The Los Angeles Lakers headed to the offseason harboring dreams of acquiring an impact player who could help LeBron James and Anthony Davis bring the storied franchise back to elite status. It couldn't be that hard to recruit a free agent to the "City of Angels," right? Well, not exactly.
As the free agency period reached its crescendo before dying down, the Purple and Gold couldn't get anyone to come to the Lakers, instead settling for rookies Dalton Knecht and LeBron's son, Bronny James. Despite the disappointing result, "The King" remained resolute his team could compete for an NBA title—something that former NFL linebacker turned sports commentator Emmanuel Acho vehemently disagreed with.
Unflinching resolve
Speaking with ESPN's Dave McMenamin in Las Vegas during Team USA's training camp, the 20-time All-Star asserted his belief that the Lakers have what it takes to ascent the NBA mountaintop despite essentially bringing in the same roster they had from last season.
Acho took exception to LeBron's statement, saying the latter knows all too well how difficult it is to make deep postseason runs. Although he's won four NBA championships, the veteran forward has also suffered numerous heartbreaking defeats in the NBA Finals.
"LeBron James is playing in everybody's face with that quote, especially Lakers fans. LeBron knows best what it takes to get to an NBA title, ranking up there with greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. He's been to the Finals ten times, so he knows what it takes. How dare he even suggest to Lakers fans that they could win a championship?" Acho said on the FS1 show, "Speak."
Last season, the Lakers finished eighth in the West and faced off against the Denver Nuggets, the same team that swept them in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Although the Purple and Gold fought bravely, they had no answer for league MVP Nikola Jokic and clutch shotmaker Jamal Murray as the Nuggets secured a 4-1 series win.
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Bringing back the same team
Aside from LeBron and AD, the Lakers will still rely on veterans D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Christian Wood. This is basically the same squad that has gone 8-1 against the Nuggets in the last two postseasons. Acho said it's insane for "The Chosen One" to think this strategy could work.
"The Lakers have struggled against the Denver Nuggets, losing 4-1 this year and getting swept 4-0 the year before. This is a Nuggets team that didn't even make it to the Western Conference Finals previously, and yet LeBron believes they can run it back and improve. That's the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result," the media personality emphasized.
Obviously, talent plays a significant role in a team's drive towards championship glory. While the Lakers have two all-time greats in LeBron and Davis, the last few seasons have shown that they need more weapons to survive the Western Conference's gauntlet.
"Who do they have? Bronny James? I'm glad LeBron is playing with his son, but I don't think his four points and three assists at USC will translate into the Lakers winning a title," Acho stated. "Who else do they have? JJ Reddick? I think it's not just crazy, but insulting and disrespectful to tell Lakers fans they can win a championship with the same formula."
Even though he'll turn 40 once the new season gets underway, you can never count out LeBron, who remains an elite basketball player in what would be year 22. However, Acho has a solid point, as the Lakers have struggled in recent playoff appearances without a strong supporting cast. And unless they make a splashy acquisition in the next few weeks, Lakers fans must brace themselves for the possibility of another disappointing season.
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