LeBron James added a few more major achievements to his résumé on Sunday, including his fourth NBA championship and his fourth Finals MVP award. However, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, the Lakers’ playoff run and championship was also a major boon for Anthony Davis‘ reputation.
Within his article, Slater wonders how many players in the NBA a team would rather have on its roster over the next five seasons than Davis. In the wake of his extremely impressive postseason performance, Davis deserves to be mentioned in the NBA’s top tier of current stars, alongside the likes of James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Slater, who adds that AD has a realistic chance to make a run at the title of world’s best player in the coming years.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Will James’ fourth title be his last? He certainly sounds prepared to go after his fifth, telling reporters after Sunday’s win that he’s still “got a lot of years left,” as ESPN relays (via Twitter).
- An in-depth Ramona Shelburne piece at ESPN.com about Jeanie Buss‘ role in the latest Lakers title includes the following quote from an unnamed senior Lakers executive, which appears to be a shot directed at the Clippers: “While some of our so-called rivals spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars trying to win media cycles, we kept our heads down and focused on basketball — because the only thing we’ve ever cared about winning is championships.”
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today outlines the long road the Lakers took to get to where they are today, starting with their 21-win and 17-win seasons from 2014-16.
- In his press conference following the Lakers’ win on Sunday, general manager Rob Pelinka recalled the faith that Kobe Bryant expressed in him when he was first hired by the franchise (link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). “He said, ‘I’ll give you two, three years, you’ll fix this. You’ll get the Lakers back on top.'” Pelinka said of the late Bryant, whom he represented for two decades as an agent. “I guess you were right, man. You give me the energy to do it.”
- Earlier today, we passed along Anthony Davis‘ comments on his contract situation.
Lol. So Pelinka makes a lopsided trade a year after his trash roster with James missed the playoffs. Now he is great at his job. The lakers/Celtics always in history of the nba get gifted trades.
Lakers were 4 seed and 2 games out of 1 seed when lebron went down after lakers smashed gsw in Oakland.. trash roster would’ve made playoffs if lebron didn’t go down with groin injury..
Its not a gift to trade Brandon Ingram, a top 5 pick and 4 other assets for a rental player. Lakers were the only team that would pony up and got a title because of it. They easily could have waited for ADs free agency but wanted to win now.
What are you saying? The clippers traded the mortgage for George ! And look how it turned out.
Lakers take chances to win rings.. the only superstar that left lakers in their prime was Dwight Howard..See how that turned out.. unless you are afraid of the big stage, why would you want to leave lakers? they take care of their own..
They got one ring out of the deal, and that’s all they’re gonna get.
Last year you said the Lakers were pretenders. Love how fast narratives change. Just sit this one, your team is a perennial playoff loser. Even if you are right thats 1 more ring than Harden will ever get..
That’s one more than the Rockets will ever get with Harden on their team. Salt Merchant.
Rockets have won more division titles then the lakers since 2012 and he’s happy to die on that hill
Does Houston put up those division banners? I know clippers do.. lakers don’t even put up western conference titles..
You spend more time in laker posts than your own team.. probably because nobody cares about the rockets and that’s they they don’t write articles about the rockets. James harden is a fraud.. will never win.. funniest part is Dwight Howard got a ring before harden. Lakers are about titles.. rockets are about losing in the playoffs.. you should thank jordan for the 2 you got.. if he doesn’t retire, rockets are ring less just like the clippers
1 more then harden and Russ will ever win , so was it worth it ?
LBJ is such a self centered fraud. He claims to be the Goat, but can’t win without being carried. This season was more of an Euro tourney anyways. Dude is done.
Jordan always had Pippen, who was also a top 5 player of that era.
They also had a pretty good Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman and Kukoc.. it wasn’t just jordan.
Ron Harper never scored in double figures with Jordan. Rodman was 34 when he signed with the Bulls. He was only there for the second three peat.
Pippen never scored more than 21 a game with Jordan. Kyrie and Davis easily scored more than that. Wade was a better player than Pippen.
Nah. LBJ has one more great year in the tank, then I predict a slow slide.
You probably said the same thing about Jordan, if you were even born before that era.
Didn’t jordan have help.. oh I don’t know Scottie pippen as a #2 to help him.. people talk smack on lebron.. forget that jordan had stacked players on bulls
@fakers1 name the hall of famers Jordan played with outside out Rodman and pippen. I can name atleast 6 lebron has played with and his career isn’t over. 6-0>4-6
Name all the years jordan didn’t go to the finals without his hall of famer sidekick pippen.Pippen averaged 20 ppg and was lock down defender.. Olympic teammate and named top 50 nba player of all time… kukoc was pretty good as well averaging 15—8 ppg off the bench. Horace Grant was pretty solid as well .. Rodman is hall of famer.. that team had 3 hall of famers..
bosh isn’t a hall of famer.. either is Kevin love..rondo is a bench player.. I’d say kyrie isn’t a lock to for hall of fame and ray allen was a bench player in his last years with heat as well.. I do remember the time with the Cavs the Cavs lost to warriors 4-2 and both kyrie and love were out.. it was lebron and Mathew delladovaa.. the next year fully healthy they beat the 73 win warriors down 3-1..
