For Better Or Worse, The Lakers Will Be Fun To Watch This Year

I’m telling you right now: the Lakers are going to be one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA this year, both on and off the court. We’ve already got JJ Redick, in his first game as a head coach, talking trash to Anthony Edwards. And not just some benchwarmer hanging on for dear life with three minutes of playing time—but Anthony Edwards, a straight-up assassin. From that clip alone, you can tell this won’t be the last time we see JJ jawing at players. The man looks like he’s itching to play again, twitching like the crackhead who lives in the alley behind my apartment building. 

Naturally, Lakers fans—those 17-title-obsessed maniacs—are already crowning him the next Pat Riley after one win. Good luck with that, JJ.

Now, let’s get something out of the way. Everyone acts like I’ve committed a mortal sin when I say I hate LeBron. Yes, I know—he brought Miami two titles, gave me the best four years of my life, and even inspired my confirmation name: “James.” But the second he left? Oh man, he became unbearable. (Ironic, right? Coming from me?) Even with all my blind, Jordan-was-better slander, I gotta admit this father-son storyline the Lakers are cooking up has me hooked. That Nike promo? Hilarious. 

Look, we all know if Bronny wasn’t LeBron’s kid, he wouldn’t have sniffed an NBA roster, let alone gotten drafted. But hey, here we are, and there’s nothing we can do about it except sit back and wait for the inevitable: him bricking a wide-open three that could’ve been the most viral sports moment since the Griffeys hit back-to-back home runs. I’m not knocking Bronny for missing the shot—I’m knocking him for missing the moment. And you know this storyline isn’t going anywhere until he nails one. Brace yourself for the endless hype. 

But it’s not just the James family saga we’ve got this season. Anthony Davis? He went off last night. Not only did he dominate the Timberwolves, but he stole the show at the post-game press conference too. AD and LeBron have been teammates long enough for one thing to become clear: Every time LeBron hits a career milestone, the team somehow loses. And that’s why AD deserves a standing ovation for what he said to reporters afterward—it was an all-time line. 

Look, I’m not here to say the Lakers are going to be world-beaters. But they’re going to be entertaining as hell—and that’s all we really need.