NBA – Trained at Real Madrid, Luka Doncic will wear the Lakers jersey. The two clubs have shared this cult of the superstar for over 50 years.
In Real Madrid, as in Lakers, we have the cult of the superstar. From Kopa to Di Stefano, via Ronaldo and Zidane, and today MbappéReal has always known how to find the arguments and especially the millions to attract the greatest players in history and maintain itself at the top of European football. In the NBA, the Lakers work in the same way. By the draft, the free agency and of course exchanges, the Lakers have cultivated this need for superstar for over 50 years!
It is ultimately not a surprise to see Luka Donic Transferred to the Lakers since it was trained at… Real Madrid! The loop is completed between two of the biggest clubs in the history of sport. As we have detailed in this article on the greatest exchanges in the history of the franchise, the Lakers have always targeted the older ones. Began Wilt Chamberlain In 1968, who supported Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, to win four NBA finals, for a title in 1972. In 1973, after the defeat in the final against the Knicks, Chamberlain retired, and they already have to turn to another superstar…
Chamberlain, Jabbar, Magic, Kobe, Shaq, LeBron… and Luka
Two years later, arrives Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ! He is the best player in the world with an uncontectable arm, but also the best marker in the NBA. The Lakers make sure to stay in the title race, but they will have to wait for the arrival of another phenomenon to win a new banner. In 1979, they had the 1st choice of the draft, and they opt for Magic Johnson. We know the rest … by his size, his vision of the game and his charisma, Magic Johnson is revolutionizing the position of leader. His flamboyant style of play embodies the “showtime” of the Lakers, a sports version of Hollywood to attract fans, media and celebrities. With Jabbar, he formed a legendary duo, and together, they win five NBA titles! The Lakers create a dynasty, and Magic will allow the franchise to stay at the top until the bulls of Michael Jordan's Bulls.
The balance of the NBA has changed, and is dominated with the pistons and then the Bulls. Magic Johnson is no longer there, and the Lakers are looking for a new superstar. In the maneuver, there is Jerry West. He may be the biggest recruiter in history, and he sets his sights on a high school student named Kobe Bryant. And to support him, he will look for Shaquille O'Neal in the Magic! He is the most domineering player of the moment, and it is version 2.0 of the Jabbar-Magic tandem.
The “transplant” is not immediate, but the arrival of Phil Jackson, a former Bulls coach, will change everything. The Lakers signed a hat -trick in the early 2000s, and Kobe Bryant will become the greatest player in the history of the franchise. Magic Johnson Himself says it. For 20 years, Kobe will keep this franchise at arm's length and embody this Hollywood spirit, in the best as in the worst. And when he puts pressure on his leaders, they will get him Pau Gasol to create a new shock duo. As a result, two more titles for Lakers and Kobe, which farewell in 2016 with a 60 -point match!
Soon, the Lakers will get another superstar to support Luka Doncic
The same year, LeBron James realized his ultimate dream: bringing a title back to the city of Cleveland. His goal is achieved, and at 31 years old, he became the equal of the greatest. Precisely, the older ones went through the Lakers, and in 2018, the “King” decided to join Hollywood. He wants to resume the torch of Kobe, and go for a 4th personal title, and offer a 17th banner to the most prestigious franchises. It will be done in 2020 after a dark year. A few days after David Stern, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident. Then the covid plunges the planet into anxiety. But the NBA finds refuge in a “bubble”, in Orlando, and it was in camera that LeBron James leads the Lakers to the title. To support him, there is Anthony Davis, recovered a year earlier. In the Lakers, the “One Two Punch” is a constant, and when it gets stuck, the leaders were never afraid of exchanging.
The Shaq was sent to Miami in 2004. Today, Davis is exchanged to the Mavericks. The “One Two Punch” composed of LeBron James and Luka Doncic is not designed to last. At 40, LeBron will transmit the torch to a player he loves and who loves him, and who looks like him. Soon, Luka will be alone at the head of the Lakers, and we can count on the Lakers to get him a new superstar. A jookic or a Wembanyama, because nothing can resist Lakers, and it's like that for over 50 years!
