Sir Charles in Charge
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Los Angeles Lakers 2017-18 season primer: Can Lonzo bring showtime back?

By John Kachnowski

GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally altered) Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally altered) Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally altered) Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally altered) Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Lakers have been stuck in mediocrity for a few years. Can their new additions bring them back to relevancy?

The Los Angeles Lakers had a summer full of eventful changes. The Lakers’ offseason essentially started way back in February when a new leader was appointed to the legendary franchise as their acting President. On February 21, 2017, Jeannie Buss, controlling owner of the Lakers, announced that former Laker legend, Earvin Magic Johnson, would be the team’s President of Basketball Operations going forward.

This announcement finally shed light on what direction the Lakers were striding in for their full-fledged rebuild.

Magic Johnson is the perfect fit for the Presidency of the Los Angeles franchise. Everything about him just screams LA. He is the perfect representative of what it means to be a Los Angeles Laker. He was a five-time champion for the team. He was also a former head coach as well as former part owner. His personality is infectious. His smile is bright. Magic is the Lakers’ leader.

More renovation came in the Laker front office this season with the hiring of sports agent, Rob Pelinka, as the team’s new General Manager on March 7, 2017. Pelinka already had a pretty remarkable connection to the Lakers office operations. He was Kobe Bryant’s agent for a majority of his career. Kobe is regarded as the greatest Laker of all-time by Magic Johnson himself. Johnson’s extremely successful career gives himself some credibility in anointing the Black Mamba as the Lakers’ GOAT as he is LA royalty in his own right.

Pelinka’s hiring shows that the Lakers are building the right way and keeping the Lakers the Lakers. Luke Walton, former Lakers’ forward, is another example of this as he looks to be head coach of the Lakers for the foreseeable future.

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