Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley recently commented on what made the team’s chemistry a focal point during the 2019-20 campaign.
2020 has been a tough year for anyone who is involved in sports or just has a passion for them in general. Although that is true, the Los Angeles Lakers have been powering through an especially brutal stretch of their own.
What happened on the morning of January 26, 2020, will forever be one of the saddest days in the history of sports. Certainly, it is reasonable to contend that may have been the saddest day in Los Angeles sports history.
To lose the legendary Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter Gianna, and seven others remains a pain that defies logical explanation. It is a pain that runs so deep to where the naked eye cannot perceive it. It just makes one feel a certain numbness because he or she cannot grasp what occurred no matter how great the effort.
Bryant meant so much to the city and no amount of words would suffice when it comes to describing his impact. Kobe just imparted pure joy to those who bleed purple and gold. Even if an individual was, say, having a terrible day at work, knowing that he or she would get the chance to watch him later that day provided just enough of a boost of energy.
Needless to say, a similar tale rings true with respect to basketball in general. The sport is akin to a sanctuary for many and provides ample distance from the more challenging realities of life.
That being said, the last few weeks have been no piece of cake to saunter through. The coronavirus has been relentless and there have been whispers the NBA season may not even continue.
Such a scenario seems like an unthinkable one. Many folks have been antsy enough during this block of time as it is. Thus, if basketball was to be taken away for good, it would essentially cause a seismic reaction.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, it would stink if fans did not get to see their Los Angeles Lakers perform again this year. The Lakers were having quite a season and sat atop the Western Conference at 49-14. It was the best campaign they have had since they last won a championship in 2010.
While it stinks that basketball has stopped for now, it is worth reflecting on what caused the Lakers to play so well in 2019-20. Certainly, the talent speaks itself when you possess two of the top five players in the world in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That always helps.
However, talent sometimes only carries a team so far. It does not matter how much of it a team has if guys are not on the same page.
Thankfully for the Los Angeles Lakers, their season reflected precisely the opposite. The chemistry among everyone was a pretty special sight to see and played a huge role in the team’s success.
Forward Jared Dudley recently shed light on the team’s strong chemistry. Per Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily (originally via Michael Lee of The Athletic), Dudley said this Lakers team clicked better than any other team he has been connected with.
"“So many different varieties and we all found a way to come together from a mental standpoint, hanging out, dinners. Going to birthdays,” Dudley said. “And the chemistry was just phenomenal. The group chats. There were literally no beefs, no cliques. We all hung out together. Once you hang out, it’s easier for LeBron [James] to get on Dwight [Howard] or JaVale [McGee]. It’s easier for AD (Anthony Davis) to get on Danny Green or Danny Green to get on me, because we’re all so cool. And that I’ve never had. I’ve always had, somebody took it personal, ‘Man, watch your mouth.’ So, I never had that.”"
The initial points Dudley alluded to say something. There are certain ways where guys are forced to be together, whether in practice or in the locker room. However, not every team connects so well to where players are spending time together from an off the court standpoint.
For instance, there have been moments where LeBron has posted snippets of his renowned Taco Tuesday fiestas. On some of those occasions, he invited teammates over to partake in the merriment.
Additionally, it is believable that there was no beef between any of the guys. Heck, the media is as nosy as ever nowadays and no such stories were ever created suggesting disagreement between anyone.
This starkly contrasts themes that came to fruition last season. For instance, there came a boiling point when players like JaVale McGee openly criticized former coach Luke Walton. More specifically, McGee and others were not happy about their playing time and let Walton know about it.
Nothing along those lines transpired throughout the season, though. Dudley is an example of someone who never played every night for Los Angeles, but he never dug into Frank Vogel. Dudley understood the bigger picture.
The fact that there was no complaining demonstrates that everyone had a common goal in mind: to win. Certainly, it was a unifying driving force since day one.
