“We Wasn’t Really Trying to Win”: Set to Help LeBron James Attain 5th NBA Championship, Newest Lakers Star Jibes at Former Team’s Poor Mentality

The Los Angeles Lakers are considered one of the most iconic teams in the world. One glance at the logo and people know what team that logo represents. The fans want to associate themselves with winning and the Lakers are all about winning and success. That is the reason the team is so iconic. The Lakers have won 17 NBA titles in their history, which are the most in NBA history tied with the Boston Celtics.

A new player recruited to help the Lakers win their 18th league title alluded to the winning mentality of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Winning Mentality of the Lakers

Jarred Vanderbilt spoke about the Lakers’ mentality in a podcast with ex-NBA player Theo Pinson. He said, “In Utah we only had a couple of TV games, now you are playing every night on the biggest stage. It was night and day coming from Utah and the approach was different, because like now we competing. I went from like we wasn’t really trying to win at that point, but it wasn’t pushing winning. Now it is almost like a championship or bust”.

With LeBron’s contract ending next summer, it really is championship or bust for the Lakers. The Lakers still have all the key players who took the team to the Western Conference finals, where they lost to eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets. They have also added the likes of Christian Wood, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, and Cam Reddish to further solidify their title credentials. The Lakers could be a scary proposition to face if all their stars stay healthy.

Utah Jazz: A Surprise Package

On the podcast, Jarred Vanderbilt criticized the Jazz for their lack of winning mentality. But that is to be expected by a franchise that just traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The Utah Jazz is rebuilding under new GM, Danny Ainge. Until now, Ainge has been doing a terrific job at rebuilding the franchise. He absolutely finessed the Timberwolves by getting four first-round picks and rookie center Walker Kessler in return for Rudy Gobert and traded Donovan Mitchell for 2023 All-star, Lauri Markkanen.

Read More: “FU*K YOU HBO”: After Shutting Doors for Lakers, Anguished Fans Vent Their Frustration at $28,220,000,000 Worth Network

Danny Ainge is sneakily building a talented team in Utah. The Jazz already have established players such as Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk. Walker Kessler impressed in his rookie season and the Jazz added high flying, John Collins to the roster as well. Ainge also drafted two highly touted college prospects in Tyler Hendricks and Keyonte George. The Utah Jazz might even earn a playoff spot if they don’t decide to tank again. The Utah Jazz will pleasantly surprise many NBA fans this season, that is for sure.

Watch this Story: 7 Months After Breaking Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s 39YO NBA Record, LeBron James Eyes to Dethrone Lakers Legend in Another “Crazy Stat”