LeBron James will play for the Los Angles Lakers this fall, but the rest of the team’s roster is very much undecided. DeMarcus Cousins is a target for the Lakers. Clint Capela may also be in play but the Houston Rockets figure to match most any offer sheet for him. And, of course, there’s still a chance the Lakers trade for Kawhi Leonard and really get down to business.
A move for Leonard might shake up the roster in a big way, but for now the Lakers young players get to dream about playing with LeBron in L.A. Kobe Bryant certainly thinks it will be good for players like Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma to learn from LeBron.
James isn’t exactly known as a player that goes out of his way to mentor young players, but according to Bryant it’s an added benefit of James coming to L.A. as, if nothing else, they’ll get to simply see how the best player in the world works. Bryant, who said on Sunday that he “loves” LeBron picking LA, told ESPN Los Angeles that the move will be big for the young Lakers already on the roster.
"Players like Lonzo and Kyle and the others now have that really good pressure to push them forward sooner rather than later and I can't wait to see them respond to it…it's going to be terrific."
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 2, 2018
Bryant speaks of “good pressure,” which may not be something that sounds very good, but there is something to be said for the urgency James will have to win and win right away. James has made the NBA Finals eight straight years and, while making it nine will now mean having to go through the Golden State Warriors, it will now be the goal of the Lakers to do just that.
Kuzma and Ball were both thrilled by James coming to L.A., and it’s very likely at least one of them will be around to actually take the court with him. But Kobe’s right about one thing: playing with LeBron James brings pressure, and it will be a much different atmosphere around the Lakers this year.
