With the regular season nearly two weeks away, the Los Angeles Lakers have started to play the mind games. This time they are playing on the mind of LeBron James, the man who stands between them and their quest for another
championship title …..
Los Angeles Lakers might have assembled one of the most intimidating rosters, the league has seen for quite some time, but deep down they know that till the time LeBron James is there at the South Beach, they don’t stand a chance
to win the NBA championship.
So what do they do?
They return to their instincts – the same instincts which have seen them remain prominent in the last three decades.
According to various reports, the Lakers have started plotting for the acquisition of LeBron James, two years before he can actually opt out of the contract with Miami or sign a two years extension.
These sort of rumours are not new to James. Even when he was part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, teams around the league started doing their home work way before he could actually have opted out. But, the timing of these reports is
something which can be questioned.
James and Heat are just on the cusp of defending their NBA title, and barring any major surprise, they are all set to repeat. The only two teams which can realistically challenge them are the Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Thunder have been silent and more intent to prepare themselves for another gruelling season – something you expect from Kevin Durant’s team - the Lakers are apparently not content on keeping their mouth shut. They are intimidated by Heat, their Big
Three, particularly James, and have done just enough to get on LeBron’s mind;
The King refused to comment on the vibes, before the pre-season game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, but did talk about it after the 105-78 win.
And he was in a dismissive mood;
"I'm here, and this is what it's all about," James said. "I'm preparing for this season, preparing to defend our title and that's it. This is where ... I'm here now."
"That story, I don't know where it came from, but I understand why it came up because of who I am -- it's going to happen," James added. "But I'm not going to worry about it. I've got to continue to stay focused with these guys
and make sure we're ready for any challenges that come."
As tactical as the move seems, and as malicious as I brand it to be, you have to give Lakers due credit.
For the last three decades, the thing which has made them dangerous is that they are both smart and have the advantages of a big market. If Kobe Bryant retires in the next two years, as the player recently claimed, they will have
enough cap space to easily adjust James. Considering that the tax pains of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will start to pinch Heat in the next few seasons, it would be very difficult for them to retain all three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris
Bosh, and still keep a stellar reserve cast around them. The Big Three are already taking salaries lower than the maximum they could have got, and the Lakers can play on that point to separate the trio, two seasons later.
James is however adamant now that a move away from Miami is not on his mind, and if the Heat can win some more rings, the rumours mill will stop automatically.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
Tags: