Remember 2020? That’s when the Lakers won its first championship with LeBron James and AD. Regardless of winning the chip in the bubble, they had an exceptional run in the regular season and playoffs. They were unstoppable! James, AD, Rondo, Danny Green, Kuzma, and even KCP were among the playoff leaders. If anything, it was a delight for the Purple and Gold fans to witness this season. But these happy days didn’t last long and all fingers were pointed at the front office just months later. Then again, the fans aren’t the only ones who miss the good ol’ days.

LeBron James recently replied to a tweet that fans would not expect the mega-star to interact with. Nevertheless, this post reminded fans of the Lakers’ championship run, “THIS WAS PEAK”. Now, one of the fans commented, “I really miss this”. And to this Twitterati’s surprise, Bron replied, “I DO TOO “. This was King James’ much-awaited fourth championship after 4 years of struggling as a Cavalier! But the fact that James still reminisces about it says a lot.

Not only that but this squad could have been alive for a few more years. Dwight Howard recently blamed Rob Pelinka for his offseason decisions. “After we won, they started tweaking the roster. I’mma tell you who it was— Rob Pelinka, man. God, Rob, why did you do that to us, man? Rob, come on, man,” he said. In the 2021 playoffs, the Lakers faced a first-round exit. Then the following year, James would miss his 2nd playoff appearance with the LA side. While they did make a deep postseason run in 2023, making it to the Conf. Finals, they couldn’t withstand the eventual champs. In short, the Lakers have been struggling to find rhythm ever since their title run.

One of the fans even threw some shade at Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss, “They got u and ad playing wit b*** smh @JeanieBuss and rob pelinka need to do they job and make moves”. Well, since 2020, the Lakers lost key figures but also made major moves. They went on to add guys like Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Trevor Ariza, and others. Of course, none of these additions worked out perfectly. But after all the ups and downs, the Lakers settled with their current roster. Then again, they still need to improve!

The front office has failed to compensate for LeBron James’ sacrifice

Looking at how the team was structured, LeBron James knew that certain additions were crucial if the Lakers were looking to make another title run. And to help the management with the same, the veteran declined his $51 million player option to give the Lakers a tad more flexibility that could’ve hopefully landed the top free agents in the market. But his sacrifice was of no use as the LA missed out on players like Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, and others.

So far, the only new additions include their rookies, Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. At first, the roster doesn’t seem so optimal in terms of competing for the championship. However, given the fact that the coaching staff went through a complete revamp, there are hopes that this roster might just make some noise. Besides, the Lakers are already looking to capitalize on their younger talent this season onwards. And why not? This decision can help the Lakers post-James’ retirement, considering AD is still in the picture.

It definitely will be a tough job to sign much-needed assets in the middle of the season. Rob Pelinka is quite protective of his beloved future draft picks and the Lakers aren’t willing to lose Austin Reaves. What are your thoughts on the Lakers? Do you think the 2020 Purple and Gold side could’ve won another ring if they had stayed together? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.