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Back in the day, the Los Angeles Lakers were the most prestigious and sought-after destination for NBA stars.
Jim Buss turned the franchise around and was partly responsible for making the league what it is nowadays.
Unfortunately for the fans and the organization, that hasn’t been the case anymore, and it’s only gotten worse.
Klay Thompson recently joined the long list of stars who have respectfully declined their approach, and it seems like they’re no longer a marquee destination for free agents.
With that in mind, sports analyst Nick Wright shared his thoughts on this matter, stating that this has been a long time coming.
In the latest edition of First Things First, Wright argued that the Lakers haven’t been the most desired destination for years now, citing the instances in which they failed to land the likes of Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Kevin Durant.
Are the Lakers no longer a marquee destination?
“They don’t seem like it. … They haven’t been THE spot in quite a while — Klay, Melo, LaMarcus Aldridge, KD. LeBron & AD wanted to be there.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/CNS4ZV3Juf
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) July 4, 2024
Some claimed that Kobe Bryant was difficult to work with and was driving free agents away, even though they had nothing but words of love and respect for the legendary shooting guard.
Then, it was either the media scrutiny or their poorly-constructed roster, and not even having the chance to play with LeBron James has changed that.
The Lakers are losing their mojo, and as much as she loves the organization, Jeanie Buss will have to find a way to turn this around and lead them back to the place they were or she’ll have to consider moving aside to protect her father’s legacy.
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