Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant believes LeBron James and this year's Lakers team will surprise a lot of people and be better than most experts think.

After James signed with the Lakers, L.A. added Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Michael Beasley. Pundits around the league weren't high on the Rondo and Stephenson signings since both players aren’t good jump shooters — trait players often need when playing next to James because he’s a great passer and collapses the paint on his drives to the basket.

Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball all have bright futures in the NBA. But some believe they are too young and inexperienced to play alongside James and help the four-time MVP win his fourth championship.

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However, Kobe Bryant thinks Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka did a good job of surrounding LeBron James with tough-minded players and guys who aren't afraid to compete, via Jerry Bembry of The Undefeated:

“The Lakers are going to surprise a lot of people,” Bryant said. “Rob [Pelinka, the Lakers’ general manager], has smartly built a team of physical players. Big, versatile, fast, physical players. He understands that if you want to challenge Golden State, you can’t challenge them with shooting. That’s what they do.”

“You’ve got to beat them somewhere else. You have to beat them with size. Chippiness. Feistiness. Strength and speed. And he has a team that has that. He has a mixture of vets that are still in their primes and young kids that are hungry and open-minded and willing to learn. A team that can compete and challenge. That is a dangerous mix.”

Are the Lakers ready to dethrone the Golden State Warriors this season? The answer is obviously no. But to say L.A. won't make the playoffs is pretty absurd. This is LeBron James we're talking about; the best basketball player in the world. He's going to bring out the best in his teammates and show them the right way to play. Plus, the Lakers will have cap space next summer to sign another superstar player.