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Every reader of this site can probably remember their favorite Lakers team, the group of players that made them a fan of the purple and gold. For some it was Magic Johnson running the court flanked by athletes on both sides, orchestrating "Showtime" and blitzing the league. For others, it was the interior dominance of the team's many centers throughout the years, from Shaquille O'Neal, to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or even Wilt Chamberlain. The take-no-prisoners, #letitfly perimeter stylings of Kobe Bryant have ushered in an entire new generation of fans of the team, and it was his pairing with Pau Gasol in 2008 that caught the attention of draft prospect Kristaps Porzingis, making the Lakers his favorite team:
Porzingis' favorite team? The #Lakers, the team at No. 2. He and older brother would wake up around dawn to watch Kobe-Pau club in Finals.
— Scott Howard-Cooper (@SHowardCooper) June 12, 2015
The real question is now: are the Lakers fans of Porzingis? Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss watched the Latvian teen work out for NBA executives in Las Vegas this morning, and Porzingis flashed his smooth handles and sweet shooting stroke for everyone in the building:
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Enquirer, "Some league executives think Porzingis could become the best player in this draft" and one scout even went as far as to say Porzingis was the best player in the draft, period:
Porzingis was VERY impressive in workout. A scout called him the best player in the draft "He's better than Karl Towns," said the scout.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) June 12, 2015
Whether Porzingis can live up to that level of hype will not be known for a long time, but we will know which team will be gambling on the prospect they saw work out in Vegas when the NBA Draft takes place on June 25th.