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

By Jason Reed

EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 13: LeBron James attends the press conference where Anthony Davis is introduced as the newest player of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 13, 2019 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 13: LeBron James attends the press conference where Anthony Davis is introduced as the newest player of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 13, 2019 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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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.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally landed the second superstar that the team has been looking for (even before landing the first star) by making a monumental trade for Anthony 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 on Kawhi Leonard and 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.

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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 recent offseason survey, the team received zero votes to win the NBA Championship in 2020. Zero. 

A team that has two players that are both All-NBA First-Team caliber does not receive any votes? 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 around DeMarcus Cousins has 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 has LeBron James, who has just as many critics. A lot of people do not like James because of his greatness and his comparisons to Michael Jordan by 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.

Next. Why AD is the perfect teammate for LeBron. dark

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.

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