[ad_1]
LeBron James speaking after Kobe Bryant’s death. Image: EPA
“The Chosen One” on his way to lead the Lakers to the title after an emotional trip
The Los Angeles Lakers had to deal with the death of Kobe Bryant and want to end the rocky months with the NBA title.
After the Los Angeles Lakers qualified for the playoff final for the first time in ten years, LeBron James paid an emotional tribute to icon Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January: “Every time I wear the jersey Lakers, I think. I think about what he’s done.
You think about him and what he has meant to this franchise in more than 20 years on and off the field. What he expected from his teammates and from himself. We have certain things in common in this regard. “
James has a difficult legacy in Los Angeles and five-time champion Bryant is ubiquitous. The first season 2018/19 was disappointing. James, 35, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and suddenly looked old and not like “Pick 1” – the pick, as he defines himself in his own perception, that’s what it says on his back.
He had to put up with questions about the importance of sport to him. When he was moved from his home in Cleveland to Los Angeles due to his investments and ambitions in the entertainment industry.
“Space Jam 2,” a sequel to the 1990s classic starring Michael Jordan, will hit theaters in 2021. Now James takes on this role in the new movie, which has been appropriately dubbed “A New Legacy.” , a new legacy. That’s exactly what James is working on: getting over Jordan.
Surprising resignations and strange statements
But it wasn’t just James who was irritated by the Lakers. Magic Johnson, a club legend, resigned as team president at a press conference in April, catching everyone, including his superiors, by surprise.
And general manager Rob Pelinka, former agent Kobe Bryants, caused a strange episode: in 2018 he said that Bryant had once seen the movie “The Dark Knight” and then expressed the desire to have actor Heath Ledger, who is in his starring role. Joker personified to meet. So he, Pelinka, organized it. Ledger’s death when “The Dark Knight” was released was almost six months ago.
Magic Johnson (left), Kobe Bryant (center) and Rob Pelinka (right). Image: www.imago-images.de
As dysfunctional as the Lakers may seem recently, they have morphed into a superior team this season with remarkable speed. The arrival of All-Star Anthony Davis from New Orleans has relieved James, who looks livelier, better and more consistent.
James will play his 10th final playoff series and is seeking the fourth title with the third team: He had already led Miami (2012, 2013) and Cleveland (2016) to the championship. This is the most stubborn criticism of all Jordan’s comparisons: that James was only a three-time champion, half as many times as Jordan with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. A fourth win, of course, would help him there.
And the chances of a fourth title are very good, the Lakers are the big favorites in Wednesday’s final against the Miami Heat. Now it’s about proving that in an ever younger league, old Regent James is still the king of the present. And the emotional journey ends after months of moving with the title.
