1. LeBron means business but Lakers have a long way to go
LeBron had a different attitude about him on this media day than he has had in years past. There were no guarantees of championships but he had a determined demeanor. He hardly cracked a smile on the podium on Monday, and he seemed like he wanted to prove to everyone that his sole focus was on basketball heading into the season and his move to Los Angeles was a basketball decision rather than a lifestyle one.
James certainly believes that the Lakers have the talent to have a special season this year, but he wants to pump the brakes on title expectations when comparing the Lakers to the Warriors.
"“We’ve got a long way to go to get to Golden State,” he said on media day. “They can pick up right where they left off. We’re picking up from scratch, so we’ve got a long way to go. Hopefully [someday] we can put ourselves in position to compete for a championship as Golden State has done.”"
It would have been a mistake for LeBron to come out and guarantee a Championship in Los Angeles or even a deep postseason run this season. Tempering expectations, for now, is the smart play, even though he has proven he is still the best player in the league with a team full of new weapons.
Since most of the criticism about his move to Los Angeles is that he made the move to be closer to Hollywood, it was also smart for him to have a serious approach to his first interview session as a Laker. He made a point to show that he is here to win games and not just to make blockbuster movies.