5 decisions made by the LA Lakers that led to their 17th NBA Championship

#3. Trusting Rob Pelinka with the General Manager role

Rob Pelinka built a championship-winning roster

Rob Pelinka's role in the Lakers' championship run is quite underrated. Pelinka's reputation amongst his colleagues is not great, considering his history as a player agent.

Pelinka, who was hired as the Lakers General Manager in March 2017, has helped transform the Lakers roster and basketball operations department. Pelinka orchestrated one of the biggest trades in franchise history last offseason, acquiring six-time All-Star Anthony Davis, and signing key free agents to the revamped roster.

Pelinka also retooled the coaching staff, hiring a veteran group with a variety of experience. He entered the Lakers organization as Kobe Bryant's agent, and now can claim to be the architect of the team's success.

#4. Replacing Luke Walton with Frank Vogel as the head coach

Frank Vogel instated a defense-first mindset that led to the Lakers' victory

After an underwhelming end to the 2018/19 season which saw them miss the playoffs, the Lakers decided to part ways with Luke Walton. With media speculation around the reason behind Walton's departure being LeBron James and the team in turmoil, the Lakers appointed Frank Vogel as the new head coach.

The former Boston Celtics assistant's hiring was scrutinized by the fans, as the general consensus was that Tyronn Lue should have been hired due to his relationship with LeBron James. However, the decision turned out to be the correct one, as Vogel's defensive schemes played an integral part in helping the Lakers win their 17th NBA title.

#5. Signing the right role players to complement Anthony Davis and LeBron James

Rajon Rondo was instrumental in the Lakers' postseason

Following Davis' trade, the Lakers' front office had another huge task at hand - picking up the right role players and veterans from the market. Rob Pelinka and team performed it to perfection, signing experienced stars like Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, and Avery Bradley.

Although there were doubts over the effectiveness of the Lakers' role players at the beginning of the season, the players soon put it to rest. Players like Rondo and Dwight Howard came good in the playoffs, playing an instrumental part in the Lakers' success.

They had the right blend of championship experience and tactical nous, as they helped the Lakers march towards an NBA championship win.

Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Taking a look at the LA Lakers roster and options available to the management ahead of a busy offseason