In Apocalypse Now, Lt. Colonel Kilgore, says that he loves the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory. I wonder what it smells like in the Lakers locker room after the Pacers game.
Kevin Durant recently talked about the toxic environment around Lebron James. He spoke about the media attention and “fan boy” approach surrounding Lebron. Durant failed to provide context for his statement.
The NBA has become the national pastime. Football is still number one in terms of our passion. But when it comes to having the pulse of the culture? It is now the NBA. The NBA is no longer regulated to November-June. There is no longer an NBA off-season. We now talk about the NBA even during the NFL season. Case in point; During Super Bowl week, the Anthony Davis story was as big as any story line for the NFL’s marquee event. A proposed trade was getting as much air time as Brady’s quest for immortality.
In the era of 24 hour sports news cycle, there must always be something (someone) to talk about. Social Media and Sports talk radio are a part of this cycle. The NBA uniquely lends itself to this. Factor that with the reality that the NBA has its own hype machine. It is a beast that has taken on a life of its own. A beast whose incessant cry is “feed me”.
Lebron James is at the heart of the machine. He is the face and voice of the league. Where he goes, the hunger always follows. It was only a matter of time before he landed in Los Angeles. In 2017 John Salley correctly predicted that Lebron would finish his career in Tinsel Town. Salley said that it is more about selling jerseys than winning championships. And everyone knows that Lebron is all about his brand.
The Beast that Follows:
This Laker squad potentially could have taken down the Warriors. But we will never know. Before Lebron even signed with the Lakers, it was decided that this team would be broken up. It was predetermined that Anthony Davis would be joining Lebron in Los Angeles. The signing of Lebron was a package deal that would eventually include AD. All involved on the Laker side assumed that New Orleans would capitulate and release Davis via trade. The alternative for the Pelicans would be to lose him in free agency. Klutch Management in their hubris, and desire to increase their brand, leaked that Davis wanted out of the Bayou. In other words, they were feeding the beast. And now that the napalm has dropped, it has created a negative effect on the team and the entire organization.
The young Laker core is not season enough to handle this type of scrutiny. The glare of the trades talk has intensified the media attention. This constant media chatter has created a toxic environment around the Lakers. So much so, that even the vets have been affected. This is partly what Kevin Durant was referring to. The young Lakers can’t simply show up and play basketball. They have to endure being serenaded by the road crowds. It has now risen to the point that this trade needs to happen. Otherwise what was once a promising season will be swallowed up. The beast is hungry.