The Los Angeles Lakers assembled a team of veterans ahead of the 2021-2022 season by adding players that are mostly over the age of 32. Combined with the veterans that are already on the team, such as LeBron James and Marc Gasol, the Lakers became the oldest team in the NBA.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas trolled the Lakers by calling them a ‘senior citizens discount team’. Clippers ‘SuperFan’ Darren Clipper took a jab at the city rivals as well. According to sports analyst Colin Cowherd, the new-look Lakers roster is a result of LeBron James doing his ‘day trading’ and not planning for the future.
“When you get into the LeBron business, the present is everything and the future is nothing,” Cowherd said. “Most organizations try to balance that. You want to win now, not gonna mortgage your future. Think about it like this: 401k is all about tomorrow, not about today. You sacrifice today for tomorrow. A day trader is all about today, nobody cares about tomorrow. And LeBron’s the best day traded in league history. That’s the business you’re in. The opposite of a SAP or a 401k. LeBron’s a day trade ‘Can I make money today.'”
Then Cowherd proceeded by comparing the Lakers roster from the 2018-2019 season — the first year of James being on the team — with the current roster by noting that all of the players and some staff are gone. He remembered Pat Riley being unhappy with LeBron making changes within the Miami Heat when he played there for four years.
“But you get into LeBron it’s about winning now,” Cowherd said. “And by the way, he’s delivered. He’s got Cleveland a title, got the Lakers a title, got Miami two titles and next year, although I think they’re too old, they’ll be good, they’ll be relevant, they’ll be viable and depending on Kawhi Leonard’s health and the growth of the Suns or Clippers they may end up again winning the West. I don’t think they’re gonna win the title.”
