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The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, enter the 2021-22 season in uncharted territory with a roster featuring ten new players and an average age of 30.3. But if we have learned a thing or two from the past couple of seasons, counting out James is like unnecessarily poking the bear.
The team features a veteran-heavy roster with six future first-ballot hall-of-famers in the form of LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. The Lakers will surely depend on the championship and playoff experience of these vets to guide them through to the promised land.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, spoke about LeBron James' approach to the media questioning the Lakers' fit. He said,
“The great ones, they enjoy being counted out or being doubted, and I think he hears the whispers about those things with our team.”
LeBron James has been one of those few elite players that has never let the outside noise bother him but rather uses it as fuel to chase after his goals with more vigor and ferocity. The King is surrounded by equally competitive individuals this time around who, just like him, would have heard the noise about their team and will work tirelessly to achieve their goal of winning an NBA championship, shutting their haters down in the process.
Will LeBron James be able to lead the Lakers to a championship in the 2021-22 season
The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the greatest leaders the game has ever seen in LeBron James, who has overcome various obstacles and taken lesser talented teams to the Finals. Talent will not be a problem for the 2021-22 Lakers as they have that in abundance. The two biggest obstacles for them this season would be their health and chemistry.
LeBron can help with the latter, using his elite leadership skills and prior connections with players like Carmelo Anthony to make sure that everyone's goals align and that they are locked in.
King James is used to having teammates over at his mansion or conducting team lunches when they are on the road, building a camraderie which will in turn help with developing good chemistry. The importance of such gatherings might seem a bit exaggerated, but it played a crucial part in the Lakers' 2020 championship run. LeBron has already taken responsibility for developing chemistry by conducting an unofficial mini-camp in Las Vegas prior to the Lakers' official training camp.
The Lakers can only hope that concerns surrounding their health will not come to bite them with a much older roster. If they manage to stay healthy and build good chemistry, there is no stopping the Lakers from storming through to the NBA Finals.
Knowing LeBron James' penchant for leading his team to the Finals, it would not be a huge surprise to see the Los Angeles Lakers emerge victorious to win the 2021-22 NBA championship.
