The 19th annual Los Angeles Sports Awards recently took place and the Los Angeles Lakers were well represented.
LeBron James breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record was voted as the top overall sports moment, tied with El Segundo winning the Little League World Series. That wasn’t the only representation of the Lakers on that list, however.
The Lakers winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament ranked seventh on the list of Top-10 sports moments of 2023 at the Los Angeles Sports Awards.
The NBA introduced the In-Season Tournament as a way to garner more interest during the early part of the season and overall it was a success. The league changed the courts during those specific contests and many players spoke on the atmosphere being different and similar to actual playoff games.
The Lakers were dominant during the tournament itself with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way. They went undefeated in group play to win Group A before eliminating the Phoenix Suns in a very close quarterfinals game.
They would then go to Las Vegas and absolutely destroy the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals to set up a matchup in the Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Davis and LeBron would again dominate to lead the Lakers to a 120-107 victory and the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament Championship. LeBron was also named the first ever In-Season Tournament MVP to add to his never-ending list of accolades.
The Lakers’ accomplishment slotted in just behind Shohei Ohtani winning his second AL MVP Award and just ahead of the Los Angeles Kings retiring the jersey of Dustin Brown. Other honorees on the night included USC women’s basketball guard Juju Watkins, who received Sportsperson of the year along with Ohtani. LAFC’s Steve Cherundolo received Coach of the Year while Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman was named Executive of the Year and renowned sports psychologist, author, and sports advocate Dr. Steven Ungerleider was given the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.
Lakers’ LeBron James congratulates Rams Aaron Donald on retirement announcement
One of the other biggest stars in the Los Angeles sports world recently announced the end of his career as Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced his retirement from the NFL.
Donald is one of the greatest players the NFL has ever seen with many even having him in the discussion as arguably the best defensive player in league history. His retirement was met with praise and celebration from many, including Lakers star LeBron James who congratulated Donald and called it a pleasure to have watched him dominate.
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