Rob Pelinka’s construction of the current Los Angeles Lakers roster came under intense scrutiny this summer.
Many believed he hadn’t done enough to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with talent.
The fact that L.A. has gotten off to a start that has left them as the worst team in the entire NBA would seem to support the doubters’ suspicions.
This week, in face of the Lakers facing nonstop drama and questions about possible trades, Pelinka went viral for something unexpected: a motivational speech he gave the team.
The speech largely speaks for itself:
“I think there’s a lot of folks in this room, me included, we have a chip on our shoulder,” he said.
“A lot of people on the outside talking noise, we don’t pay attention to that. But I think to get to the end, and to accomplish what we want to accomplish, having that edge, having that chip on your shoulder, playing with that level of competitiveness, fire is important to our swag.
“To me, this really aligns with Darvin Ham’s leadership, that’s what he’s about.”
Pelinka didn’t stop there, though.
“When we spell words around here, we don’t like the letter ‘i’ to be in the word. This is a ‘us’ a ‘we’ team.. If we take ourselves out, me included, coach included, everybody in this room, and we make this a “we” and an “us” room, then the “i” turns into that thing right there,” he concluded, pointing towards an image of a championship.
Time will tell if that speech ultimately ends up turning Los Angeles’ season around – but the smart money is probably is on ‘no.’
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/RvN4QaNj7n
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 29, 2022
The Lakers have recently been linked to two stars as potential trade targets. Both would go a long way in improving the roster, but it’s unclear whether Pelinka has the ability as an exec to make either one a legitimate option.
This is going to be an important next few weeks. Either the Lakers will turn things around and Pelinka will salvage his reputation, or they won’t and he’ll go down as one of the worst front office decisions in franchise history.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
