The Los Angeles Lakers may not have won the NBA Championship in 2024-25, but the franchise and fanbase have to be feeling elated with how this past year has transpired.
The Lakers hired head coach JJ Redick to lead the team and he outperformed expectations, leading the Lakers to a 50-win season in his first year on the job. Next, Los Angeles was able to land Luka Doncic in a blockbuster deal that no one saw coming, securing their next franchise pillar. Lastly, Mark Walter purchased a majority stake in the Lakers, which means the franchise will have an influx of cash to bolster the organization from top to bottom.
All these positive changes for Los Angeles will have ripple effects now and for the long-term, signaling the start of a new era. It’s hard not to be excited about where the Lakers are heading as they’ve got both the talent and resources to give themselves an even better chance to win another title.
For being one of the biggest franchises in the NBA, L.A. does well keeping its business quiet and that has been a focus for the past year, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic:
Some of these decisions, though, haven’t been saving cash. Over the last year or so, the team has focused on sealing off organizational leaks that it felt were detrimental. Tightening the circle around the very top decision-makers allowed the team to pull off a trio of major surprises — their pursuit of UConn coach Dan Hurley, their stunning trade for Luka Dončić and the record-setting $10 billion sale. There’s been an obvious preference to do business more in the shadows, and that has its advantages.
The Lakers have come a long way in terms of how they operate as leaks were a common occurrence under the previous regime. In the modern NBA, information has a way of finding its way to the public but L.A.’s done an excellent job of keeping business dealings under wraps.
The offseason is already off to an exciting start as multiple trades have reportedly been agreed to, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Lakers do in the coming weeks.
Dave Roberts warns Lakers to stay away from Shohei Ohtani
Mark Walter has an excellent reputation in sports for his commitment to winning. The Los Angeles Dodgers have benefitted from having Walter own the team as he’s shown a willingness to spend on the best players in the world to win.
Shohei Ohtani has been everything the Dodgers could have hoped for after signing a record $10-year, $700 million contract, but manager Dave Roberts jokingly warned the Lakers to stay away from him following the sale to Walter.
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