LeBron James (L) and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers arrive for a photo shoot during Lakers Media day in El Segundo, California on September 27, 2019. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers got an upgrade this offseason!
Check it out: Six Lakers players returned from last season’s Lakers roster James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso.
The Lakers also got vets: Lakers newcomers include Anthony Davis, the now injured DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers also have a new head coach in Frank Vogel. NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd headlines a list of assistant coaches in Frank Vogel’s stable.
“I feel the Lakers have a better team,” retired NBA All Star, Caron Butler told roving reporter, Cameron Buford.Butler played for both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his time with the Lakers, Butler averaged 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Butler would eventually be traded away from the Lakers to the Washington Wizards in a deal that brought Kwame Brown to the Lakers. In the deal, the Lakers shipped both Butler and Chucky Atkins to the Wizards in exchange for Brown and Laron Profit.
Butler would find his way back to the City of Angels in 2011 when he signed a three-year deal $24 million deal with the Clippers. to join the Los Angeles Clippers worth $24 million.
More from Butler in a transcript provided by Dallas Mavericks beat writer, Landon Buford:
“When you look at LeBron and AD, you got two of the top eight talents in all of the game. I think LeBron the first time in a long time has been told he cannot accomplish that. This still the best player in all of basketball and he is being told that he’s not any longer. So, now that adds fuel to the fire and I think in year 17, 18, whatever it is for him right now, he is going to put the world on notice,” Butler said.”
“I feel good,” Lakers forward, Anthony Davis told me.
“I’m ready.”
What’s the plan?
“Do whatever I can to help this team win a championship,” said Davis.
“That’s the main goal. That’s our goal and we are going to come in with the mindset that we’re all thinking. This is the year.”
The Los Angeles Lakers began training camp this month. They begin NBA preseason next month and the NBA’s regular season also begins next month.
“LeBron, Rondo and those guys, their veteran leadership is going to try and get that continuity together early on and try to get it together and going fast,” retired NBA Champion Dwyane Wade told me earlier this month.
Appearing on last week’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Nancy Lieberman spoke glowingly of Rajon Rondo.
Check out a snippet from our Q & A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What makes Rajon Rondo special and makes him stand out this year as opposed to last year?
Nancy Lieberman: My relationship with Rondo is very long and very deep. There’s a lot of respect between us. He’s one of, if not, the smartest players that I’ve ever coached. So if you are going to coach him, you need to expect him to hold you accountable and he will. With that said, LeBron James had to find a peer that understood the game intellectually as he does. So there’s EQ (emotional intelligence) and IQ (intellectual intelligence) involved in this game and LeBron and Rondo have both. So, Rondo is a great mentor and role model. I can’t tell you how many times he’s called me in the middle of the night and I’ve told him, ‘you’re gonna have to lose my number.’ And he’d say to me: ‘hey, can we watch film when we come in,’ like can I get 6 or 7 guys?’ And I’m like: ‘You’re unbelievable.’ He’d call, 2, 3 ,4 in the morning and go: ‘coach, you watching film?’ And I’d go: ‘Yeah.’ Then I actually get my computer on [and say]: ‘What is it that you want to see?’ So you can’t think like you do, you have to think the way Rondo is seeing. You have to see the game through his eyes. He’s phenomenal, if he called and said: ‘hey you want to shoot at 4 am?’ I’d say yes. So him, Rudy Gay, Demarcus Cousins, those are my guys. Whatever they needed was my responsibility.
The Los Angeles Lakers began training camp this month. They begin the NBA’s preseason schedule next month, with the regular season begininning next month as well.
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