No offense, but you're being pretty biased if you think the Lakers are the face of the league. Kobe Bryant sure (along with some other stars), but not the Lakers. Maybe when they're winning, but not at this point. 90% of casual NBA fans probably don't know anybody on the Lakers starting line up outside of Kobe and maybe Odom.
I'm just mentioning this point because I think that it's this sort of thinking (that the Lakers are the "face of the league") that might be getting your front office into trouble. Their complacency tells me that they think they're just going to be able to get big time players here through free agency or the MLE or whatever, but the truth is they aren't, because the Lakers aren't this huge appealing scenario right now.
Player wise, yeah Kobe is one of the faces of the league. But in terms of current franchises, I'd say teams like the Heat, Spurs, Suns, and Pistons are far more the faces of the league than anybody else. It's why those teams have been able to get the big name players like Finley, Mourning, Payton, Jones, Williams, Webber, Walker, Rose, etc.
Granted some of those players are declining, but they still contribute. My point is basically, that if the Lakers office wants to get back to being the "face of the league", they're going to have to make some moves so that the big players want to go there. Not just wait around and expect things to happen for them because they're the "face of the league".
Either way, I think this whole situation might be the best thing to happen to you guys down the road. It could really light a fire in the Lakers front office and get the ball rolling. And if they put a good enough team out there on the court for Kobe, than you'll start to see those big names come around.
You took this pretty indepth. I have to ask though. How many mediocre teams(like the Lakers since '05) have as many national television appearances as the Lakers? Biased is hardly the world to describe me.
You took this pretty indepth. I have to ask though. How many mediocre teams(like the Lakers since '05) have as many national television appearances as the Lakers? Biased is hardly the world to describe me.
The same number of mediocre teams that have Kobe Bryant on them. I wasn't trying to offend the Lakers with my post, but basically it boils down to this: Kobe is the draw for viewership, not the Laker franchise itself.
Not that I think it would happen, but if Kobe actually did get traded, I think you'd see a steady decline in national television appearances if the Lakers remained "mediocre".
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I think I have to agree with pay ton. The Lakers still have a huge following, and have one of the most marketable players in the league, but that isnt enough to get things done. It kinda feels like the Lakers FO has been waiting for something to fall into their laps because we are "The Lakers." They still have to go out and get talent, good draft picks, and responsible contracts so that we have that allure again. That is when free agents come to your team for a paycut. Not when you pay Kwame Brown 20% of the salary cap.
^ It's definitely a little bit of both; the draw of Kobe and the Lakers having the largest fan base in the country. Now, because of their mediocrity, Kobe is the draw moreso. What that percentage split is, is anyone's guess.
Kobe interview on AM 570 KLAC Los Angeles
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