Los Angeles Lakers: The anti-Lakers bias is thriving this summer

The Los Angeles Lakers have arguably the best superstar duo in the NBA right now yet still do not get the recognition they deserve around the league.

TheLos Angeles Lakersfinally landed the second superstar that the team has been looking for (even before landing the first star) by making a monumental trade forAnthony Davis. While the team gave up some good pieces, LA is now in a much better position to win it all in 2019.

And if you are a frequent reader here at LA Sports Hub, then you would know that we have been taking exception to how the Lakers have been viewed in the mainstream sports media.

Sure, the team missed out onKawhi Leonardand instead had to fill the roster with depth pieces instead of a superstar. And to be completely transparent, I still think the Los Angeles Clippers have the best chance of winning the NBA Championship this season.

More fromLA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

But just because the Clippers have the best chance in my eyes does not mean the Lakers don’t have any chance. The Lakers are right on the Clippers’ heels and it would not be surprising whatsoever if it was the purple and gold hanging another championship banner.

Yet it appears as if most of the NBA media and people from around the league do not think the same. In ESPN’s most recentoffseason survey, the team receivedzerovotes to win the NBA Championship in 2020.Zero.

A team that has two players that are both All-NBA First-Team caliber does not receiveanyvotes? That is ludicrous. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz, who added an overpaid point guard who doesn’t crack the top eight at his position, received a vote.

This, added with the narrative that the Lakers can’t play defense, that LeBron is no longer one of the best in the league and the complete ignorance aroundDeMarcus Cousinshas shown that there is an anti-Lakers narrative around the league.

It is understandable why it is there. First and foremost, the Lakers are only the most historic franchises in the league and that naturally draws a lot of naysayers, just think about the New York Yankees in the MLB.

The team also hasLeBron James, who has just as many critics. A lot of people do not like James because of his greatness and his comparisons toMichael Jordanby the fans that are a bit too fond of James. Like him or hate him now, most Laker fans even hated LeBron before he became a Laker.

Heck, he is even getting criticized now for being too supportive of a father and for “disrupting” his son’s AAU games. C’mon now.

And finally, the Los Angeles Lakers have been a circus over the last year and have had too much internal drama to count. That is a fair counterpoint to the Lakers, but it won’t stop LeBron and Anthony Davis from going to work.

If you take this exact same roster and put it on a small-market team like the Memphis Grizzlies and the league would be buzzing about the team’s title chances heading into this season.

Instead, you put this roster on the Los Angeles Lakers and there is more negative than positive being tossed around about the team, which quite frankly, does not make any sense.

Add us as a preferred source onGoogle

Follow