A prominent role player who meant a ton to the Los Angeles Lakers, especially during their 2020 championship run, was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He is someone who thrived off of LeBron James’ gravity and then eventually Anthony Davis when he came into town.
But during that 2019-20 season, particularly in the Orlando bubble, Caldwell-Pope played a vital role for L.A. When Avery Bradley revealed he was not going to be at the bubble, that left the Lakers with one less perimeter defender. Thankfully, Caldwell-Pope took on tough assignments during their postseason run and made timely shots to bring a Larry O’Brien trophy No. 17 back to L.A.
However, being a Laker is not for everybody because of the fans, who hold each player to a high standard as the expectation is always a championship. Caldwell-Pope explained that love-hate dynamic between Lakers fans as he got to experience it for four seasons, via The Draymond Green Show:
“I said it after I won the championship, but it’s love-hate relationship with the Lakers fans. They love you regardless, but like you’re doing bad or you ain’t playing up to your potential that they think you can play at, they on you. They gonna let you know, then you’re playing at your greatest, then they with you. They with you regardless, but they gonna let you know when you doing good and when you doing bad and that’s why I respect so much about their fans, they hardcore, they on you.”
For most people, playing under that kind of microscope can bother them, but it is rewarding to see Caldwell-Pope respect that aspect of Lakers fans. With social media allowing everyone to share their voice, he would go on to mention that fans would speak about his play in person and online:
“I would say a little bit of both, I wouldn’t say that they not so negative when they see you in person. You know, more supportive, stuff like that. In the heat of the moment, in the arena, I can see it a little bit different there. Like where they telling you, ‘Pick it up,’ and you know I’ve had a little bit of both. Through social media, in the arenas, where they was like comment on my wife pictures or like the pictures she posting saying shit about me. So, it was a lot of stuff that was going on at one point when I was there.”
There is always an extreme side of fanbases, unfortunately, and Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green were two players who saw that side. However, the minority of negative fans should not outweigh the passionate ones who support whoever is wearing the purple and gold.
To their credit, both Green and Caldwell-Pope contributed to winning the championship in 2020 and their efforts will never be forgotten.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes Lakers would have swept Clippers in 2020
During the 2020 postseason, there was an expectation that the Lakers and L.A. Clippers would square off for the first time in the playoffs. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes the Lakers would have swept the Clippers, but they blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, ruining those chances.
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