Much earlier in the season, the team set forth the goal of never losing two games in a row. Granted they did not quite live up to that standard, the Lakers never let losing split them apart.
Although that is true, players on the team have never been afraid to hold one another to a lofty standard. For instance, there was a stage not too far into the season when guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could not shoot the rock into the ocean. He was definitely pressing.
In view of all of this, James was caught on camera approaching KCP after a game. Instead of jawing into his teammate, though, LBJ was clearly speaking words of encouragement into his teammate’s ear.
Moments like that helped define this group’s season. Even if someone was not doing too well, accountability was there and it led to the team becoming more closely knit than anything.
Depending on what team is being discussed, it can get easy to let adversity be a dividing factor. The Los Angeles Lakers have not dwelled on adversity, though, and have only let such sequences produce togetherness.
Perhaps their earliest test as a unit came before the season ever began. As Sullivan briefly noted, the ballclub dealt with a tense situation in China.
The Lakers were set to play some preseason games overseas, and anti-government protests in China made things the furthest thing from smooth. Despite the bumpy roads, it seemed to be a precursor of sorts. The Lakers were not going to let anything get in their way in 2019-20.
Instead of letting such controversy cause waves, they worked on chemistry from the get-go. For example, James actually tried to gift AD his No. 23 before the season started since the latter wore said number during his whole career with the Pelicans. The only reason the gesture did not go through was because Nike would have taken a financial hit.
Further, James wanted to bring guys together much earlier than normal during a mini-summer camp he organized. He wanted guys to get a feel for one another then because the Lakers had more newcomers than those who were returning. It proved to be yet another decision that paid dividends.
Generally speaking, when teams make multiple roster moves, there is usually somewhat of a transition period. It is fair to say this year’s Lakers were an anomaly in that realm.
Part of what made James’ decision so crucial was the array of personalities general manager Rob Pelinka put together. Many thought guys would butt heads and that it would stir tension behind the scenes.
For the sake of consideration, not everyone (myself included) would have ever thought Dwight Howard 2.0 would be such a booming success. Howard is a player who has been the catalyst for a lot of drama in the past.
Albeit there is no denying that, Howard bought into the system this season and played his heart out on every possession. While his offensive stats may not impress everyone, his effort on “D” and the boards certainly turned heads.
Examples akin to this showcase just how dedicated everyone was on this year’s roster. There was going to be no room for slacking off or needless distractions.
Players like Davis were extra conscientious in this neck of the woods. From the onset, The Brow made it extremely clear he wanted to be the Defensive Player of the Year. One could argue he is worthy of that prestigious award if the league still opts to hand out awards.
Davis’ consistent effort on defense was a good example for others to follow. AD is the type of guy who never gives up on a play and it was oftentimes contagious. It led to other players stepping up their intensity and the final results followed suit.
Even supposing the serious side of the squad, it is not to say the Lakers were not enjoying themselves. To say otherwise would be utter foolishness. Part of what made the Lakers’ chemistry so robust was how much fun they appeared to have at all times.
One way the team put this on display was through multi-step handshakes they must have devised in their own time. Some portions of these handshakes may not have made sense to everyone, but they were a sign that this team was more than just a team. Contrarily, they were like a band of brothers who were inseparable.
The tragic story that was brought up early on says enough. What happened in late January was unthinkable. There is no real way to cope with death – there just is not.
The Los Angeles Lakers even took a several day pause from action upon the discovery of Bryant’s tragic passing. As hard as it was to get back to it, they did and before the coronavirus pandemic got out of hand, L.A. was performing at a high level.
Given that, it is clear this team was one built to win for they remained tough and together through about as heartbreaking of a situation one could dare to imagine. Chemistry was the heartbeat of this team from the moment they all met.
The unity between everyone was all too genuine and it was impossible to not take note of. If the Los Angeles Lakers are ultimately given clearance to hit the hardwood once again, one can only hope they can recapture glimpses of the magic that brought them together.