The Los Angeles Lakers have returned to elite status in the NBA this season with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way for the storied franchise.

After six years without a playoff appearance, the Lakers fan base is anxious for another title. Former Laker and current Spectrum SportsNet analyst, Jordan Farmar, knows what it takes to win a championship in purple and gold with two titles to his credit during his stint in Los Angeles. Farmar recently spoke with ClutchPoints about the current Lakers squad and what it takes to be a championship-caliber team in the NBA.

“There will be some great times ahead for the Lakers with the team that they have and the direction they're moving,” Farmar said of the LeBron-led Lakers. “So it's exciting to be a Laker fan and be part of the family.”

Despite a current rough stretch for the Lakers, as they have lost four in a row, including falling to the Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and L.A. Clippers, LeBron and company are still sitting atop the Western Conference.

Injuries have started to become a concern for Los Angeles with James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma dealing with issues. This team may also need to make a move before the NBA trade deadline in February in order to compete with other elite squads in the league.

Regardless of potential moves the team may make, the Lakers, as currently constructed, are a legitimate title contender this season. Farmar details what this team needs to do to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy at season's end.

“I hope so,” Farmar on whether this Lakers team will win it all this season. “They're going to have to stay healthy and come together. The little stuff that you see all the time. Anthony Davis about his ribs. A little groin tweak or whatever can change everything. It's a long season. They're playing well. They just need to continue gel together. Rondo is back now. Kuzma is getting into the fold. As long as everybody can stay on that same page, and they find what their roles are. They're a good team and talented guys, but they still need to come together and blend as a championship team.

“You see that stuff with Golden State. You still have good players, but it's just not the same. It's not that the player that replaced the guy that's hurt is that much worse, it's just the team aspect. The flow. Understanding the small details. Stuff like that.

“If the Lakers can continue to just grow into their roles and understand what it is, they have guys that have won championships before. That helps. Dwight Howard has been to a championship. Rondo has won a championship. Danny Green has won championships. LeBron has won championships. So they have guys who understand, and that's not going to hurt down the stretch.”

Championship experience is vital, and Farmar couldn't emphasize that enough. The former Laker had Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher to learn from and lean on during his championship run with the team back in 2009 and 2010. This year, as Farmar mentioned, the Lakers have no shortage of players with that unique and valuable experience.

“100 percent,” Farmar on if championship experience is crucial to the team's success. “It's no accident when people win championships because you get an experience you can't teach otherwise. You can watch as much basketball as you want, but being in the locker room. Being in tough playoff series. Learning how to make adjustments. Learning how to sacrifice.

“Things might not be going your way, and all it takes is one opportunity, and one moment that can change. So not getting too high or too low throughout the course of the regular season. It's just little things that mentally, guys that haven't been there could never understand.”

Along with championship experience, Farmar points out another crucial aspect of being on a championship-caliber team. Every player in the NBA is no stranger to being the star attraction on their team at one point in their career, whether it be in high school, college, or overseas, but on the highest level, only a few can shine, especially on a title-contending team like the Lakers.

“Unless you're the guy, it's having to sacrifice,” Farmar said of the toughest part of being on a championship-caliber team. “Having to sacrifice things when you know you can do more. Sacrificing your personal stuff for the betterment of the team. That's the toughest part about being in the NBA period, but on a championship team, it is just magnified, and you put all your eggs in that basket knowing that if you do it and you win, it is all worth it.”

At this point in the season, it remains to be seen whether Frank Vogel's team can go the distance and bring another title to Los Angeles. They have the talent and championship pedigree, with everyone on the team seemingly on the same page. Only time will tell if this team led by two superstars can hang a 17th championship banner at the Staples Center and go down as another great Lakers team in the franchise's history.