their club is. LeBron James noted that the Lakers really could be called a club with a legendary history, and for him, it is an honour to be part of the team.
Lakers: the latest news
While the sports community is gossiping about who the club should sign this time and which star it is trying to acquire, the Lakers are slowly but surely going up in the standings. Currently, the NBA legends are in eighth place in the Western Conference rankings. The team has 16 wins from 34 matches. One of the Lakers’ last games was on the 29th of December when the team competed against Houston in the away match. It is always more difficult to win when you’re not in your familiar court, but the Lakers have confidence in themselves.
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