The Los Angeles Lakers, along with every other team, are gearing up for the start of the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22. While some teams will be heavily refreshed and ready to go, others like the Lakers and the Miami Heat would have just wrapped up their prior seasons less than two months ago. There was much speculation as to whether or not players such as LeBron James would be participating early on in the fast-paced season.
LeBron James gave his reaction to the quick turnaround to the new season after practice on Monday:
LeBron James on his initial reaction to season starting on Dec. 22: "Oh sh—!" He was initially under impression for a January start, but he said he said he'll adjust. LeBron: "Just started preparing my mind and preparing my body."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 7, 2020
Fellow teammate Jared Dudley had alluded to the fact that the league shouldn't be irate if LeBron James decided to sit out in back-to-backs frequently this season, given the timeframe for the new season and the amount of energy James had exerted going into mid-October.
It seems that won't be the case, with the future Hall of Famer giving his stamp of approval on being ready come opening night. The Lakers coaching staff will still probably take things lightly with LeBron James to avoid careless injuries early in the season. With only 72 games this season, they'll want to plot their choices carefully if they plan on repeating for a championship.
The Lakers will look a great deal different next season, though LeBron James will continue to anchor the team with Anthony Davis. Gone are Danny Green, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, all of which contributed to the Lakers' championship aspirations. Even so, Rob Pelinka understood that upgrades were necessary across the board if they Lakers wanted to compete at the highest level once more.
They'll open their season against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 22.
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