- Former Lakers guard says injuries prevented them from going all the way
- Stephenson says Lakers could have beaten Warriors that year if fully healthy
- Lakers would not have acquired Anthony Davis if they won in 2019
Back in 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers were still searching for their first title with LeBron James. At the time, the Lakers were in a weird limbo state with LeBron James alongside their inexperienced young cast of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. They finished 10th that season with a 37-45 record overall, but were they capable of more?
According to former Lakers guard Lance Stephenson, who was on the squad in 2019, they could have won the title that season had LeBron not suffered a lingering groin injury.
“We woulda won it! LeBron got hurt that year with his groin, Kuzma got hurt. A lot of guys got hurt, I feel like we would’ve won it that year.”
LeBron James’ Lakers would’ve won Championship in 2019 if LeBron & Kyle Kuzma hadn’t gotten hurt says Lance Stephenson to @BallySports.
“We woulda won it!”
“LeBron got hurt that year with his groin, Kuzma got hurt. A lot of guys got hurt, I feel like we would’ve won it that… pic.twitter.com/dnFUMAQUt6
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 27, 2023
The Lakers were decimated by injuries that season, but it wasn’t long before help arrived in the form of Anthony Davis, who would help lead the Lakers to a title in the very next year.
Even with a fully healthy team, the Lakers were lacking in some key areas and the jury is still out on whether or not they could have handled the Golden State Warriors, who looked unbeatable until they fell apart in the Finals.
Lakers Had Big Plans In 2019
As we know now, the Lakers were able to pull off a deal for Antony Davis over the summer in exchange for a package centered around Brandon Ingram. And while the Davis trade has obviously worked wonders for Los Angeles, former team President Magic Johnson initially tried to pair LeBron with Kawhi Leonard instead.
“I said, ‘These are the moves I’m going to make after I sign you.’ At that time I thought it was going to be Kawhi, cause he was the next free agent the next year,” said Magic on the summer of 2019. “Nobody knew Anthony Davis was going to be available next year. I would have had Kawhi. When I come into close a deal, it’s done. I do my homework and my research.”
Magic is gone now, and the Lakers do have one title under their belt for this modern era. Still, it’s hard not to think about how things might be different today with a few changes here or there.
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