The Los Angeles Lakers are a global staple of basketball culture. The Hollywood stardom, the endless sunshine, and historical success are all pillars of LA basketball for the purple and gold, and the ever-growing pool of all-time greats that have suited up for the Lake Show is nearly synonymous with a list of basketball's most legendary figures.
Magic. Kareem. Kobe. Shaq. LeBron. Even Karl Malone ran a stint in LA after a career's worth of experience in Utah. This franchise stands atop the powerful foundation of 17 championships (a shared record with Boston)The spotlight is infectious. The spectacle is unmatched.
So why, oh why are so many players receiving a career resurgence once they step outside the 213 area code?
It happens in every corner of the league. Whether by trade or by walking as a free agent, former Lakers are hitting another gear from their old days in LA. From fringe All-Stars to stars in their role, from hyper-athletic unicorns to ultra-elastic energizers, a massive variety of players can trace their career path through Southern California.
Is this a conspiracy? A league-wide persecution to strip this storied organization for parts and leave it middling through the ever-fortifying Western Conference? A maniacal scheme to sandbag talent until an inevitable exodus?
No, it's a combination of risk-reward decisions made to varying degrees of success. Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball were all trade pieces to secure the talents of Anthony Davis, an all-world power forward partially responsible for the Lakers' most recent championship in the Disney bubble playoffs.
The Larry O'Brien trophy in the awards cabinet of the Lakers' front office? I'd call that a worthy sacrifice of the future generation.
Other decisions, like same-day shipping Kyle Kuzma to the nation's capital for the horrendous period that was Russell Westbrook's stay with the team objectively failed. Alex Caruso took a deal with Chicago after hitting the scene in Los Angeles--still baffled that LA didn't seem interested in retaining his rights.
"I definitely have always thought about it because those guys are my brothers," Caruso recalled. "We've been through a lot together. Always good seeing them. Every now and then you think about what could've been."
No franchise has a spotless track record, but the sheer volume of talented alumni speckling the NBA canvas who have donned those iconic colors under the bright lights of LA is alarming. Does this phenomenon spark concern in the Laker front office? Can the Buss family express in unison with Gob Bluth that they have made a huge mistake?
Time will tell, but I'd hate to look at this bunch of hoopers and think what could have been.