I’ve got some news for you. Bosh will definitely be a hall of famer. Love is a possible one as well. Wade, Davis, Kyrie will definitely to the hall.
Pippen never scored more than 21 as a teammate of Jordan and Rodman who was only there for 3 of the 6 titles was 34 when he signed with the Bulls.
News for you Jordan never won a playoff series without Pippen, meanwhile Pippen won a few without Jordan… how ’bout that!!!
May I point u to the game in 96 against the Indiana Pacers. Jordan scored 44 and pippen scored 40. Rodman had 26 rebounds. Beat the Pacers 110-103. But since u posted Pippen never scored more then 21 points in a game with Jordan twice on this thread it must b right. All that took was the old google machine to show ur wrong right away.
Lebron has played with at least 4 hall of famers in their prime. Possibly 5 if Love gets inducted. Jordan had Pippen who never scored more than 21 a game as Jordan’s teammate and a 34 year old Rodman.
Love isn’t a hall of Famer. He’s a role player who put up good stats with a crap TWolves team. What has Kyrie done to guarantee him in the hall of fame right now. He can’t stay healthy. Bosh only averaged 15 points a game in the playoffs and had his career cut short with the blood clots. So to automatically put all 3 of them in the hall of fame really shows what u know about basketball
Thank you!!!! Lol when stand try to say pippen and Rodman with zero offense equals wade,bosh, kyrie, ad, love, rondo and ray Allen.
Did you even watch pippen play in his prime years with bulls.. he scored.. he had offense.. Rodman was all about defense..
All hall of famers on that list. Love is a maybe
When has LeBron ever claimed to be the greatest of all time? He may have said he wants to be the greatest of all time but that is a goal of any superstar. Haters love to ignore reality.
Go watch the video with paul and maverick carter. After come back 2016 “that right there is what made me the goat, in my opinion.” Lebron james
Bronsexuals like to look past the superstars lebron has had to be carried by and still barely managed a 4-6 finals record. Thats astounding!
Jerry west was 1-8 in finals.. Hes the logo.. but based on your assessment, He sucks. Chamberlain 1 ring.. he sucks too right? Horry got 7 rings.. he should be on the goat list too right?
Jerry west just because he is the logo isn’t even in the top 10 all time. Comparing west to lebron is laughable. He has even said to change logo to mj or kobe recently.
Ring and talent factor into being the goat. Citing role players with rings is a poor argument. So is just stats because both harden, kd and westbrook would be all time greats in that regard. Lebron is top 10 all time but to say he is greater than mj, magic, Kareem, Duncan, Kobe, shaq is a joke.
I have never once said LeBron was a goat never once… I have defended him as a great player I have defended him as the best player in nba right now.. I have defended him as a laker..MJ has and always will be the goat.. But no matter what LeBron James does the hate on that man is so real and he is a top 5 all time talent.. I’m a laker fan.. my all time favorite is Magic Johnson.. if he wasn’t forced to retire from hiv he could’ve been the goat But he too was always surrounded with great players the point is great players always have good players around them..LeBron James stacks up with the all-time greats statistically..
link to m.youtube.com
Your turn-on is fear.
I have to ask the question, and I kind of want to do it as politely as possible, is Ramona Shelburne a grifter? It has been well documented that a few years ago she lost some of her inside access to the Lakers after criticizing the team. Then she tried getting close with the Clippers constantly throwing little sneak disses at the Lakers and promoting the Clippers. Now it seems like she is trying to win over the Lakers again.
I’m not trying to say she is as unreliable as a Chris Brussard or a Nick Wright who have been well documented, but I wonder how much you can truly put faith in what Ramona writes when it comes to the LA teams.
Just wait till this offseason. Lakers haters think it’s gonna get better next season? Lakers are gonna make moves to make the roster even more bolstered so lebron can pad his rings and stats to end his career atop all players all time. Kuzma, green and others will be moved for a third star who can shoot. Mark my words
Why?— they suck. What does Kuzma have to do with LJ-hate?
Guaranteed …….. Lebron, I mean, Pelinka will look to make a few more improvements, to better defend the ‘chip next year.
Much like how Lebron, I mean, Pelinka got AD, they’re sure to add another valuable piece this offseason.
Everyone knows, it was all Pelinka’s work that got AD to the Lakers. No one else, all Rob Pelinka.
Hi I’m Rich Paul nice to meet you.
Congrats on the title LA.
Now explain to my why LA is cleaning up/boarding up after this victory.
WTH does vandalism / criminal damage to property and basically just being a DUMB sob have to do with being happy your team won???
I’ll never figure this out.
The 60/70 of you who spent the night in jail or have fines to pay I hope you Karma catches up with you with a giant night stick.
This happens everywhere and I just cannot figure this out other than people are just plain stupid.
Piss poor parenting has to be a part of this.
LA has nothing on Detroit when it comes to burning everything after a Championship.