Championship Habits.
Championship Communication.
Championship Shape.
Saw this in their practice video from today in the background. Call me delusional but I believe it, because they believe it. None of this “win, lose or draw, let’s have fun”.
From OBSESS18N til now. Here we are. I’m playoff ready.
These are the amount of games played for
the NBA MVP winners since 2008:
2024-25: SGA - 76
2023-24: Jokic - 79
2022-23: Embiid - 66
2021-22: Jokic - 74
2020-21: Jokic - 72
2019-20: Giannis - 63* (COVID)
2018-19: Giannis - 72
2017-18: Harden - 72
2016-17: Westbrook - 81
2015-16: Steph - 79
2014-15: Steph - 80
2013-14: KD - 81
2012-13: LeBron - 76
2011-12: LeBron - 62* (Lockout)
2010-11: Rose - 81
2009-10: LeBron - 76
2008-09: LeBron - 81
2007-08: Kobe - 82
LeBron James’ chest heaved, sweat dripping off his brow as he tried to really rev his engine for the first time in a month.
Everything had changed for the Los Angeles Lakers the game before they played the Dallas Mavericks on April 6, his new life as a third option gone in the blink of a pair of muscle strains, first to Austin Reaves and then to Luka Dončić.
James had stepped back so the Lakers could win, so they could put together a credible chance at a championship. Now without their two leading scorers, there was no more time for complementing. As it’s been for almost all of his career, it was all on James again.
I recently interviewed Lakers legend Jerry West’s son, Ryan West, for Lakers On SI about the “Jerry West: The Logo” documentary (now on Prime Video), and he shared some really cool stories I hadn’t heard before.
One that stood out was when he talked about picking up a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant from his hotel and driving him to workouts when Kobe first came to LA, and a funny tidbit about Kobe's infamous pre-draft workout with Michael Cooper.
He also shared what his dad was really like behind the scenes, not just as “The Logo,” but as a father and mentor.
There’s also a funny detail about Shaq and some insight into Jerry West’s relationship with Michael Jordan, which I didn't even know existed.
Full interview here if you want to check it out:
https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/onsi/jerry-west-the-logo-documentary-kobe-shaq-moments