LABron: The Unfriendly Welcome

It's official, LeBron James is a Los Angeles Laker. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the one they call, "King James" would don the purple and gold. But that's not to say I'm not excited. Hell, this is the most excited I've ever been for a free-agent signing in all the years I've been a Laker fan. If only all of Laker Nation felt the same way. In the first week of the news breaking that LeBron had agreed to a four-year, $153.3 Million dollar deal to bring his talents to Hollywood, choosing L.A. over several teams with much more fortified rosters than that of L.A.'s, the most scrutinized player in NBA (and quite possibly sports) history, has already received a whirlwind of feedback in and around Los Angeles and it's not all positive.

Shortly after breaking Twitter by announcing his decision, local artists and fans welcomed LeBron with numerous billboards and a detailed mural that showcased LeBron in a Laker uniform that read, "King of L.A." Unfortunately, the mural would be vandalized just two days later as someone defaced the piece of artwork with, "We don't want you", as well as "3-6", referring to LeBron's record in the NBA Finals. Worth noting and for those keeping score at home, is those three NBA titles LeBron has been apart of, despite the sub-par record overall, are three more titles than the Lakers have won during that time span. Then again I doubt that's something the coward who had the gull to damage such a fine illustration would know. In fact, the person who vandalized the mural probably couldn't name more than two players on the roster and probably still hopes to wake up one day to find Kobe Bryant full-body cast and all, magically appear on the roster. But I'm not here to tell you that the logic of Laker fans isn't the greatest, because we know that already. That much is evident every time the Lakers add a banner to the crowded rafters of Staples Center as the fans celebrate by tipping cars, looting businesses and setting the city ablaze.

Sadly, the misinformed vandal isn't the only one who feels this way as I've seen my fair share of disgruntled Laker fans on Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks who are none too pleased that their favorite team just landed the best player on the planet. Most of whom have a hatred for LeBron which stems from their loyalty to Kobe who just so happens to be not only my favorite Laker of all-time, but also my favorite NBA player of all-time. But I'll be the first to tell you that ship has sailed and that Kobe, as great as he was, is just another retired player who's waiting to hear his name enshrined into the Hall of Fame. However, I also use common sense and know that when the greatest player of his generation joins a struggling organization that is experiencing its worst playoff drought in franchise history in the prime of his career, I welcome that move with open arms. Not to mention anybody that's watched a lick of Lakers basketball over the past five years, knows just how much of a dumpster fire this team has become, both on and off the court.

As if their combined record of 126-284 over the last five seasons hasn't been a cause for concern as of late, their recent inability to land marquee players on the free-agent market should do the trick. With that said, landing the 33-year old James is a huge win for the organization and its fans. Before the James signing, the Lakers whiffed on such free-agents as LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant and Paul George, and also witnessed players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Demar DeRozan, all of whom are from the L.A. area, re-sign with their current clubs. That's not to say the Lakers would've been the favorite to land either name, but seeing players scoff at the idea of playing ball in southern California is not something Laker fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years. Then again, times have changed and the NBA is now a league where guys would rather play alongside their best friends to form "super teams" opposed to wanting to be looked upon as the guy who brought his team a title. Both of which are narratives LeBron is quite familiar with considering he helped birth the "super team" trend with his decision to head to Miami to team up with besties Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in the summer of 2010 before returning to Cleveland in 2014 and delivering the city its first championship in 52-years just two seasons later.

Just three seasons removed from their worst record in franchise history (17-65), the Lakers should be in store for the biggest record turnaround in the NBA this coming season and should be exciting to watch as LeBron will try and help speed up the development of L.A.'s young cast of players. As it stands, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart are some of the young players that will join James as head coach Luke Walton's Laker team hopes to build upon their 35-47 record from a year ago, an increase of 9-wins from the previous season and 18-wins from 2015-16. Along with James, the brain trust of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka stayed busy on the free-agency front by bringing in Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee as well as re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all on one-year deals. All of which were moves Johnson and Pelinka made after consulting with James, which means he was on board with bringing in a former nemesis of his in Stephenson. It also gives you the impression that both sides are in this for the long-haul and that this coming season will likely be a rebuilding process in the ever-increasing powerhouse that is the NBA's Western Conference. Something that we aren't used to seeing from a team led by LeBron James, further proving that his latest decision wasn't just about himself and his basketball legacy, but also for his family. And for this reason I can admit to finally rooting for King James and why other Laker fans should give the guy a chance like I've decided to. Besides, if the fans in Cleveland can no longer hate him for departing the city he grew up just a stones throw away from for a second time now after delivering them a long-awaited title, Laker fans have no reason to gripe at his arrival.

Before the other signings were made official, the seismic move of adding LeBron alone automatically gave the Lakers the third-best odds to win the 2019 NBA Finals according to odds makers, which is quite impressive considering they've witnessed the playoffs from the comfort of their own home in each of the past five seasons. Unfortunately, those chances took a hit shortly after as the reigning champion Golden State Warriors reloaded their already stellar roster with the signing of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. As for LeBron's legacy, the man could retire today and would still finish his career with nine NBA Finals appearances (including eight straight), that's more than most NBA franchises have under their belt. If he never played another game he would be regarded as one of the game's all-time greats, whether you have him in front of or just behind Michael Jordan for that top spot. But if anything can help catapult James over MJ in the discussion of who's the greatest to ever step foot on the hardwood, it would be helping revive the dying carcass that has been the Lakers franchise into winners again. Something he'll have at least four years to do and something the fans and naysayers alike will be keeping close tabs on.

Oh yeah and by the way, the mural was fixed just hours later.


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