After two eras filled with talents Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol and others, resulted in five championships, the Los Angeles Lakers have been rebuilding for the past few seasons. Even with the down times, the franchise has a remarkable history to the tune of 16 NBA championships.
As they look to move forward around young players like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma, the organization hopes that there is plenty of gold still in their future. There is also optimism this summer will net the Lakers at least one superstar via free agency.
While they continue to push ahead and work toward restoring the franchise to its once-proud standing, head coach Luke Walton is confident that his team will return to the top of the mountain someday.
Walton described to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, what it would be like to win a championship while at the helm of the Lakers:
“It will be glorious when it happens and it is going to happen,” Walton said of winning a championship after watching the Warriors’ ring ceremony at the beginning of the season. “But I am not thinking about how long and this and that. But it will be a lot of fun when we get back there.”
With the Lakers’ roster populated with primarily youngsters, Walton will have his work cut out for him, but his confidence is still commendable.
He understands that they won’t get there this season, but with Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka leading the way, there is reason to expect that the Lakers will be able to make major strides on the free-agent market and head into the 2018-2019 season ready to roll.
For now, the focus has to be on player development, and Walton has already shown an impressive ability to connect with players and get them to buy in. If Ball, Ingram, and Kuzma reach their potential, and if the team can land a star or two next summer, then Walton could realize his dream sooner rather than later.
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