Caleb Wilson was the last one among the top-four picks in the NBA draft to make his summer league debut, and boy, oh, boy was it worth the wait.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft lit up the Las Vegas Strip with a 35-point performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Chicago Bulls’ 20-year-old budding superstar followed up his sensational debut with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five blocked shots against the Utah Jazz, and another 19-point, eight-rebound outing against the Washington Wizards. He capped off his Vegas one-man show with 21 points and eight rebounds against the L.A. Lakers.

Wilson was named to the all-summer league first team, along with fellow rookies Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies), Brayden Burries (Milwaukee Bucks), Maleek Thomas (Cleveland Cavaliers), and Yaxel Lindeborg (Golden State Warriors).

The Bulls fanbase hasn’t felt this good since Derrick Rose’s MVP season in 2011. Many of them came out to Thomas & Mack Arena to watch Wilson, and they certainly liked what they witnessed.

The uber-athletic 6-10 forward averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.5 blocks. He shot 50% from the field, including a stunning 41.9% from behind the 3-point line. The 3-ball was supposed to be Wilson’s Achilles’ heel. He clearly worked on his long-range shooting in the months leading up to the summer season. He worked with renowned shooting coach Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, and the extra reps definitely paid off.

About the only thing that went wrong for Wilson was his free throws. He would have had a higher scoring average if he made more free throws. But that was the only blemish in an otherwise impressive summer league for the former North Carolina Tar Heel.

Individual scoring stats were a bit inflated because of the new summer league rules in which one free throw was worth two points, and if a player were fouled behind the 3-point line, one free throw would be worth three points. The new free-throw rule — which was enforced until the last two minutes of a game — was adopted to speed up the game and improve game flow.

Wilson has drawn comparisons to NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett for his two-way ability and defensive intensity. But the more we see Wilson’s game, from the way he handles the ball to get to his spots and the way he shoots his picture-perfect jumper, he reminds us of Kobe Bryant. Caleb is the latest in the long list of ballers who subscribe to the Mamba Mentality.

“We have some similarities, but I feel like we’re much different players,” Wilson said about the KG comparison. “Kevin Garnett’s a Hall of Famer. I don’t want to be compared to a Hall of Famer because that messes up my expectations.”

Unlike the Big Ticket, who relied heavily on post-ups and face-up mid-post moves, Wilson operates more like a big perimeter wing. Just like Kobe, Wilson has a tight handle. Just like Kobe, Wilson creates most of his shots off the bounce. More than anything, Wilson plays with an edge. Just like Kobe.

Check out this move by Wilson against the Grizzlies. Watch how he navigates around defenders to get to his spot for a 3-ball to beat the buzzer. He walks off the court dejected despite hitting a spectacular shot. The fact that he wears No. 8 seals it.

Future Hall of Famer and current Golden State Warrior Draymond Green thinks KG is Wilson’s baseline instead of his ceiling.

“Caleb Wilson is so good, and I think he’s still clumsy,” Green said on his podcast “The Draymond Green Show.”

“I think he’s so clumsy that he can’t really walk and chew gum at the same time. And yet, he’s already that good right now,” Green continued. “So, if that guy is still clumsy and he’s that good right now, man, what happens if he continues to grow into his body and he ain’t clumsy no more?

“I actually think Kevin Garnett could be his floor. That’s how special I think Caleb Wilson is,” Green concluded.

While top picks AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson shut it down after two games in Vegas, Wilson pulled a Kobe-esque move by running through the tape while some of his peers were making a rest stop.

“I wanted to win a game before I stop,” Wilson said to reporters after the Bulls’ victory over the Dybantsa-less Wizards. “I don’t get to play again until October, probably, or whenever the season starts. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can, and there’s no better place to do that than Summer League.”

When asked about Peterson and Dybantsa skipping a showdown with him and the Bulls, Wilson said that he’s “different from all of them.’’

“I can’t say they don’t enjoy basketball, but I enjoy basketball,’’ he said. ‘‘I love this [expletive]. I’m going to play as much as I can, as much as my team will let me. I’m not the type to go away from a game because I don’t feel good because I know in the NBA, I’m not going to feel good some games. As long as I don’t have an injury or something wrong with me, I’m gonna play every time. People come from all over the world to see me play, so I don’t want to let them down.”

The Bulls have been searching for someone worthy of wearing Jordan’s sneakers. He wore Jordan Brand in college. Now he’ll be playing his home games at the house Jordan built.

Winning is what Cam does best

Cameron Boozer was the most consistent player throughout the summer. He was rock solid at the Salt Lake City Summer League, and he was outstanding at the Las Vegas Summer League. He made impactful plays. He did what was required for his team to succeed. That’s always been his best asset. He finds a way to win. He won at the high school level. He won a gold medal as a member of Team USA at the FIBA U17. He won at the AAU level. He led Duke to the Elite Eight.

Now, as a pro, he led the Memphis Grizzlies to the championship game of the Las Vegas Summer League. The Grizzlies ran their offense through Boozer in the fourth quarter. And Boozer got better as the stakes got higher.

Boozer recorded 19 points (7-for-17 from the field, 3-for-7 on threes), eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 35 minutes during the Vegas Summer League championship game loss to the Golden State Warriors. Boozer appeared in all six games for the Grizzlies. He made the Vegas Summer League first team, averaging nearly a double-double (18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds) and had a top-five rating.

“He’s special, man,” Cedric Coward said of his Grizzlies teammate. “I mean, there are no other words I can use to describe it. Like I told people before, I can’t believe he’s 18, but he’s a special, special player.”

Boozer turned 19 on July 18, one night before the Vegas Summer League championship game.

Mixed reviews on point guards

If there was a rookie point guard who benefited most from the Las Vegas showcase, it was Mikel Brown Jr. The Brooklyn Nets first-round pick answered questions about his health as the back injury that shortened his lone season at the University of Louisville seemed to be a thing of the past. Brown Jr. was effective on both ends of the floor in the three games he played. Despite shooting just 39% from the field (33% on threes), there was nothing wrong mechanically with MBJ’s shooting stroke. In fact, he had one of the sweetest strokes among all the guards despite the poor shooting percentage. He has Damian Lillard-type range. He has great positional size (he’s listed at 6-5). He plays with a boatload of confidence.

Brown Jr. had a high-profile showdown with fellow lottery pick Darius Acuff Jr. Some thought Brown (No. 6 pick) won the head-to-head matchup with Sacramento’s Acuff (No. 7 pick), but in reality it was a stalemate. Both players had their moments.

Before coming to Vegas, Acuff played in the California Classic in front of Kings fans. The former Arkansas Razorback looked like he had heavy legs. Fatigue may have a lot to do with his poor shooting percentages. He shot a dreadful 26% from behind the 3-point arc and 36% from the field in three games.

Brayden Burries, the Bucks’ first-round pick and 10th overall selection, lived up to expectations. The 6-4 guard played with poise and first-class pace. They were the same attributes he displayed in his one season at Arizona. He averaged 23.5 points per game, which was second-best at the Vegas summer league based on a minimum of four games.

Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings may have made some L.A. Clippers and Atlanta Hawks fans a bit nervous. Wagler, the No. 5 pick overall, put up decent scoring stats (18 points per game) in four games for the Clippers, but he seemed overwhelmed by the physicality. He’ll need to add more muscle to his thin frame. He also struggled bringing up the ball as the lead guard. He may have to play more off the ball next to natural point guard Darius Garland.

Flemings averaged just 7.0 points in two games and shot 33% from the field. The struggles that Flemings dealt with during March Madness resurfaced in summer league. The eighth overall pick needs to pick up the pace because he’ll be counted on to fill the Hawks’ starting point guard spot after the departure of Trae Young. Flemings did play for Kelvin Sampson at the University of Houston. So far, Houston Cougars guards have done well at the pro level.

These 3 rookies exceeded expectations

Cameron Carr — The former Baylor Bear looks like a first-round steal for the Lakers after an impressive summer. He looked comfortable playing on the ball as well as off the ball. He does need to add more weight to his 175-pound frame, but the high-end athleticism and pro-ready skills are evident. Carr is a natural scorer, with a smooth mid-range jumper. The 24th selection in the 2026 NBA draft flashed the type of 3-point shooting that could earn him a spot in JJ Redick’s regular rotation. His perimeter shooting and athleticism are exactly what the Lakers need to help create space for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Carr averaged 18 points per game in Vegas, helping the Lakers win four of their first five games and earn a spot in the semifinals. The Lakers have whiffed on their last couple of first-round picks (Dalton Knecht in 2024 and Jalen Hood-Schifino in 2023), but Carr appears to be a home run. He’ll be a useful 3-and-D chess piece that Redick can use at his disposal.

Koa Peat—Peat has a frame NFL scouts love. He’s a 6-7, 235 physical specimen with solid footwork. Koa possesses a combination of size and strength that allows him to move defenders. His father, Todd Peat, played nine seasons in the NFL while his older brother, offensive lineman Andrus Peat, played for the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers. Koa was bigger than the average high school player, so he often overpowered opponents. His bully ball approach worked in high school and college, but some scouts didn’t think he’d be able to do it at the pro level. So far, Koa is proving some of the naysayers wrong, showing exceptional mobility for a 235-pound forward, and he moves a lot quicker than he looks. He’ll need to improve his face-up jumper and develop a perimeter shot beyond 15 feet, so he won’t feel the need to put his head down all the time.

Labaron Philon Jr. — Six years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers hit the jackpot when they selected Tyrese Maxey with the 21st overall selection. It turned out to be one of the best late-round picks. Maxey has turned into an All-NBA performer, and the Sixers have rewarded him with a $204 million max contract. Fast forward to this year, the Sixers may have found another late first-round gem in Philon Jr. The 6-4 guard from Alabama played with a chip on his shoulder and took every matchup personally. He showed up and showed out to let all the teams that passed on him know what they were missing.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

Being a basketball fan is truly exciting right now. The game is transitioning smoothly from one era to the next. LeBron James has had an incredible two-decade career, and it’s time for King James to relinquish the crown. The luster of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ decade-long success is beginning to fade.

The NBA is currently undergoing a rebranding, and it’s happening at an ideal time. TNT Sports’ 35-year television partnership with the NBA will conclude after the 2025 season. The league will begin its new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime starting in the 2025-26 season. Additionally, John Tesh’s iconic “Roundball Rock” theme music is making a return, introducing a new generation of basketball fans to its catchy tune. There couldn’t be a better way to kick off this rebranding than with some fresh headliners.

The 2025 NBA Finals features two burgeoning superstars in Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly crowned 2025 NBA MVP, and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Shai and Tyrese are not superstar-level yet, but they are at the doorstep. They are spearheading this new wave of contemporary talent and ushering in the yet-to-be defined era.

“We’re witnessing the changing of the guard,” said former L.A. Clippers guard Lou Williams on the “Run It Back” podcast on FanDuel TV. “We are seeing the LeBrons and Kobes of our time. These young superstars are starting to make their mark on the game and define where it’s headed in the future. SGA is going to be one of those special players.”

Lou Will had a unique perspective on Shai’s development, having been his teammate during SGA’s rookie season with the Clippers. “This is my rook,” said Williams, who recognized Shai’s maturity from Day 1. He observed how Shai dedicated himself to improving at just 20 and is now seeing him emerge as one of the best players in the league at 26.

“[Shai] was always a responsible player who carried himself like a mature professional,” Williams noted. “He had big aspirations and was clear about his endgame. He knew his abilities.”

Lou Will’s praise for Shai’s work ethic underscores SGA’s character. The Clippers had a strong feeling that SGA could become an All-Star caliber player, but an NBA MVP? “Not in my wildest dreams,” Lou Will admitted. “I’m sure Shai had [MVP] on his vision board.”

SGA embodies the qualities of a throwback player who understands the importance of consistency and patience in achieving the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

The same holds true for Haliburton. The 25-year-old Pacers guard possesses an unorthodox shooting style but plays like a classic point guard with modern capabilities. He can dominate a game without scoring, pushing the pace like an ’80s playmaker while boasting an astonishing 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. For context, a 3:1 ratio is considered well above average, while 4:1 is excellent. Haliburton is operating on an entirely different level in terms of minimizing turnovers.

Few players can match Haliburton’s killer mentality. He has made headlines by leading two historic comebacks with game-winning shots that thwarted the playoff hopes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He also delivered a memorable choke sign celebration at Madison Square Garden after making a dagger shot that seemingly floated five feet in the air before swishing through the net. That shot and choke sign celebration will linger in the memories of Knicks fans for a long time.

The Pacers achieved remarkable comebacks, erasing a seven-point lead in 34.7 seconds to eliminate the Bucks in five games, then erasing another seven-point deficit in 46.7 seconds to take a 2-0 lead against the Cavaliers. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, they came back from a nine-point deficit in 52.5 seconds in Game 1, with Haliburton sinking critical shots during each comeback.

SGA and Haliburton — alongside Anthony Edwards (23), Jalen Brunson (28), Cade Cunningham (23) and Luka Doncic (26) — are entering their prime years. Five of the six made the 2025 All-NBA teams (Luka didn’t qualify because of games missed), and they represent the present and future of the Association. They represent the major shift in the NBA as we head into a new era.

HISTORY LESSON: BREAKING DOWN DIFFERENT ERAS IN THE NBA

How did we arrive at this point? Let’s pop the VHS tape into the VCR and press rewind. The first 75 years of the NBA can be divided into six distinct eras.

In the league’s formative years of the 1950s and 1960s, eight basketball pioneers — Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell — established the groundwork for greatness. Bill Russell and his Boston Celtics didn’t just participate; they dominated the era, clinching 11 championships in 13 seasons. This is an astonishing achievement that is unlikely to ever be matched.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Rick Barry, George “Iceman” Gervin, and Julius Erving carried the torch through the colorful and turbulent era in the 1970s. This was a challenging time marked by the competition between the ABA and NBA, resulting in dwindling audiences.

The arrival of Magic Johnson in L.A. and Larry Bird in Boston revitalized basketball during the 1980s, often regarded as the league’s golden era. It was a period of glitz and grit. Showtime vs. Celtic Pride. East Cost vs. West Coast. This period also saw the emergence of the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons, along with three-time MVP Moses Malone’s move from Houston to Philadelphia. Moses teamed up with Julius “Dr. J” Erving in the 1982-83 season and co-authored one of the most dominant playoff runs, sweeping Magic’s Lakers in the ’83 Finals and capping off a 12-1 postseason record. Moses’ audacious move may be the first variant of a superstar player joining another superstar player to form a super team.

The Air Jordan era took flight in the 1990s. After grabbing the baton from Magic and Bird, Michael Jordan ruled the ’90s, winning six championships in eight years and denying peers Sir Charles Barkley, Karl “The Mailman” Malone, and Patrick Ewing from winning rings. Jordan’s Bulls was a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and pulled off the three-peat twice.

Hakeem Olajuwon benefited from Jordan’s brief two-year retirement, leading the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. David “The Admiral” Robinson teamed up with Tim “Big Fundamental” Duncan in San Antonio, winning titles in 1999 and 2003.

The immediate post-Jordan era was dominated by five players: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Duncan. Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan combined to win 13 NBA titles, four regular season MVPs, and eight Finals MVPs from 1999 to 2010. For a decade, the road to the NBA Finals went through Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan. It was the dueling dynasties era. Shaq and Kobe led the Lakers to a three-peat — one of only five three-peats in NBA history. Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers did it. Russell’s Celtics did it. Jordan’s Bulls did it twice. And Shaq and Kobe were the last to do it in 2002.

Nowitzki bridged the gap between the Kobe Bryant era and the LeBron James era. Nowitzki ended Kobe’s reign as the world’s best player when Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks squad knocked off Kobe’s Lakers in the 2011 playoffs. In the same playoff run, Nowitzki pumped the brakes on LeBron’s title run when his Mavs defeated LeBron’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

LeBron’s appearance in the 2011 Finals started a run of eight consecutive trips. He put together a super team in Miami, winning two titles in 2012 and 2013, but lost to the Mavs in 2011 and Duncan’s Spurs in 2014. After a four-year run in South Beach, LeBron returned to Cleveland to fulfill his promise of bringing a championship to his hometown team. He delivered on the promise by winning a title in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional title drought.

Dirk and KG revolutionized the game, ushering in a new era of big men. The Big Ticket made it possible for high schoolers to skip college and turn pro at 19. Nowitzki opened the door for European bigs who preferred to face the basket instead of having their back to it. Nowitzki and Garnett were instrumental in the game’s evolution, as more and more teams shifted away from traditional power forwards and opted for stretch-4s.

LeBron took the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals but could muster just one victory in four matchups against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. Curry led the Warriors to four championships in eight seasons — two of those championship banners were aided by the addition of Kevin Durant.

The Dubs Dynasty opened the portal to the “small ball” era and advanced metrics. Analytics experts preferred shooting 3s over 2s — it’s either a layup or dunk or a 3-ball — and the midrange shot was viewed as somewhat of a dinosaur idea. The modern NBA puts a premium on pace and space.

The Pacers and Thunder are extensions of the pace-and-space approach, with some added features. Much like today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, the game continues to evolve. Sure, the traditional back-to-the-basket center may be extinct, but centers are more valuable than ever. Small ball is becoming out of style like skinny jeans. Big-boy basketball is back — with pace and space.

Spurs 7-foot-6 center/forward/guard Victor Wembanyama is the type of player every team craves. Wemby is a big man with a handle who can shoot threes while being an anchor on defense. There’s only one Wemby, but teams will scour the Earth to find a similar player.

OKC found a Wemby-type unicorn in Chet Holmgren. Holmgren may not be as tall as Wemby but he can do all the things Wemby does. Holmgren has a decent handle for a 7-1 player, which allows him to get to his hot spots. Holmgren is also one of the best shot blockers in the NBA, which allows OKC defenders like Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso to press up and stay attached because they know Chet has their back.

The Thunder and Pacers both subscribe to the pace-and-space philosophy, but what allows them to consistently play at hyper-speed is depth. Indiana and OKC throw a wave of bodies at teams, saving their starters from having to play heavy minutes.

Today’s NBA is littered with 3&D wing players and big combo guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Cade Cunningham. What’s also becoming in vogue is skilled big men. Teams are looking for the next Nikola Jokic, a 5-man who can be the hub of an offense. We are deep in the era of positionless basketball where forwards can play center and centers can play guard.

Because the ball is in the hands of principal scorers, the traditional point guard is being phased out. What used to be the primary job of the point guard is now being distributed to other positions.
Haliburton might be one of the last of the Mohicans in terms of pure point guards, much like the gas-guzzling SUVs with V6 engines. It’s becoming harder and harder to find them. Suppressing point guards and centers isn’t healthy for the game. We need more of them, not less.

Shai, Cade, and Luka, on the other hand, are the archetypes of today’s point guard. They are big, heliocentric guards (6-6 and 6-7) built to play downhill, able to attack a compromised defense while coming off ball screens. They can score or draw fouls in the paint or draw multiple defenders and kick it out for open threes. It’s essentially an extension of what LeBron or James Harden have been doing for the past decade.

What separates SGA from Luka and Cade is his ability to do damage in the midrange area. The midrange (or the high post) is the area on the court that’s 4 to 5 feet below the 3-point line or roughly 15 to 20 feet away from the basket. It stretches from one side of the free throw line elbow to the next. Attack the mid-range is a core part of SGA’s game, and he’s proficient at it. During his 2024-25 MVP season when he averaged a league-leading 32.7 points per game, Shai made 57% of his mid-range attempts. The average NBA team’s midrange field goal percentage is around 42%.

There’s a fictitious narrative in basketball in terms of the mid-range shot. Many pundits and players jumped on the 3-point shot bandwagon and shoved the middie to the side of the road. But the middie never really went away. It is still the weapon of choice in the postseason, and it is still the best shot that’ll lead to a title. Outside of Steph Curry’s Warriors and Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics, the mid-range or the mid-post is where championship teams earn their money.

The adage of “what’s old is new again” seems fitting here because SGA is making the old mid-range shot the new viral trend.

As much as we’d like to see our sports heroes play forever, they can’t. Every now and then they might be able to summon a flicker of their greatness, but eventually the flame will go out.

We’ve been fortunate enough to watch all-time greats like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant entertain us for years. However, Father Time is undefeated and the clock will eventually run out on LeBron (who turns 41 next season), Steph (36), and KD (36).

It’s time for a new generation of stars to entertain us. Embrace the changing of the guard and get excited. It’s going to be fantastic.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow and subscribe to his YouTube channel at @onemanfastbreak1.

Jerry West, who died at the age of 86 on June 12, 2024, was more than just great NBA player. He was arguably the most influential person in the game of basketball.

Few in the history of the game could match West’s accolades as a player and as an executive. He was a collegiate standout at West Virginia and led the Mountaineers to the NCAA final. He won an Olympic gold medal as co-captain of the U.S. squad at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He was a 12-time All-NBA selection and a 14-time All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons. He won a championship with the L.A. Lakers in 1972 after suffering through some painful Finals losses — six of them were at the hands of the hated Boston Celtics. West was named NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite being on the losing squad.

Then, after West retired as a player, he became the greatest basketball general manager. He helped build the Lakers’ Showtime dynasty in the 1980s and was the architect of the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers three-peat in the early 2000s.

West signed O’Neal to a then whopping seven-year, $120 million contract in the summer of 1996. A month earlier, West orchestrated a draft-day deal (or steal) with the Charlotte Hornets that sent high schooler Kobe Bryant to the Lakers.

West famously told the story about the pre-draft process when he brought Kobe in for a workout and stopped the workout 10 minutes in after the teenager torched former defensive player of the year Michael Cooper in 1-on-1 drills. West told the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss that the Lakers “we got the best player in the draft.”

Shaq penned a touching tribute to his former general manager in an Instagram post.

There are certain people that you come across, and from the moment you meet them, you know that your life is changed. That is what happened the moment that I met you. And, looking back on it, it all seems so obvious now. You were deliberate and purposeful. You were kind and thoughtful. And your insights into what was going to happen to a Lakers franchise that you loved were spot on.

When we first met in Atlanta the hotel at 3:30 am to discuss the possibility of me becoming a member of the Lakers, first thing you said after i signed the contract was were about to do great things. You talked about a young 17 year old that you had just traded for, and that together, Kobe and I would win several championships. I have learned in my life that in order to accomplish great things, everyone has to believe that it can happen. I learned that from listening to you that day. You were so confident that we were about to be a dynasty. It made it easier for me to believe.

Your insights were hard earned. You did not have it easy as a child. But from the moment that you could stand out as a young man, you did. And you never looked back. You took your home-state West Virginia Mountaineers to the national championship game, and although you didn’t prevail, you were still named the MVP of the tournament. You came to the Lakers and played for them for 14 years. You won a championship with the team, and you even won the MVP of the Finals in a year that your team did not win the title! You then oversaw eight titles for the Lakers franchise! And you did all of it with kindness and class. You made everyone around you better, and you did all of it with such humility.

You deserve to be The Logo, but to all of us who had the honor of knowing you, you were so much more. With all of your nicknames — Mr. Clutch, Mr. Outside, or even Zeke from Cabin Creek — they still don’t capture the man that you were. But, I have a final label for you. And I am so proud that I got to call you this. Friend.

I will miss you. Much love to your entire family.

Shaq

As an adviser with the Golden State Warriors, he was credited with blocking a potential trade that would have sent Klay Thompson to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love. The Warriors followed West’s advice and kept Klay, and the rest was history and another dynasty was born.

Even though it was widely known that the inspiration behind the silhouette on the NBA logo was West, he was reluctant to embrace the idea that he was some sort of basketball paragon. But West was much more to the league than the logo he inspired. His fingerprints are felt across the game, and his contributions and decisions changed the course of basketball history.

West once told the Associated Press in a 2021 interview that he was “just part of the game.”

“I never wanted to be any more than that,” West said. “I’m extremely fortunate to have had the life that I’ve had, and that’s enough for me.”

He certainly lived a great life.

On a date aligning with Kobe Bryant’s iconic jersey numbers — 8 and 24 — and his daughter Gianna’s No. 2, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena to honor one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, introduced the statue during an emotional dedication ceremony with a quote from the Black Mamba. “Leave the game better than you found it, and when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend,” she said.

The 19-foot, 4,000-pound bronze statue shows Kobe in his No. 8 jersey with his right index finger raised as he walked off the court following his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. Kobe’s legendary performance currently stands as the second-highest point total in an NBA game behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962.

“For the record, Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see. If anyone has any issues with it, tough sh*t,” said Vanessa Bryant, who consulted on the design of the statue, which includes details such as tattoos of their daughters’ names on Kobe’s arm. It also features a triangle-shaped base as an homage to the triangle offense that Kobe played in, developed by Hall of Famer Tex Winter and implemented by 11-time championship head coach Phil Jackson. The base highlights some of Kobe’s career achievements.

Vanessa announced during the private ceremony — attended by several of Kobe’s former teammates and many Lakers greats — that the statue is the first of three that will be created to honor arguably the best to ever wear the purple and gold. Another statue will feature Bryant in his No. 24 jersey, which he wore for the second half of his career, while a third will depict Kobe and his daughter Gigi, who died with him and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

“I think of Kobe constantly, and I miss him and Gigi more than words can say,” said Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who spoke during the event along with Vanessa, Jackson, Kobe’s longtime teammate Derek Fisher, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and longtime Lakers TV commentator Stu Lantz.

Vanessa first announced the planned statue unveiling in a video shared to the organization’s Instagram page on Aug. 24, 2023. She said in the video: “On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as ‘The House That Kobe Built,’ we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever.”

Jeanie Buss said her late father, Dr. Jerry Buss, desired for Kobe to be a Laker for life. Now, Kobe is immortalized at Star Plaza outside the Lakers’ home arena, formerly Staples Center before being renamed Crypto.com Arena. He is the seventh Laker to have a statue, joining Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn.

“I’m filled with joy because in the future, I know fans will gather here in the shade of this statue beside this building where Kobe gave us so many memories, and we will share what he meant to us,” Jeanie said. “As we do so, we will motivate a new generation to emulate the Mamba Mentality.”

The NBA honored its 75 greatest players — 76 to be exact because of a tie — on Feb. 20, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. LeBron James was one of 45 members of the all-time 75 team who came in person and participated in the festivities.

For LeBron, being a part of an event to honor basketball’s greatest fraternity was like seeing the posters on his bedroom wall come to life. “To see those guys and then be on stage with those guys — it’s just crazy,” he said.

Bill Russell was one of the living legends who were honored in Cleveland. Russell won 11 championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics. The man has more rings than fingers. Commissioner Adam Silver summed it best when he called Russell basketball’s Babe Ruth.

The NBA 75th anniversary team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers, team and league executives, WNBA legends, sportswriters, and broadcasters. Voters were asked to select the 75 greatest players in NBA history without regard to position. Panelists did not rank their selections. Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.

Choosing the 75 greatest players in the history of the NBA was no easy task. For the most part, the blue-ribbon panel got it right. But there were a few notable misses.

OneManFastBreak thought it would be fun to revisit the list and rank them in order from 1 to 75, with some editing to make the list our own. The benchmarks were based on individual accomplishments, team success (with more weight placed on postseason resume and titles), how they performed against other great players in their era, overall influence and impact on the game, and legacy. But more importantly, the question we have to ask while ranking the best of the best is this: can you write the story of the first 75 years of the NBA without this player?

Here are the 75 greatest basketball players of all time, based on one man’s opinion.

1-Michael Jordan

2-Kobe Bryant

3-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4-Bill Russell

5-Magic Johnson

6-LeBron James

7-Shaquille O’Neal

8-Tim Duncan

9-Larry Bird

10-Stephen Curry

11-Wilt Chamberlain

12-Julius Erving

13-Hakeem Olajuwon

14-Kevin Garnett

15-Jerry West

16-Dirk Nowitzki

17-Moses Malone

18-Oscar Robertson

19-David Robinson

20-Kevin Durant

21-Dwyane Wade

22-Giannis Antetokounmpo

23-Nikola Jokic

24-John Havlicek

25-Isiah Thomas

26-Willis Reed

27-Bob Pettit

28-Scottie Pippen

29-Rick Barry

30-Bob Cousy

31-Karl Malone

32-Charles Barkley

33-Kawhi Leonard

34-Jason Kidd

35-Dave Cowens

36-Bob McAdoo

37-Bill Walton

38-Allen Iverson

39-Wes Unseld

40-John Stockton

41-Dennis Rodman

42-Clyde Drexler

43-Elgin Baylor

44-Walt Frazier

45-Elvin Hayes

46-Gary Payton

47-Kevin McHale

48-James Worthy

49-Joe Dumars*

50-George Mikan

51-James Harden

52-Russell Westbrook

53-Klay Thompson*

54-Patrick Ewing

55-Manu Ginobili*

56-Tony Parker*

57-Dwight Howard*

58-Dennis Johnson*

59-George Gervin

60-Paul Pierce

61-Nate Archibald

62-Steve Nash

63-Earl Monroe

64-Ray Allen

65-Dikembe Mutombo*

66-Sam Jones

67-Hal Greer

68-Draymond Green*

69-Billy Cunningham

70-Bernard King*

71-Alonzo Mourning*

72-Reggie Miller

73-Pete Maravich

74-Dominique Wilkins

75-Paul Arizin

* Wasn’t included in the original NBA 75th anniversary team

Honorable mention: Lenny Wilkens, Nate Thurmond, Robert Parish, Dolph Schayes, Jerry Lucas, Bill Sharman, Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Artis Gilmore, Sidney Moncrief, Adrian Dantley, Dan Issel, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, Rudy Gobert, Chris Paul, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard.

OMFB’s top-12 list is rock solid. The gap between each of them is minuscule. You won’t hear pushbacks here if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was placed ahead of Michael Jordan, or LeBron James ahead of Kobe Bryant, or Shaquille O’Neal ahead of Magic Johnson. The order can be rearranged but the history of basketball can’t be written without mentioning Jordan, Kobe, Kareem, Bill Russell, Magic, LeBron, Shaq, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving, and Stephen Curry.

Jordan is universally recognized as the Greatest of All Time — aka the GOAT. Air Jordan’s resume speaks for itself. MJ was a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and named Finals MVP six times. Once he dethroned Magic in 1991, he never relinquished the crown until he retired.

Kobe is No. 2 on the OMFB list. Black Mamba was a facsimile of Air Jordan. He was the closest thing to MJ. Kobe and Mike were the same height and had the same body type. Kobe even sounded like Mike. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Jordan gave rare praise to his contemporaries, but he made an exception for Kobe. “He was a mentally tough kid, maybe even tougher than I was,” Jordan said of Kobe, who tragically died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Jordan spawned millions of ballers who wanted to be Just Like Mike. Kobe gifted the next generation of hoopers the “Mamba Mentality.” If you’re still not convinced that Kobe deserves to be No. 2 on the all-time list, pull up the YouTube video from Jan. 22, 2006. Kobe authored arguably the greatest individual performance in NBA history when he scored 81 points in 42 minutes. Phil Jackson, who coached Michael Jordan in Chicago, was sitting on the Lakers bench for Kobe’s 81-point game. He put it in proper perspective. “It was another level,” Jackson said. “I’ve seen some remarkable games, but I’ve never seen one like that before.”

Some LeBron fans might be aghast seeing their beloved king at No. 6. But here are the cold, hard facts. LeBron lost six times in 10 trips to the NBA Finals. He has a 22-33 win-loss record in The Finals. Magic (24-26), Erving (10-12) and Wilt (16-19) are the other top-12 players who had sub-.500 records in the NBA Finals. LeBron lost to Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs twice and he could have been 0-3 against Duncan if Ray Allen hadn’t made a ridiculous late-game 3-pointer, saving the Heat’s season and forcing a Game 7. LeBron is 1-3 against Steph Curry. It’s an unfair record because Curry teamed up with Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2018 against James, but they were “Ls” on LeBron’s resume nonetheless.

LeBron’s place among basketball’s all-time greats is secure. To say he’s had a better career than Jordan, Kobe, Kareem, Magic, Russell, or even Duncan is up for debate.

Steph Curry broke into the top 10 after winning his fourth NBA title. Curry is considered the best long-range shooter in the sport, and the numbers back it up. When Steph hangs up his Under Armour sneakers, a strong case could be made that he was the most influential. Because of Steph — the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made — there’s a generation of players at various levels launching shots from beyond the arc.

OMFB made the difficult decision to remove 10 players from the league’s original top-75 list and inserted 10 new names: Joe Dumars, Dennis Johnson, Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo, Klay Thompson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bernard King, Alonzo Mourning and Draymond Green.

Dumars was a two-time NBA champ and Finals MVP in 1989. Thompson is a four-time NBA champ and arguably the second-greatest 3-point shooter we’ve ever seen. Thompson pulled off an unthinkable feat in 2017 when he scored 60 points in 29 minutes, using just 11 dribbles. Dennis Johnson earned three championship rings and was Finals MVP in 1979. Larry Bird considered DJ the best player he ever played with. Howard was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), carried the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009, and won a title with the L.A. Lakers in 2020. Mount Mutombo was a four-time DPOY and pulled out the “finger wag” each time he blocked a shot.

Parker inspired a generation of new-age point guards. Aside from winning the 2007 Finals MVP, the four-time NBA champion’s biggest contribution to the game was his signature shot: the tear-drop floater. The vast majority of guards in today’s game, from high school to college to the pros, have a floater in their bag of shots. Parker’s backcourt mate in San Antonio, Ginobili, sacrificed personal statistics in order for the Spurs to win titles. Ginobili posted modest numbers throughout his career (13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists), but his 72% winning percentage ranks among the all-time best. Ginobili also introduced one of the best basketball moves in recent memory — the Eurostep.

