Throughout the season the Los Angeles Lakers have become known for their chemistry on and off the court. Beyond simply liking one another, having LeBron James and Anthony Davis so easily buy into the culture of the team is a breath of fresh air in a league that has become very star-friendly.
Their bonding is what some believe will put them over the edge against teams like the L.A. Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. That became even stronger with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the NBA’s four-month hiatus, and the eventual return in a Walt Disney World bubble.
Many felt that with the bubble being such a unique and uncertain idea, the Lakers’ chemistry would allow them to rise above it and play great basketball despite the circumstances. While it’s still unclear if this is the case, it is evident that the Lakers being a close group has not let up in any way.
Davis spoke about the team gathering on a regular basis in his hotel room to watch rap Verzuz battles and play in an ongoing Madden tournament, according toChris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
“The team has gathered there to watch the popular “Verzuz” rap battles between Snoop Dogg and DMX, and 2 Chainz and Rick Ross, and to hold its Madden tournament. “I’m one of the few who has a suite and I’m the tech guy of the team who knows how to set up all the devices and connect them to the TV,” the star forward told Yahoo Sports. “LeBron [James] is a big Snoop Dogg fan and actually a big DMX fan, and so my room made sense. It started with that and then we just kept it going from there.”
Despite the almost generational gap between some of the players on the roster, they have managed to find common ground on so many things. It’s what has allowed them to build a very rare bond in today’s NBA, one where players move around frequently and stars are treated better than other players.
Pelinka credits chemistry for easy transitions for new players
The Lakers seamlessly managed to fit Dion Waiters, JR Smith and Markieff Morris onto their roster very late in the season, something Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka believes is a testament to the group’s chemistry.
“We’re in a unique situation that we’ve had such a strong team chemistry, that I think that platform is going to be seamless in terms of guys jumping on and being part of that identity and chemistry that we had already formed,” he recently said.
“I don’t see that changing at all with the new additions, just because it’s such a strong identity.”
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