It's only been a few days since LeBron James agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers for the next four seasons, but the rest of the team that will surround the superstar is really starting to take place.
They have brought in the likes of Lance Stephenson and Rajon Rondo, and there have been some around the league who have questioned exactly what the team is doing.
According to Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, this was all part of the pitch from Magic Johnson that sold James on. He wants to bring in tough-minded players that will take some of the pressure off James during a long season.
Article Continues BelowWhat Johnson pitched to James was a team stocked with tough-minded playmakers like Stephenson and Rondo who could free up James to finish in the lanes and from the post, rather than having to create the lion's share of the offense himself. Rondo and Stephenson are also defensively versatile as their length enables them to be effective defenders in switches. That also follows with the talents of the 6-foot-6 Ball, who showed the ability to be an elite rebounder and defender for a guard in his rookie year.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last playoffs, it seemed that it was all James, especially on the road. Stephenson and Rondo are guys who that boast of playoff experience who aren't just going to disappear down the stretches of games and make the weight of the world fall back on the shoulder of LeBron.