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With the NBA Finals set to tip off in a few days, Los Angeles Lakers fans once again find themselves on the outside looking in, with legitimate title contention as a best case scenario still years away. Still, thanks to tons of player movement of late, there’s plenty of reason for hope, especially with names like LeBron James and Kevin Durant potentially on the move.
To start today’s show, I throw out a theory on what I’ve seen from Durant throughout these playoffs and, really, the entirety of his time as a Golden State Warrior. Winning usually solves just about everything, so you would think Durant would seem a little happier. Yet there’s a hollowness to watching him play. The Warriors are so clearly Stephen Curry’s team, I can’t help but wonder if this wears on Durant.
Durant also just so happens to be a free agent this summer. James is too, which you probably already knew because his upcoming free agency has driven speculation all season, especially among the Lakers fan base.
It’s hard to see either player leave a title team for one that hasn’t seen playoff competition in half a decade, but these finals seem different. It’s a crazy longshot that either depart and maybe even a longer one that either (or both) take their talents to Venice Beach, but players in 2018 are more willing than ever to utilize their agency in ways we really haven’t seen across professional sports.
And really, this just offers up some fun moments Lakers fans can point to together even while the team is pretty far from actual title contention.
After lobbing that theory out there, I took off the old tinfoil hat and dove into the iTunes mailbag. Questions asked involved LaVar Ball and how Magic Johnson and the Lakers front office has handled him thus far, traditional vs. non-traditional Lakers coverage and how the two can work with each other, D’Angelo Russell’s basketball fit with this young core and plenty more.
You can listen to the show in its entirety below and make sure to subscribe on iTunes. If you want a question answered, the best way to get it on the show is via iTunes review.