Alonzo Mourning was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. Pat Riley’s famed “Heat Culture” in Miami wouldn’t exist without Zo. He embodies what Heat Culture is all about. The Heat prided itself on being the hardest-working, best-conditioned team, and that defined Mourning’s career until a rare kidney diseased robbed him of his athletic prime.

Bernard King was a scoring machine until he wrecked his knee at the peak of his powers. Armed with a smooth turnaround jumper that was nearly impossible to stop, King put on a show in the 1984 playoffs as he averaged 34.8 points and almost single-handedly led the New York Knicks to the conference semifinals.

Outside of Dennis Rodman, four-time champ Draymond Green might be the most unique player. The 2017 DPOY won’t blow you away with individual stats but he’s arguably the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. Green is the primary playmaker on offense as the point forward and the anchor on defense.

The first 75 years of the NBA can be broken down into six eras.

From the 1950s through the 1960s, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell were the pioneers.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Rick Barry, and Julius “Dr. J” Erving carried the torch through a rough patch in the 1970s when the ABA and NBA canceled each other and the audience dwindled.

Magic and Bird revived basketball in the 1980s, arguably the league’s golden era that also included the rise of Isiah Thomas’ “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons. Moses Malone teamed up with Dr. J during the 1982-83 season and together they co-authored one of the most dominant playoff runs, sweeping Magic’s Lakers in the ’83 Finals and capping off a 12-1 postseason.

Michael Jordan took the baton from Magic and Bird and ruled the 1990s. Jordan won six championships in eight years, pulling off the three-peat twice and denying peers Sir Charles Barkley and Karl “The Mailman” Malone from winning rings. Hakeem Olajuwon benefited from Jordan’s brief retirement, leading the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. David “The Admiral” Robinson teamed up with Tim “Big Fundamental” Duncan in San Antonio, winning titles in 1999 and 2003.

The immediate post-Jordan era was dominated by five players: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Duncan. Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan combined to win 13 NBA titles, four regular season MVPs, and eight Finals MVPs from 1999 to 2010. For a decade, the road to the NBA Finals went through Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan.

Dirk and KG revolutionized the game and ushered in a new era of big men. The Big Ticket made it possible for high schoolers to skip college and turn pro at 19. Nowitzki opened the door for European bigs who preferred to face the basket instead of having their back to it. Nowitzki and Garnett were instrumental in the game’s evolution, as more and more teams shifted away from traditional power forwards and opted for stretch-4s.

Nowitzki bridged the gap between the Kobe Bryant era and the LeBron James era. Nowitzki ended Kobe’s reign as the world’s best player when Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks squad knocked off Kobe’s Lakers in the 2011 playoffs. In the same playoff run, Nowitzki put a pause on LeBron’s title hopes when his Mavs defeated LeBron’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

LeBron’s appearance in the 2011 Finals started a run of eight consecutive trips. He put together a super team in Miami, winning two titles in 2012 and 2013, but lost to the Mavs in 2011 and Duncan’s Spurs in 2014. After a four-year run in South Beach, LeBron returned to Cleveland to fulfill his promise of bringing a championship to his hometown team. He delivered on the promise by winning a title in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional title drought.

LeBron took the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals but could muster just one victory in four matchups against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. Curry led the Warriors to four championships in eight seasons — two of those championship banners were aided by the addition of Kevin Durant.

The Warriors opened the portal to the “small ball” era and advanced metrics. Analytics experts preferred shooting 3s over 2s — it’s either a layup or dunk or a 3-ball — and the midrange shot was viewed as somewhat of a dinosaur idea.

The modern day NBA put a premium on pace and space. The traditional back-to-the-basket center is becoming extinct and today’s game is dominated by versatile wing players like LeBron, Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All of whom can anchor a defense like a center and initiate the offense like a point guard. We are now in the era of positionless basketball.

Basketball is cyclical. What may be considered old school could swing back to new school. The next generation of players will determine what the NBA will become in 25 years when we celebrate the league’s 100th anniversary.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Kobe Bryant pounds his chest after the last game of his NBA career. (AP)

Remember when Kobe Bean Bryant announced he was entering the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high school? He had his shades flipped above his forehead, looking sharp in his tailored suit. Let’s be honest. He looked like a cocky teenager who feared nothing and no one.

Many thought Kobe would fall flat on his face and be humbled by the ultra-competitive world of the NBA. What those critics didn’t realize was that Kobe ended up having the last laugh.

For 20 years, the Black Mamba humbled the league.

We’re paying tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers legend, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, by revisiting some of the greatest moments in his basketball odyssey as we celebrate his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. In honor of his first number as a pro, OneManFastBreak highlighted eight of Kobe’s greatest moments.

8. Clutch 3-pointers vs. Blazers in 2004

Kobe Bryant loved coming through in the clutch. He was arguably the greatest clutch shooter in NBA history — or at least in the conversation. Back in the 2004 regular-season finale in Portland, he delivered two of the most incredible clutch shots you’ll ever see. The first one sent the game into overtime when he found enough daylight to get an off-balance 3-pointer over self-proclaimed “Kobe Stopper” Ruben Patterson. Then with one second left in the second OT, he took a pass from Gary Payton at the left wing well behind the 3-point arc, turned and fired over the long arms of Theo Ratliff, and swished it at the buzzer while falling down. The shot gave the Lakers a 105-104 win and the Pacific Division title.

7. Game-winners vs. Suns in 2000 and 2006 playoffs

Speaking of clutch, Kobe did it twice against the Phoenix Suns in the postseason. The first notable one came in Game 2 of the 2000 Western Conference semifinals. With the Lakers down 96-95 and game clock winding down, Bryant drained a midrange jumper from the left side of the free throw line over Jason Kidd with 2.6 seconds left, jogged back to the Lakers bench cupping his ear. The second dagger against the Suns came in Game 4 of the West playoffs in 2006. The Lakers ended up losing the first-round series but Kobe gave us two memorable plays in the series. He sent the game into overtime with a ridiculous circus shot under the basket. With under five seconds left in OT, he picked up the ball at midcourt after a jump ball. Took five dribbles to get to his favorite spot on the right wing and buried the game-winner over nemesis Raja Bell and Boris Diaw with no time left.

6. 62 points in three quarters vs. Mavericks, 2005

One month before Kobe’s historic 81, he exploded for 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. In those same three quarters the entire Mavericks team scored just 61 points. Because the Lakers blew out the Mavs, 112-90, Kobe never touched the floor in the fourth quarter. Phil Jackson asked Kobe if he wanted to go back in the game to try to increase his point total, thinking that he may not be able to duplicate the feat. Kobe’s answer: I can do it again. He was right.

5. 45 points vs. Spurs in 2001 conference finals

The Spurs had home-court advantage entering the 2001 Western Conference finals. The Spurs had Tim Duncan and David Robinson to matchup against Shaquille O’Neal. However, they didn’t have anyone who could matchup against Kobe. Kobe put his imprint on the series right from the start, setting the tone in Game 1 by dropping 45 points on 19-of-35 shots in a Lakers road win at the Alamodome where San Antonio is nearly unbeatable. After the game, Shaq proclaimed Kobe “the best player in the league by far.” L.A. ended up sweeping the Spurs in dominating fashion, finished the postseason 15-1 and secured a second straight NBA title.

4. 8 points in OT vs. Pacers in 2000 NBA Finals

“How good is this kid?” That was the line from play-by-play announcer Bob Costas after a 21-year-old Kobe stared down Reggie Miller and dropped a cold-blooded jumper from the top of the key. As he headed toward the Lakers bench, after Shaquille O’Neal fouled out, the cameras caught Bryant pushing both hands down as if to say “I got this.” Moments later, Bryant sealed the game with a reverse put-back off a Brian Shaw miss. It was the official coming-out-party for Bryant as he led the L.A. Lakers to a crucial road victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The main headline in the Los Angeles Times sports section read “Eight is enough.” The Lakers would eventually win the series in six games to break the franchise’s 12-year championship drought.

