Los Angeles Lakers: Has Franchise Lost Its Mythical Allure?

As day two of the 2015 NBA free agent frenzy came to an end, the Los Angeles Lakers remained inexplicably idle.

To add insult to injury, prized stretch forward LaMarcus Aldridge not only prematurely ruled the Lakers off of his shortened list of possible destinations, he also — through the power of social media — put L.A., and its archaic view on basketball and recruiting, on full, unfiltered blast.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: The Top 30 Ball-Handlers of All-Time

While Aldridge and his camp did the Los Angeles brass somewhat of a solid by granting them essentially a re-do in the form of a second meeting on Thursday night, the damage had been done and the stern message had been sent — the Laker dynasty has officially lost its once unwavering luster.

LaMarcus Aldridge will not be joining the Lakers, The Times has learned. They were a 50-50 choice but he disliked bball part of presentation
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 1, 2015

As @Mike_Bresnahan says, Aldridge felt too much of Lakers presentation focused on outside opportunities; wanted clearer, better b-ball focus
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2015

For as long as I can remember, the Lakers have always been the banner for prosperity in the NBA.

With each passing decade, the storied franchise had always found a way to find their next cornerstone bearer without sacrificing too much downtime in between.

More from Los Angeles Lakers

When Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired in 1973 and 1974, respectively, they quickly turned things around by trading for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the summer of 1975. Then, in the 1979 NBA Draft, the Lakers would stumble onto the No. 1 overall pick, where they selected a certain 6’9″ point guard by the name of Magic Johnson.

Just when things started to look bleak in the mid-’90s — spearheaded by Magic’s unforeseen early retirement — L.A. managed to sign the biggest and baddest free agent on the planet in Shaquille O’Neal during the summer of 1996. To add to their treasure of riches, a few months earlier, the Lakers took a calculated gamble on a gangly 17-year-old swingman named Kobe Bryant.

Three championships and four Finals appearances later, the Big (insert your preferred nickname here) would depart; but a mere four years later, the Lakers would become an unabated contender once again by acquiring the services of Pau Gasol in 2008.

Fast forward to present day, however, and this once-proud franchise — the gold standard of the association — finds itself in uncharted territory. The Lakers have fallen and they can’t seem to get back up.

Undoubtedly, at age 36 and having played just 41 games over his last two seasons due to a laundry list of maladies, Kobe is entering the twilight years of his illustrious career. Even though his pride won’t let him admit it, Bryant’s days as the franchise’s pillar and the team’s unquestionable number one option are over.

The problem? L.A. has yet to find an apropos star to carry the famed Laker torch. Dwight Howard — who the team traded for during the summer of 2012 — was supposed to be the next great Laker anchor; but he was subsequently scared off by the bright lights and Kobe’s demanding/possessive nature after just one season wearing the forum blue and gold.

Plan B was supposed to be Kevin Love, who had attended college at nearby UCLA. He was then going to lure his college teammate, Russell Westbrook, to La-La Land to form the Lakers’ new dynamic duo. However, without even meeting with the L.A. brass, Love re-upped with the Cleveland Cavaliers to the tune of a five-year, $110 million contract on Wednesday.

As we stand currently, with Aldridge serving as the latest marquee name to shun the Lakers, L.A. must reflect and ask itself why? How did we lose our distinguished mystique?

For one, the Lakers lack the presence of a fabled front-office figure — a position long-filled by the late, great Dr. Jerry Buss and living legend Jerry West.

As much as Mitch Kupchak has accomplished during his ongoing tenure as the Lakers general manager, he simply does not command the same type of respect and unremitting attention the minute he walks into the room that a Dr. Buss or the Logo did/does.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the Lakers organization — as a whole — are operating as if the calendar year is still 2005. Specifically, L.A. is routinely the only NBA franchise absent in the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Moreover, the team, at its core, still plays a rather primitive, isolation-heavy brand of basketball.

[Lakers entire presentation is the second season of Entourage]
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) July 1, 2015

Live Feed

Golden State Warriors' pacific rival makes huge free agent signing /

Blue Man Hoop

Lakers sign Christian Wood after long stare down for 14th roster spotLake Show Life

When does NBA Training Camp start? Dates Lakers fans need to knowLake Show Life

Grade the trade: Lakers bring back Alex Caruso is new proposalLake Show Life

Lakers' Austin Reaves completes Alex Caruso arc with eerily similar highlight dunkLake Show Life

NBA rumors: Trae Young trade buzz, Andre Drummond is a comedian, Wemby and KAT team upFanSided

Their utter lack of modernization is reflected upon their disappointing records over the last couple of seasons. In turn, their dire on-court performance has turned off many free agents.

As with any profession, no respected professional wants the reputation as a money-hungry monger — especially when you’re making a healthy living off of playing a kid’s game. Athletes, in particular, have a desire to paint a perception that they’re playing for the ring and for the love of the game.

With that being said, in this day and age, where the idea of intimacy is a distant thought of the past, players will not sign with the Lakers just because of the personal branding opportunities and the glorious weather the city presents.

Perhaps more so than ever, this current generation of superstars realize they can’t win alone. If the team stinks — like it does now — and its upper management remains in dysfunctional shambles, L.A. will continue to strike out in the free agency process.

Suddenly, L.A. has become just another NBA franchise. Their hopes of resurrection now lies with their internal player development and the capacity of their young prospects — most notably, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle — to evolve into superstar-level players and carry the extravagant torch of Los Angeles Lakers.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: Draft Grades & Takeaways

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Los Angeles Lakers