Counter-Counter Point: There Aren't Even Lakes in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied organizations in all of professional sports. After a disappointing 2022 season where they failed to make the playoffs, the Lebron James & Austin Reaves led Los Angeles Lakers will have a chance to make a run at the title once again this season.
Basketball player, father of 3, book enthusiast, music appreciator, civil rights activist, hero. Lebron James can be called many things. He's one of the the most polarizing figures in NBA history. From many people's perspective, it's never a bad thing when Lebron is competing for an NBA title. Whether you like him or not, he brings in ratings and is undeniably good for the NBA (at least for their bottom line). Matt Fitzgerald of Barstool Sports will tell you that if you're not rooting for Lebron James and the Lakers, you have a large turd in your pants.
If you're a casual NBA fan or a basketball purist and you root for any of the above teams over LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the ragtag, red-hot band of Los Angeles Lakers currently taking the NBA by storm, I don't know what to tell you. You either don't appreciate the history of the sport, you hate LeBron for literally no reason, or you're, as the headline underscores, ignorant. - Matt Fitzgerald, Barstool Sports
One the other hand, Barstool Reags of Barstool Sports, fearless leader of dark horse Dozen Championship Team The Family, and blogger extraordinaire feels differently. I don't blame him. As much as Lebron James brings to the league the world, he can be very unlikable, and very fun to root against. He penned a COUNTERPOINT blog, in response to Matt Fitzgerald's take.
Alright I saw this blog by Matty Fitz and was stopped dead in my tracks. A killjoy or ignoramus to root against LeBron and the Lakers? No way that was accurate. I thought maybe he was trolling with the headline or somehow was a diehard Lakers fan. Nope. Fitz is a Cavs fan and saying this!
You also cheer for Duke in the NCAA Tournament? You cheer for the Cowboys to actually win a playoff game? The Yankees to get their pinstripes? Pretty simple to cheer for anyone else. The Kings got royally fucked by the refs against the Lakers in their prime. The Nuggets actually have a ton of fans and Jokic is awesome to watch. Also just a hilarious dude. I like Chris Paul, so yeah, count me in on the Suns. I like Kawhi and Steve Ballmer celebrating would be pageviews for days, count me in on the Clippers. That leaves the Grizzlies and Lakers in the top-6 of the West. - Barstool Reags, Barstool Sports
Ce las vi, as the French would say. That being said…
COUNTER-COUNTER POINT: Los Angeles Doesn't Even Have Any Lakes
No matter how much attention Lebron James and the Lakers bring to the NBA. No matter how much fun you have rooting for or against the Lakers. Their entire organization is built on a throne of lies. The Lakers relocated from Minneapolis to Los Angeles prior to the 1960-1961 season. Minneapolis is in Minnesota. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes.
Bde Mka Ska, Minnesota
Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
Lake Harriet, Minnesota
Los Angles, California on the other hand, is not a land of lakes. You could call it a land of beach. But more realistically, Los Angeles is a land of land.
The few lakes that Los Angeles does have are bullshit sorry excuses for lakes. Lakes that are entirely unworthy of having a 16-time NBA champion named after.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles
When the Lakers played in Minneapolis, they wore beautiful white & blue uniforms. Blue like the waters of Lake Minnetonka.
Everett. Shutterstock Images.But in 1967, seven years after the infamous move to Tinseltown, the Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke famously changed the team colors to purple and yellow.
Focus On Sport. Getty Images.
Nothing about the city of Los Angeles, or the colors purple and yellow makes sense for a team called the Lakers. Lebron James and the Lakers may very well make a run at the NBA title this year. I guess probably not, but Lebron is still one of the best players in the league, and the team is getting hot at the right time. So maybe they have a chance. They might even sneak into the 6th spot, meaning they would avoid the play-in game all together. Some people will cheer against him, and others will cheer for him. But that doesn't take away from the fact that their nickname is fucking stupid.