During LeBron James' first season with the Miami Heat back in 2010, James famously said Rome wasn't built in one day after the team got off to a sluggish start. James knows better than anyone that it takes time for a new group of players to mesh and develop chemistry, and the four-time MVP is preaching patience after the Los Angeles Lakers lost their season opener to the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night.
The Lakers fell to the Blazers by a final score of 128-119. It was a competitive game from start to finish, but Portland started to pull away in the fourth quarter. The Lakers looked like a team that had a bunch of personnel changes over the summer, which they did. That lack of continuity showed against a team with a lot of it, as the Blazers are returning the same roster as last season.
After the loss, LeBron James used another one of his favorite lines, comparing the team chemistry to oatmeal, via Bill Oram of The Athletic:
“I always kind of compare it to like instant oatmeal,” James said. “It is not that fast. It takes a while to get to where you can close your eyes and know exactly where your guys are. So that is where we are going to work towards both not only defensively but offensively. It is going to be an everyday process for our ball club.
“The best teacher in life is experience. A lot of these guys don’t have a lot of experience, so I have to understand that. Rajon [Rondo]understands that. We understand that. But you don’t get a pass for not practicing excellence every day and trying to be great every day.”
James signed a four-year deal with the Lakers. He is aware the team is not going to be a championship contender right away. There are going to be a lot of teaching moments this season for the youngsters in LA. Who better than LeBron James to learn them from.
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