In a conference call today with reporters, LeBron James said he has been training four or five times each day during the shutdown and shooting with his children on his outdoor court, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. James also addressed the wait for the league to start playing again, saying he understands that the health of safety of everyone involved comes first, but he’s strongly hoping the season can be completed (Twitter link).
“I don’t think I’ll be able to have any closure if we’re not able to finish the season,” he said.
James referred to the pandemic as “a roadblock for all of us” and “a test,” adds Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum Sportsnet (Twitter link). With the Lakers holding the West’s best record, they have extra motivation to resume the season, but James said he hasn’t spoken directly to commissioner Adam Silver about the situation.
“(In a perfect world), it would be with fans in the stands,” James said. “It just makes the game that much better.” (Twitter link).
There’s more Lakers news to pass along:
- General manager Rob Pelinka takes inspiration from Kobe Bryant while dealing with the pandemic and its effects on the team, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. “He would always say that the trials of life are kind of when greatness is forged,” Pelinka said today during a Zoom call with reporters. “If you were on a knight’s journey with him and a huge fire-breathing dragon ended up in the pathway ahead, he would say, ‘OK, this is why this is good right now. We’re going to meet this challenge and here’s how we’re going to get around it and here’s how we’re going to defeat it.’ That was just his nature, that obstacles or hard times would lead somehow to growth, and I think that’s the way I’m going to look at 2020.”
- The Lakers are also using Zoom, a videoconferencing service, to allow their players to work out together even though they can’t be in the same place, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The strength and conditioning staff delivers fitness equipment to the players for workout sessions. “These guys just have a great chemistry of being together,” Pelinka said. “So they’ve tried to stay as connected as possible in the ways they can, working out together virtually.”
- Danny Green said on his recent podcast that players will use “any means necessary … to try and salvage the season,” relays Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report. “Right now we’re fighting,” Green said. “Most guys think that for sure we’re going to have a season, it’s just going to start later than we expected, and just trying to get the next season to be pushed back is not going to be as easy as people think it’s going to be.”
Well, gosh… if freakin’ LeBRON can’t get closure, what the heck are we waiting for?!?!?
LeBron knows this was his last chance. Once warriors aren’t hurt anymore it’s back to the cellar. Will be pretty funny when season is cancelled and Davis leaves. Lakers will have mortgaged future for nothing.
You have the worst case of Laker derangement syndrome of anyone on this site. If anything the cancelled season would secure AD back but that talking point is comical anyway because he was never leaving. Whats even funnier is this idea they traded the future for AD. Ingram is a free agent too lol. Ball, Hart and Hunter are not pieces you build a tean around. Curry is made of glass. Klay won’t be the same player post ACL. Wiggins on the max LOL. Draymond is a role player. Your lottery pick is coming in the worst draft in years. But sure the Warriors era is back!
I agree Davis isn’t leaving but Ingram is restricted. Important distinction.
Lol warriors are has beens that will no longer be carried by Durant and are getting old
Still predicting a Lebron collapse. Still a prediction fail.
Yeah I don’t think the Lakers mortgaged their future.. Last year’s pick was hunter who was traded.. The other picks have protections.. ingram is balling on a bad team.. he was gonna get max.. you pay ingram a max or AD.. common sense they had to get ad rather than pay ingram and ball and hart in next couple years..if there was a team Giannis would leave bucks for, it would be lakers.. I’m not saying he’s leaving but he was playing as laker in nba 2k game.. when u get a chance to get Ad you do it.. he isn’t leaving anytime soon.. with cap being reduced next year more than likely he picks up his player option..