3. Alley-oop to Shaq vs. Blazers in 2000 conference finals

The careers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are connected at the hip. Their off-the-court problems were well chronicled. But on the court, Kobe and Shaq were very much in sync. The play that defined their partnership and launched the Lakers dynasty in the 2000s was the alley-oop that capped off the epic comeback against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Late in the fourth with the Lakers clinging to a four-point lead with under one minute remaining, Kobe was hounded by all-time great defender Scottie Pippen in the middle of the floor. Kobe gave him a subtle wiggle going to his right, which made Pippen bite hard. Once he got Pippen to commit, Kobe crossed him over and attacked the middle of the defense. When two Blazers collapsed on him, Kobe floated a high lob toward the basket that only Shaq could reach. Shaq seemingly elevated like Superman, caught the ball with his right hand and threw it down with so much force it may have triggered a small earthquake in L.A. Fans at the brand new Staples Center erupted as they sensed something special just happened. The Kobe-to-Shaq alley-oop sent the Lakers back to the NBA Finals after a nine-year absence.

2. 81 points vs. Raptors, 2006

I was working in the L.A. Times newsroom when I witnessed one of the most amazing things I’ve ever since in my lifetime. Through most of the day on Jan. 22, 2006, the big news was about the NFL playoffs. When the Lakers-Raptors game finally got done, Kobe moved our NFL coverage below the fold. The box score read: Kobe Bryant, 46 field goal attempts, 28 field goals made, 7-for-13 from 3-point range, 18-for-20 from the free throw line, six rebounds, two assists, one block, three steals, and 81 points. Let me repeat that last line. Eighty-one points! He scored 81 of the Lakers’ 122 points. It was the second-most points scored in an NBA game. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 tops it. But Wilt was a 7-footer playing in a era with fewer big men who could keep him out of the low block. Kobe did most of his damage from the perimeter against better athletes. And besides. We don’t have footage of Wilt’s 100-point game. We have video evidence of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game versus the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. We all saw it.

1. 60 points vs. Jazz in final game, 2016

Many of you would have guessed Kobe’s 81 points against Toronto would be No. 1 on this list. It would have been had the Black Mamba not pulled off the greatest drop-the-mic moment on April 13, 2016. Bryant wrapped up his 20 NBA seasons — all with the Lakers — with one last offensive showcase, scoring 60 points in leading a terrible Lakers squad to a 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz. The game capsulized Kobe’s dynamic career. It was messy. It was ridiculous. It was magical.

Bryant played 42 minutes and took a career-high 50 shots. He was completely exhausted. Longtime Lakers TV analyst Stu Lantz pointed out that Kobe, at age 37, was so tired he could barely pick up his feet. His teammates kept setting him up for shots on nearly every possession. It was quite a remarkable scene if you know Bryant’s history with his teammates. For years and years, Kobe’s teammates have complained about his penchant for not passing the ball. On the final night of his Hall of Fame basketball career, every Laker on the court was encouraging him to shoot the ball. And he did. The Lakers started clawing their way back from a 10-point deficit with three minutes left in the fourth quarter as Kobe went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 96-95. He scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning pull-up midrange jumper from his favorite spot just above the free-throw line to make it 97-96. He extended the lead to three after two free throws to give him 60 points for the night. He exited the game with 4.1 seconds left to a rousing ovation, with chants of “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” ringing across Staples Center. “What else can I say?” Bryant asked fans after the game before ending with, “Mamba out!” A true Hollywood ending.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Anthony Davis celebrates after draining a playoff buzzer-beater. (Getty Images)

Anthony Davis yelled “Kobe” after hitting the biggest shot of his young NBA career. He sprinted down the sideline and jumped into a swarm of teammates who were eager to mob him.

Davis’ special shoutout was an obvious homage to the late great Kobe Bryant — the legendary Los Angeles Laker who had a habit of sinking game-winning shots throughout his Hall of Fame basketball career.

“That’s a shot Kobe Bryant would hit,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of Davis’ 3-point shot from the wing in front of the Denver Nuggets bench to beat the clock. It lifted the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-103 victory over the Nuggets in Game 2 of the 2020 Western Conference finals inside the NBA bubble at Disney World.

“To me, AD just flying through the wing like that, catch and shoot with the game on the line in the biggest moment of our season, nothing but net, that’s a Mamba shot,” Vogel said.

It was fitting the Lakers wore the special Black Mamba Nike jerseys in their dramatic win over Denver. Davis, who has only been a Laker for one season, said it’s no coincidence the 2020 Lakers play with more “swag” while wearing the Black Mamba uniforms.

“We just feel like we play a little different,” the 27-year-old first-team All-NBA forward-center said. “Our swag is a little different. Every time we put on those jerseys, obviously, we’re representing him. But especially in those jerseys. It was his jersey. The one that he created. Anytime we put it on we feel like we want to win.”

The significance of the game-winner wasn’t lost on Davis. He knew it will define his Lakers career. He also knew he put himself in rarefied air, joining a list of legendary Lakers who made unforgettable buzzer-beaters in the playoffs.

OneManFastBreak ranks the five best playoff buzzer-beaters in Lakers history.

5-Anthony Davis’ Mamba moment vs. Nuggets (2020)

The Lakers were down 103-102 with 2.1 seconds in the game. The play was drawn up for LeBron James to catch the ball at the elbow. But Rajon Rondo saw Davis break free from Mason Plumlee, who inexplicably decided to call switch at the last second instead of fighting over the top of the screen. Rondo fired a perfect bounce pass to AD, who caught the ball in perfect shooting position and launched a high-arching shot over the outstretched arms of 7-footer Nikola Jokic and swished it with no time left. AD called his walkoff 3-pointer the biggest shot of his career. He wasn’t afforded many opportunities when he was with the New Orleans Pelicans. Being with the L.A. Lakers has allowed AD to be on center stage. He now has the mic, and he’s not about to let it go.

4-Kobe Bryant sets Staples ablaze vs. Suns (2006)

Kobe was no stranger to clutch shots. He was at his absolute best when his best was needed. The Lakers entered their 2006 playoff series against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns as underdogs. The Lakers were two years removed from the Shaq-Kobe era. This was Kobe’s team. He carried the franchise on his back during a season in which he averaged a league-leading 35.4 points per game and scored a mind-boggling 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. The Suns were championship contenders, but Kobe’s individual greatness pushed the Lakers to a 3-1 series before eventually losing in seven games. Few NBA fans remember the Suns’ comeback. Many remember Kobe’s heroics against the Suns in Game 4.

3-Derek Fisher beats the clock vs. Spurs (2004)

Can you attempt a shot with 0.4 seconds left? Derek Fisher proved you can. In the 2004 conference semifinals between the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan gave the Spurs a 73-72 lead after hitting an 0ff-balance fallaway shot at the top of the key. The Spurs fans thought the game was over and home team was poised to take a 3-2 series lead. San Antonio’s dreams were dashed with one improbable fling — a Fisher Fling. Before Gary Payton inbounded the ball, the Spurs double teamed Kobe Bryant to deny him the ball. Payton had to look elsewhere. Fisher flashed in front of him and received the pass. In one motion, Fisher turned to his left and fired a shot that barely left his left hand as the red light turned on. D-Fish tallied just eight points in the game, but none bigger than the last shot he swished with 0.4 seconds left. The Lakers went on to knock out the Spurs and advance to the conference finals.

2-Jerry West sinks 60-foot heave vs. Knicks (1970)

For many millennials and centennials, the name Jerry West doesn’t ring a bell. In the era of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, West’s name surfaces mostly as an NBA executive and special adviser on the Golden State Warriors. It might be time for generation Y and Z to learn some basketball history and see how West played a huge part in creating what the NBA is today. Google him, folks. West, known as Mr. Clutch for much of his career, made a shot during the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks that may never be duplicated. Dave DeBusschere’s short jumper gave the Knicks a two-point lead with three seconds left. L.A. had no timeouts, so Wilt Chamberlain quickly inbounded the ball to West, who took three dribbles before launching a desperation heave from the backcourt that somehow went through the hoop sending the game into overtime. Because the 3-point shot didn’t exist in 1970, it only counted as two points. Had West’ shot happen in 2020, it would have been an obvious game-winner. The Lakers went on to lose the game and the series, but the legend of Jerry West grew.

1-Big Shot Bob saves Lakers vs. Kings (2002)

Robert Horry built his NBA resume around making big-time shots in May and June. Because of his uncanny ability to rise up in big moments, he earned the nickname Big Shot Bob. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were without a doubt the most valuable players during the Lakers’ three-peat. But the L.A. dynasty would have ended sooner without the heroics of Horry. You could make a strong argument the Lakers would not have beaten the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 conference finals without Horry. The Kings were seconds away from taking a 3-1 lead in the series when Horry bailed out the Lakers. Kobe and Shaq both had an opportunity to tie the game, but both missed. Kobe missed a driving shot in the paint while Shaq flubbed a point-blank shot in front of the rim that Vlade Divac ended up punching out instead of grabbing the ball. The loose ball bounced to the top of the key and fell into the hands of a guy with a reputation for making clutch shots. Without hesitation, Horry got his feet set and shot the ball over a rushing Chris Webber and drained it as the buzzer sounded for a 100-99 heart-pounding L.A. win. It was not only the greatest playoff buzzer-beater in Lakers history but one of the greatest playoff buzzer-beaters in NBA history.

Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant head 2020 Hall of Fame class. (Getty Images)

Tim Duncan was one of the most unique superstars in basketball. He did everything low key. You never heard him publicly complain about his contract. You never heard him say anything bad about a coach or player. And on his final NBA game in 2016, he briefly pointed a finger to the ceiling before walking into the tunnel with a towel over his head.

Duncan’s farewell game summarized his 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Quiet. Simple. All business.

It was a complete contrast with Kobe Bryant’s final game with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe dropped 60 points on the Utah Jazz before a raucous Lakers crowd at Staples Center and before Kobe left the court he took the mic, thanked his fans and dropped the mic with his now famous phrase, “Mamba out!”

Kobe’s farewell game summarized his 20 seasons with the Lakers. Dazzling. Flashy. Spectacular.

Bryant gave himself the moniker Black Mamba for the way he quickly struck down an opponent. Kobe’s Lakers teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, gave Duncan the nickname Big Fundamental because of the way Timmy went about destroying his opponents in the most elemental way.

Styles make fights and the Lakers-Spurs showdowns were comparable to classic heavyweight fights. Duncan’s career intersects with Bryant’s. From 1999 to 2010, the Spurs and Lakers were the class of the league. They met in the postseason seven times: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2013. Kobe’s Lakers eliminated Duncan’s Spurs four times, but Duncan can brag that his Spurs swept the Lakers in 1999 and 2013. It’s a nice bookend to one of the best rivalries in sports.

You can’t write Kobe’s basketball biography without Duncan, and you can’t write Duncan’s without Kobe. Both were the center of attention, but in their own special way. They are connected in a sense that Bryant was driven to beat Duncan and Duncan was driven to beat Bryant. It’s appropriate that both men enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the same year. Joining Bryant and Duncan as 2020 Hall of Fame inductees are 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA executive Patrick Baumann. Many pundits are calling this class the best ever. Hard to argue that fact.

However, with all due respect to the other greats being enshrined into Springfield, Mass. in 2020, they all fall behind the two transcendent superstars in Black Mamba and Big Fundamental. Both men are not just worthy of the Hall of Fame but they belong in the top 10 of all-time great players.

Bryant will be enshrined posthumously after his tragic death on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash, making this year’s event extremely somber. We’ll never get to hear Bryant’s Hall of Fame speech, and it would have been a doozy.

The coronavirus pandemic is threatening to ruin this year’s Hall of Fame festivities in Springfield, and it would be a shame if we’re unable to hear Duncan’s induction speech because his basketball odyssey is anything but boring. His resume reads like a decorated serviceman: 15-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-11, 2013, 2015), eight-time member of the All-Defensive first team (1999-2003, 2005, 2007, 2008), five-time NBA champion with the Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), three-time Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005), two-time regular-season MVP (2002 and 2003), 1998 Rookie of the Year. Duncan is the only player in NBA history with 1,000 or more wins with one team. He is ranked in the top 10 for NBA all-time rebounds and blocks leaders. As a college athlete at Wake Forest, Duncan earned ACC Player of the Year and was unanimous first-team All-American in 1996 and 1997. In 1997, he also collected the Wooden, Naismith, Rupp, and Oscar Robertson Awards, while being named AP College Player of the Year.

Former Michael Jordan teammate B.J. Armstrong said on ESPN’s “First Take” that 6-foot-11 Duncan would have given the ’90s Bulls the most problem.

“Tim Duncan was a marvelous player. He played the game from the four, the five position. He was one of the unique players,” Armstrong said. “Like a Michael Jordan, who could get to spaces on the court you couldn’t do anything about.”

“Technically speaking, Tim Duncan to me is a player that is really as unique a talent as I’ve seen in the NBA,” Armstrong said. “And if you’re going to have a player that’s going to counter the talent like a Michael Jordan, who was almost like flawless technically in his game, Tim Duncan can do that.”

Duncan is regarded as the greatest power forward in basketball. But that’s a bit misleading because Duncan was really a center. Duncan played the majority of his Spurs career at center. He may not start at center most of the time, but he finished games at center almost all the time. Even one of his greatest rivals, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, considered him a center. His own coach, Gregg Popovich, acknowledged as much when he was asked before a playoff game who the Spurs would start at center. Popovich said, “Tim Duncan, like we have for the last 15 years.”

Popovich, who once described Duncan ‎”like my son,” told an amazing story about Duncan’s first practice with the Spurs. Going into the 1997 training camp, Duncan was the hot-shot rookie and No. 1 pick in the draft. But the Spurs already had an All-Star center in David Robinson. So what did Popovich tell both men on who should play where? “Nothing,” Popovich said.

According to Pop, as soon as the scrimmage started, Timmy went to the low block and David went to the high post near the free throw line. They both naturally took their positions without saying a single word. It was indicative of how Duncan approached his job. No drama. Ho-hum. All business.

Parents should be our role models without a doubt. Our superheroes, on the other hand, could be fictional comic book characters or Hollywood-inspired saviors.

Kobe Bean Bryant was a hero to many people.

He had the ability to bring people together with his incredible skills and unrelenting drive. He brought so much joy in our lives with the way he competed in the athletic arena. Was he flawed? Of course he was. That’s what made him so uniquely qualified to be a hero. All heroes have flaws. But Kobe was more than just a hero. He was a massive star. A supernova. He exploded onto the scene illuminating the entire basketball world before burning out and fading away.

Kobe’s resume reads like a Marvel Cinematic Universe script: Five-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2008 MVP, 18-time All-Star, 11-time first-team All-NBA, two-time scoring champ, Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012. His basketball legacy lives on through several Southern California-bred ballers. You see Kobe in James Harden’s footwork, Russell Westbrook’s determination, Paul George’s defense, DeMar DeRozan’s fadeaway jumper and Kawhi Leonard’s midrange pull-up. They all grew up watching Kobe. Kyrie Irving wasn’t from L.A., but he patterned his game after Kobe. Kyrie’s creativity around the basket is an homage to the man known as The Black Mamba.

On the morning of Jan. 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. They were on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park for Gigi’s basketball game. TMZ, as it almost always does on terrible tragedies, broke the news to the world that Kobe Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash. Other media outlets later confirmed the grim news. The initial reaction was shock followed by extreme sadness and grief.

I got a text message from a friend, telling me Kobe died in a crash. I immediately turned on the TV and saw images of the crash. My first thought was “I wonder if Gigi was with him” because I had a feeling they were either coming back from an AAU game or heading to it. It turned out to be true, which made the whole thing even more tragic. I have two boys: Jorel, 19, and Miles, 16. Miles competed in the same Mamba Sports Academy for an AAU basketball tournament back in 2018. A parent’s worst nightmare is losing a child. The Kobe crash hit close to home.

My wife wondered why I wasn’t posting a lot of Kobe tributes on Facebook. My response was I didn’t need to. I have a walking, talking, breathing and living tribute in my youngest son. Miles Bryant Huerto has Kobe’s Mamba Mentality and he will continue his legacy.

Kobe’s death was felt all throughout Los Angeles like an aftershock. Random people began showing up near Staples Center to pay their respects to the man who created so many great memories in that building. The Grammy Awards were being held on the same night, but Kobe’s death definitely overshadowed music’s biggest night. Only a supernova could trump a historic night at the Grammys where 18-year-old Billie Eilish became the youngest winner of Album of the Year and swept all the major awards.

The Grammys wasn’t the only event Kobe preempted. NBA games were also affected. The Jan. 28 game between the Lakers and Clippers was postponed out of respect to the Lakers organization. Former and current NBA players were visibly shaken when they found out he’s gone. Doc Rivers was overcome with emotion during his press conference. LeBron James was seen wiping away tears at the airport. Carmelo Anthony said he had trouble staying focused. Dwyane Wade posted a tearful message on Instagram. Tracy McGrady stopped several times to wipe away tears as he talked about Kobe on ESPN’s “The Jump.”

The Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs each took a 24-second violation to honor Kobe. He wore 8 and 24 with the Lakers. Other teams followed. Trae Young, the rising young star of the Atlanta Hawks, wore a Kobe’s No. 8 to start the game. In that same game, Young and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker each took 24 shots.

