Life after Kobe Bryant's retirement was rough for the Los Angeles Lakers . Like a piece of wood drifting on the ocean, the Lakers lacked direction or stability. They tried to build a young core around Lonzo Ball, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma, but it was clear that they needed a leader who could bring them back to the winning ways.
And then came LeBron James and Rajon Rondo in 2018. It was a turning point for the purple and gold as they finally had two experienced veterans to guide the team toward success. One of those players was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , who shared his experience playing with the two on "The Draymond Green Show."
A growing process
While "The King's" arrival in the City of Angels sparked excitement and hope for the franchise, things didn't go as planned in his first season with the Lakers. The team's young prospects struggled to mesh with Bron and vice versa, resulting in a disjointed season that saw them finish with a 37-45 record and miss the NBA Playoffs.
However, KCP said noticeable changes were made in the locker room when LeBron arrived.
"It was definitely a growing process. Everybody had to adjust to him being there, and he had to adjust to everyone else. It was a big adjustment. Everything shifted, like how we practiced, how we watched film, and how we did things as a team," the veteran two-guard shared .
While LeBron is far from a rigid player, he prefers a particular style of play. For some players, this meant getting fewer touches and more off-the-ball movement, which they may have found difficult to adjust to. Fortunately, the team also had Rondo, a player many believe is one of the most brilliant minds in the sport, to help ease the transition.
The former Boston Celtics point guard was playing in his 12th year in the league and was familiar with LBJ's game, dating back to the fierce rivalry between the Celtics and LeBron's Cavaliers and Heat squads.
"Fortunately, we had Rondo there at the same time. Both of them could navigate what's happening on the court and how we wanted to play. It was an adjustment, but I don't think it was a huge adjustment," KCP said.
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Learned a lot from Bron and Rondo
In a league filled with skilled and athletic players, success in the big league often boils down to the details—something that can be gleaned from watching game footage. KCP revealed that although watching game film was part of his routine, he didn't get that deep into it until Rondo and LBJ guided him.
"Rondo taught me how to watch film. Before that, I didn't start watching a full game of film until about two years ago. He taught me what to look for when watching the film. Having those two together in film sessions made everything easier on the court," the Georgia product said.
"They broke it down so that you knew exactly where to be and what to do when a particular motion happened. They made it clear that if you f**d up, it wasn't due to a lack of knowledge but a lack of effort," Pope concluded.
LeBron and Rajon's teachings were valuable in KCP's development as a "3-and-D" wingman. These lessons helped him become critical cogs on two title-winning teams: the 2020 Lakers and the 2023 Denver Nuggets.
Related: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reacts to critics who put an asterisk on the Lakers' Bubble title: "It's one of the hardest championships to win"
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