The Los Angeles Lakers are back to being an elite franchise in the NBA. After six seasons of missing the playoffs, LeBron James and company are six wins away from hanging a 17th banner at the Staples Center.
Ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season, the Lakers signed superstar forward LeBron James in free agency. The move completely changed the franchise’s direction, and team president and owner Jeanie Buss couldn’t be happier the future Hall of Famer is sporting purple and gold.
"Having a player like LeBron James…he makes me so proud, his work ethic, his dedication to the game, what he brings day & night, it's inspirational to teammates, to the staff, to the city…I couldn't be more proud that he's a Laker."@JeanieBuss tells Sedano & LZ on 710 AM ESPN pic.twitter.com/pEBTIvDh7e
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) September 22, 2020
Although last season didn’t go as planned with James suffering a groin injury on Christmas Day that essentially ended his first season with the team, Los Angeles didn’t take long to bounce back.
With the addition of fellow superstar Anthony Davis in the offseason, James led the team back to prominence in the Western Conference. The Lakers finished with the best record in the conference and lost only two games in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Following an incredible game-winning shot by Davis in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 has become a distinct possibility. Denver has been as resilient a team as any in the postseason thus far, but Frank Vogel’s squad has proven to be a powerhouse and the team to beat moving forward.
