Did Warriors Owner Just Take Veiled Shot at Lakers?

Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob went on a rant about the Los Angeles Lakers, calling them “clowns” and saying they didn’t deserve to win. The tweet was an apparent reaction to reports that LeBron James plans to sign with the Lakers when he becomes a free agent in 2019.

The “wizards trade” is a story that has been circulating the internet. It was reported that Warriors owner Joe Lacob took a veiled shot at Lakers owner Jerry Buss by saying, “If Jerry Buss were alive today, he would have done this.”

Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Warriors, presents Stephen Curry with his 2017 NBA championship ring.

During his interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic this week, Joe Lacob was in exceptional form. The Golden State Warriors’ owner said, among other things, that the 2020 trade that brought Andrew Wiggins to the Bay Area was “perhaps the finest transaction we’ve ever done.”

He also continues to tout the Warriors’ new crop of young players, headlined by former No. 2 overall selection James Wiseman, who have bolstered the team’s seasoned core.

“The best teams have a mix of different sorts of skill,” Lacob said. “You need to be able to play in a variety of ways.” You want to have young players who are still growing, as well as excellent players who are already established.”

He may have unwittingly (or purposely) fired a shot across the bow of a particular renowned intra-state rival in his effort to explain why integrating veterans and up-and-comers is “the only way” to success in the NBA.

Did Lacob Just Throw in the Towel on the Current Lakers?

‘Warriors’ to play Steph Curry’s contract extension and Klay Thompson’s comeback | Joe Lacob NBC Sports Network BA Warriors CEO Joe Lacob spoke with Warriors Pregame Live on how amazing it is to have Chase Center back to full capacity and about Steph Curry’s future with the franchise. He went on to say that Klay Thompson’s return to the Chase Center would be a historic occasion for the team. Finally, Lacob said… 2021-10-29T03:47:54Z

Following his philosophical musings on what he perceives to be a successful blend in the Association, Lacob went on to describe what doesn’t work. And it sounded very similar to the offense the Los Angeles Lakers had used this season.

“You don’t want to be an elderly, broken-down squad where everyone is old,” says the coach. “That won’t work,” he stated, adding, “I’m not referring to any specific club.” But, if you go back over history, you’ll see that every great team has had a brilliant young star.”

Lacob even mentioned a legendary Lakers team as one of the models for putting old and young players together, which may or may not be coincidental.

“What Magic Johnson accomplished as a rookie for the Lakers was simply extraordinary,” Lacob added. “… If you go back far enough, you can see the Warriors from 1975. I think there were two young rookies [in Jamaal Wilkes and Phil Smith] who made significant contributions to that club.”

“I don’t believe you can be entirely elderly,” he concluded. And you can’t win in this league if you’re all young.”

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The Pudding Is the Proof

We’ll never know whether Lacob was truly making a veiled dig at the current edition of the Lake Show. However, the first half of the 2021-22 season might function as a test bed for the ideas he’s putting out.

According to RealGM, the Lakers are now the league’s oldest team, with an average age of 31.2. This is primarily due to Rob Pelinka’s decision to trade Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, all of whom are still in their primes, for a now 33-year-old Russell Westbrook. That was quickly followed by efforts to sign players in their mid-to-late 30s like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Rajon Rondo.

The Warriors, on the other hand, have an average age of 27.8.

The Warriors had the best record in the league (12-2) heading into Thursday’s games. With an 8-8 record, the Lakers are presently in eighth place in the Western Conference rankings.

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