Shaquille O’Neal posted messages on social media on the day of the crash. But the world didn’t really see how he was truly feeling until he made his first appearance publicly on the “NBA on TNT” show where he could barely hold it together reflecting on his complicated relationship with Kobe. We’ve never seen Big Fella hurt like this. Tears coming down his eyes as he talked about the pain he’s feeling while dealing with the loss of his former Lakers teammate.

“I haven’t felt a pain that sharp in a while.. it definitely changes me.”’@SHAQ on the loss of his brother, Kobe. pic.twitter.com/dM5i0DDgGK

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 29, 2020

Shaq said he considered Bryant as family. Called him his “little brother.” Sure, they had their petty squabbles but at the end of the day they respected each other and cared about each other. Shaq and Kobe will forever be connected at the hip for winning three straight NBA titles with the Lakers. They will go down in history as one of the greatest “1-2 punches” in NBA history. Just ask Shaq.

Shaq said Kobe embraced his kids like they were his. He did the same for Kobe’s daughters.

I personally didn’t know Kobe. I did get a chance to cover one of his games as a member of the working media back in 1998 when the Lakers played Michael Jordan’s Bulls at The Forum in Inglewood. The Lakers won the game. Afterwards, I went to the Lakers locker room for postgame interviews. I remember standing next to Kobe, who was sitting in his stool. He was only 19 years and still had an afro. He talked about the game and how much it meant to him to beat his idol Jordan. It was a short interview. I don’t even remember getting a chance to ask him a specific question. That was the closest I got to him.

I was in attendance when he made his NBA summer league debut in 1996 at the Long Beach Pyramid. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well that night but the place was absolutely electric. He gave a glimpse of his immense talents. I watched Kobe’s last game in 2016 from the comforts of my living room. Both my sons was watching with me. We were all cheering him on as he got to 40 points, then 50 points, and finally 60 points.

It was the most incredible individual performance I have even seen from a pro basketball player. It took him 50 shots, but didn’t matter. Nor it should. Kobe took us for a ride that mirrored his entire career. Before he burned himself out, he exploded for 60 points in the final game of his 20-year NBA career. It was great theater. An Oscar-worthy performance.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net and a lifelong L.A. Lakers fan.

Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have assembled a playoff contender in L.A. (Getty Images)

When Jeanie Buss needed to press the reset button on the Los Angeles Lakers, she went full Khaleesi mode.

She ousted her brother, Jim, as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations and fired longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak. Then she hired her father’s favorite player of all-time, Magic Johnson, to be the president of basketball operations. The face of the Showtime Lakers was now tasked with rebuilding the Lakers brand.

Magic needed a sidekick. Not just any sidekick. Someone who is well connected with today’s game and today’s players.

Enter Rob Pelinka.

Before Pelinka, 48, became a sports agent, he was best known as a role player on the Michigan Fab Five team that dominated college basketball for two years. After ditching the basketball sneakers for Florsheim shoes, Pelinka became a big-time player in the sports agent world. His biggest client was none other Dr. Jerry Buss’ second-favorite Laker of all-time, Kobe Bryant.

Pelinka personally handled player contracts and had a good feel for how the NBA salary cap worked. He was the perfect numbers guy to help Magic clean up the bad Laker deals Jim Buss and Kupchak had accumulated in the post-Kobe era. Luol Deng’s four-year, $72 million contract remains one of the great mysteries of our time. Jeanie Buss hired Pelinka to be the Lakers’ general manager, and now she had her two-headed monster to save Laker Nation.

“I sent her a meme from Game of Thrones of Khaleesi riding on the ship going to her homeland with the ships behind her,” Kobe told ESPN. “I said sometimes the mother of dragons has just got to be the mother of dragons. And Jeanie went full Khaleesi.”

If Jeanie is the mother of dragons then her two main dragons, Magic and Pelinka, have been breathing fire these last 17 months because the Lakers are not only relevant again, but they are breathing down the necks of the current elite teams in the NBA.

*****

When the NBA free agency period began at 9:01 p.m. PDT on June 30, Magic Johnson was camped outside LeBron James’ Los Angeles house at 8 p.m. PDT. He was a full hour early, so he sat and waited in his car just to make sure he didn’t break league policy. The 58-year-old basketball Hall of Famer knew the importance of this meeting. His meeting with LeBron not only could change the course of the Lakers franchise but it could also accelerate his three-year master plan.

Before he came through the gates of LeBron’s mansion, Magic did his homework. He studied film of LeBron’s games, going back to his early days in Cleveland, to his four-year stint in Miami, then back to his last four years in Cleveland. Magic didn’t want to leave any stones unturned. He didn’t want the same mistakes the Lakers made in recent past when they couldn’t even get a meeting with big-name free agents because the franchise was in such disarray.

“This guy is a basketball genius in terms of his mindset,” Magic told reporters during a conference call. “I think we both thought we were talking to ourselves when we’re looking at each other. We’re mirrors of each other when it comes to basketball mindset, championship DNA, and just playing the game the right way and also being a great teammate. That’s what it was. It was a lot of just basketball conversation. And as I told him, we want to get to the championship one day and he could be a big part of leading us back to that. That’s it.”

For three hours, Magic and LeBron talked basketball. Strictly basketball. No fancy video pitches. No power point presentations. Just two basketball junkies talking about the game they love.

“[LeBron] already knew the team, maybe better than I did,” Magic told Spectrum SportsNet. “He broke the roster down right in front of me. He knew every single guy, the strength and weaknesses on our team.”

Magic added: “We had a great time of going back and forth, here we are two guys, similar. Both from the Midwest. Both grew up poor. Both love to compete. Both love to win, and I think both excel at the highest level. We connected right when I walked in the door. Just two guys that talk free to each other, and talk basketball, and that’s what I love about LeBron.”

The next day, LeBron’s management group, Klutch Sports, sent out this tweet: “LeBron James, four time NBA MVP, three time NBA finals MVP, fourteen time NBA All Star, and two time Olympic gold medalist has agreed to a four year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.”

*****

Pelinka says the Lakers aren’t trying to beat the Golden State Warriors at their own game. Instead, they’re building a team around LeBron James to do something different.

Yes, LeBron James is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. It still feels like a dream, but it is for real. LeBron signing a four-year deal with the Lakers is the culmination of a well-orchestrated plan set in motion by Magic and Pelinka back in early 2017 when they  began putting together the pieces of a potential championship puzzle.

When Pelinka spoke publicly for the first time since the Lakers’ remarkable offseason overhaul began, he was beaming. He was excited about the future.

“To get the commitment from LeBron James to come to the Lakers for four years was really the culmination of everything we’ve been working towards,” Pelinka said. “When LeBron chose to come here, it was the ultimate validation for the moves we’ve made and what we’ve been building since we started.”

The longest postseason drought in franchise history could be finished after James chose the Lakers in free agency. The club also added veterans Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson alongside their talented young core led by Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma. Ball and Ingram are both 20 years old, while Hart and Kuzma are 23.

Pelinka and Magic hope the result is a long, athletic, defense-minded team with enough up-tempo offense to compete with the Warriors and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference.

“I think to try to play the Warriors at their own game is a trap,” Pelinka said. “No one is going to beat them at their own game, so that is why we wanted to add these elements of defense and toughness and depth and try to look at areas where we will have an advantage.”

Pelinka said the Lakers focused their free agency recruitment efforts on versatile, playoff-tested talents who can score and defend, instead of looking for elite players with only one specialty. He hopes the result will be a flexible, dangerous team under coach Luke Walton. It’s a different look around James, whose Cleveland Cavaliers teams often looked like a collection of perimeter shooters whose deficiencies were exposed by Golden State.

“The road to the NBA championship has to go through the team that won last year, and we all know the guys up north have a special group,” Pelinka said. “But one of the ways to attack what they have is with defensive toughness. I think we saw that in the Houston series with some of the players that Houston has.”

Pelinka’s desire for flexibility extended to the payroll as well. After years of trading away draft picks and acquiring high-priced veterans in an effort to win now with Bryant, the Lakers were overextended until Pelinka and Johnson spent the past few months creating enough salary cap space to sign two elite free agents.

No matter what happens, Pelinka said the Lakers’ series of one-year contracts around James will put them in position to have ample cap space again next summer, when several stars could be available to join James. Pelinka said the Lakers will have “an open training camp” in September, with only James guaranteed to be a starter.

In order to properly rule a kingdom, you need a king, a queen, a trusted adviser who knows the lay of the land, and a little bit of magic. The Lakers appear to have all of them.