Catastrophic for two-thirds of the season, the Lakers animated the end of the season by snatching their place in the “play-in”, then eliminating the Grizzlies and the Warriors. Finally, the adventure ended a week ago with a scathing “sweep” against the Nuggets, but for Rob Pelinka, his players and his coach laid the foundations for next season.
“I think this season has been a season of progression and growth for the Lakers. Obviously, we didn’t reach our ultimate goal, which is the 18th Banner, which is what we’re still aiming for. But first we must congratulate Darvin Ham and his staff for establishing a pillar of our franchise, namely the way we fight until the end. had confided Rob Pelinka during the end-of-season press conference. “It’s a team that fought hard and I think that’s what we owe our fans as a franchise. It’s something we demand of our players and it really starts with our coach, our leader and the qualities he has instilled. So, I repeat, I would characterize this season as progression and growth towards our ultimate goal which is the 18th title in franchise history.”.
“As pillars, LeBron and AD form an unparalleled combination for us”
With the signing of LeBron James in 2018 and then the arrival ofAnthony Davis in 2019, the Lakers’ goal was clear: get back to the top! Friends in life, the duo showed their complementarity from the first season by winning the 17th franchise title. Admittedly, it was in “the bubble”, and in unprecedented conditions, and admittedly the team has never done better than 7th in its conference since, but for the president of the franchise, the results have remained largely positive since the constitution of their tandem.
“If you look at the last four seasons, we’ve made the playoffs three times with a conference final and an NBA championship. I think that’s frankly where we’re supposed to be. So I’m not puffing out my chest and being proud of it. This is where the Lakers are supposed to be. And like Darvin said, our job is to keep building on that.” explains Rob Pelinka. “LeBron and AD, as pillars, form for us an unparalleled combination on which we will continue to rely and around which we will build. Both are players with incredible personalities. They want to win and play basketball properly. We’re proud of this combination of superstars and we want to continue to build on that and build on the progression we’ve had this year for next season.”.
