A King's B-Ball Legacy

The Phoenix Suns won their series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. That should be the focus. Instead, the talk became more about Laker LeBron James. A lot has been made about his poor showmanship in Game 6 and the legacy altogether. The legacy part being ridiculed by many people, especially a lot of the obnoxious Michael Jordan fans. There isn't a lot to say, so I'll try to stay brief.

Being eliminated in the first round for the first time ever does impact James, but not too much in the short run. For his career, there is the doubt of the legitimacy of last year's championship. Compared to Kobe Bryant or even Tim Duncan (Duncan I think gets overrated a tad), he is a notch below them right now. Yes, James' volume of stats do elevate him, but with championships, this elimination makes him out as a bit of a weakling.

For a guy that is supposed to be a leader and a "role model", he put off a bit of immaturity. It's more than just that that makes James polarizing and hated quite a bit. His fanbase is very awful, but so are the Jordan fans. Without getting too deep, the fans on both sides that swear by them go beyond delusion to make their player look perfect. It undermines some of the other legends that came well before them. The elimination could make a difference in ratings getting a boost or cratering. Some heavy favorites are still in. Who do you think advances to the conference championships? 

NBA California 2019

If the Warriors stock hasn't dropped a lot, the Clippers and Lakers has risen.

California might be movies, the beach, and other things, but basketball is cherished. Getting Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to play for the Clippers helps them quite a bit. Even though they have been very good this decade, they can't get past the first or second round. I don't know if it's a lack of players for support or Doc Rivers inability to get further the last ten years, but they look poised to make a good run.

Plenty of new faces are going to the Lakers. Anthony Davis will make a huge impact in theory. There is also Demarcus Cousins and he can be a third guy to go to. Add in some other guys for support and this could be a team that likely goes back to the playoffs for the first time in about six, seven years.  The Pacific Division could be lead with both teams and the Warriors. Sacramento will still struggle.

Keep your sights on whether Houston gets Russell Westbrook via trade. Most of the Western Conference are in contention to make an impact for the upcoming 2019-20 season. At least ten have a chance to make the postseason.

Lake of LA Dysfunction

There was a point where the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most feared teams in the NBA. The last six years, not so much. Too may issues that have hurt them in recent memory combined with losing seasoned veterans. It has been a small improvement under now former head coach Luke Walton, but the travesty of resignations and partings show how bad the franchise has become.

Magic Johnson stepped down as an executive for the Lakers, and Walton agreed to part ways after three years as a coach. The improvement to what they did last year seemed like a step in the right direction. One of the big issues was dealing with that loudmouth idiot, LaVar Ball, whose son, Lonzo was the second overall pick in 2017 and went to LA. It became a circus frenzy and I don't think Walton and Johnson could take anymore of him.

Of course, you have the signing of LeBron James to come this season to get a championship for the city. It's been roughly ten years more or less since the Lakers won it. The way I view it, James dictates how things go and you can see it in his attitude on how things should go or not go. How he was when they lost to the Knicks was a good indicator of his commitment to the team and how he didn't like a role model, which he never was. He's a freaking head case. That championship year with Cleveland resulted in David Blatt getting fired and Tyronn Lue taking over. Anything that doesn't go James way, some people can lose their jobs or get traded.

It's a mix of multiple things, but it's damning one of the most prestigious franchises in pro basketball is at a crumbling point. Lue could wind up coaching the Lakers and there's a possibility Monty Williams could. They need someone to develop the players and not piss off James. It might be one of the coolest jobs, but the stress, I'm not sure whoever is hired can handle it.