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Things felt different at Lakers media day.
Their megastar over the last eight years was nearly 3,000 miles away, talking about trying to win a championship in Philadelphia.
It was weird.
This has never happened to the Lakers before. A superstar has never chosen to leave the purple and gold. Let that sink in for a second.
The Lakers’ biggest stars have all opted to end their careers in Los Angeles, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Some superstars have been traded, such as Shaquille O’Neal.
But none have chosen to leave.
So, things felt a little odd at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Monday.
There were fewer reporters. There was less sparkle. Less intrigue.
The Lakers have one of the top four players in the NBA in Luka Doncic, but they lost one of the greatest players of all-time.
The longest-tenured player on the Lakers now? Austin Reaves. The most charismatic? Arguably Walker Kessler, who keeps talking about wanting to run through walls for the Lakers.
Sure, James not being on the Lakers is old news. He chose to sign a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers in free agency in July. But this is the first time we saw it. This is the first time we felt it.
James was wearing a blue and red jersey. And the Lakers were really without him.
Some people think they’re better off.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said Thursday that this is the first time since he took over the helm in June 2024 that all of the pieces fit.
Doncic didn’t hesitate when asked how he feels now that the Lakers are his team.
“It feels great,” Doncic said. “…I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me.”
Even Bronny James didn’t blink when asked about his father taking his talents across the country.
“We’re men of very little words when it comes to talking about business and what we’re going to do and how we feel about each other, so there wasn’t really much to be honest with you,” Bronny James said of their discussions over the summer. “I mean he’s got his own path and I got my own. So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player. And he knows that I want to focus on that.”
The world moves on.
Reaves praised James for giving him the cheat code on how to care for his body. Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said Thursday that James’ tenure with the Lakers was a “great era.”
But this is a new phenomenon for a team that has seen it all while under the harshest of microscopes in the NBA.
Maybe the Lakers wanted to move on from James. Maybe James felt underappreciated. Maybe he wanted a fresh start. Maybe all of that is true.
James is still one of the top players in the league at age 41, having single-handedly carried the Lakers to a 3-0 lead over the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season without Doncic and Reaves.
But his time with the Lakers had turned stale. Pelinka spent the offseason tailoring the roster around Doncic, including emptying out the cupboard for Walker Kessler. The Lakers are ready to move forward.
It’s a major period of transition for a franchise that has no patience for anything but winning.
Not only did James leave, but the Lakers experienced their second ownership change in 14 months after being under the Buss family’s reign for 47 years. It’s a lot.
But there’s also a lot of optimism around the Lakers.
Doncic is healthy after suffering a strained hamstring in April that sidelined him for the playoffs. Reaves is already stepping up as a leader. Walker wants nothing more than to prove that he was worth the Lakers sending two unprotected first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps to Utah to acquire him.
There are nine new players. They’re all thrilled to be playing for a franchise that has won 17 NBA championships. They’re all excited to share the court with Doncic.
But there’s also a weird feeling in Laker Land.
LeBron James is gone.
He chose to leave.
And let’s call it like it is: That dulls the shine on the purple and gold.
