Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:53 am Post subject: Toxic Stigma of the Lakers Organization and their Fan Base around the League
The Lakers have a stigma, and they've had it way way way before this season even started, probably since the passing of Dr. Buss.
Factors like the Dwightmare season of 2013, the public media humiliation by LaMarcus Aldridge during the Laker's 2015 free agency pursuit, the firing of 3 (and now possibly 4) head coaches in 6 seasons, but most of all... the Jeanie and Jim Buss sibling public squabble for control of the business being the main course.
Last month Kevin Durant openly made a point and said no one wants to play in a toxic environment:
Quote:
"So much hype comes from being around LeBron from other fanboys in the media. I'm like, we're playing basketball here, and it's not even about basketball at certain points. So I get why anyone wouldn't want to be in that environment because it's toxic. Especially when the attention is bullsh-t attention, it's all fluff. It's not even LeBron's fault at all. Just get out of the way and let us play basketball."
And this started way before LeBron even came, when literally star free agents like Derozan and Carmelo from prior years didn't even consider joining the Lakers, and a bigger hit when Aldridge who even gave the Lakers the very 1st meeting in 2015 free agency, ended up passing on them publicly saying was unimpressed by their presentation. Probably the most humiliating display by the Lakers front office of a free agent pursuit after the #StayD12 campaign.
When Magic and Rob were brought in to replace Jim and Mitch, there was a glimmer of hope that the toxic stigma would die down, instead, the moves they did nothing to help but magnify the stigma even more and making the front office look more incompetent.
The Laker's are starting to relegate themselves to be like the Dolan Knicks, a great organizations with the stigma of having an incompetent owner, that maybe another change or shift in the Laker's organization or leadership might need to happen just like the Clippers did, once a laughing stock of the NBA because of Sterling, is now looked upon the league including free agents as a better destination L.A. spot thanks to Balmer.
And it's not just the Lakers organization, but the Lakers fan base in general are regarded around the league by far as the most toxic and vile fan base out of all the 30 NBA teams. And that was publicly displayed and clearly magnified after the LeBron signing.
So why would any Top Free Agents would want to come here next summer to deal with all the toxicity surrounding the Lakers?
From the organization to the fans, lots of toxicity to go around whenever you hear the purple and gold around the League these days. _________________ The butter is getting hard.
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Toxic Stigma of the Lakers Organization and their Fan Base around the League
Clark Kent wrote:
And it's not just the Lakers organization, but the Lakers fan base in general are regarded around the league by far as the most toxic and vile fan base out of all the 30 NBA teams. And that was publicly displayed and clearly magnified after the LeBron signing.
I take issue with this. I would argue that American culture in general has become vile and toxic, but that is beyond the scope of the Lounge. But certainly if you visit any sports site for any sport and the comments tend towards the vile and toxic. Lakers fans are not in any way unique. Lakers fans, however, have the same sense of entitlement and exceptionalism as the team owners and the FO. This is different than fans of teams without that history. That is different than vile and toxic. It's just spoiled and not willing to accept the reality yet that their franchise is not merely ordinary, but dysfunctional and, as you said, headed into Dolanesque waters. But I don't know--maybe Celtics fans are the same way. I know, from first hand experience, they are, in fact, vile and toxic and violent (not to mention having a history of overt racism that the Lakers never had). And I mean I totally refrained from punching an obnoxious Celtics who had the audacity to be in LA during game 2 in 2010 wearing that vile green jersey and talking all kinds of **it. We Lakers fans are classy like that.
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:52 am Post subject: Re: Toxic Stigma of the Lakers Organization and their Fan Base around the League
RG73 wrote:
Clark Kent wrote:
And it's not just the Lakers organization, but the Lakers fan base in general are regarded around the league by far as the most toxic and vile fan base out of all the 30 NBA teams. And that was publicly displayed and clearly magnified after the LeBron signing.
I take issue with this. I would argue that American culture in general has become vile and toxic, but that is beyond the scope of the Lounge. But certainly if you visit any sports site for any sport and the comments tend towards the vile and toxic. Lakers fans are not in any way unique. Lakers fans, however, have the same sense of entitlement and exceptionalism as the team owners and the FO. This is different than fans of teams without that history. That is different than vile and toxic. It's just spoiled and not willing to accept the reality yet that their franchise is not merely ordinary, but dysfunctional and, as you said, headed into Dolanesque waters. But I don't know--maybe Celtics fans are the same way. I know, from first hand experience, they are, in fact, vile and toxic and violent (not to mention having a history of overt racism that the Lakers never had). And I mean I totally refrained from punching an obnoxious Celtics who had the audacity to be in LA during game 2 in 2010 wearing that vile green jersey and talking all kinds of **it. We Lakers fans are classy like that.
A fan base who desecrates other people's murals and even a player's own home, sounds like if there was a ranking of most vile fans, we're probably at the top of the list _________________
I'm really having a hard time picturing who out of the top FA whether it be Durant, Kyrie, or Leonard would want to come here and deal with this mess of the Lakers? _________________ Tacos
Yeah. It’s bad enough fake media people with blue check marks bash us all the time, instead of covering their own teams. It’s bad enough the media and other fan bases love to bash us and see us lose. But then we have our own cry babies who come here whine instead of contributing. Big ups to those who come here and offer more than a (bleep) Magic, (bleep) Lebron, & (bleep) Jeanie mentality.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35750 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:02 am Post subject:
The Buss family needs to sell the team. It’s a bunch of spoiled, incompetent brats who have accomplished nothing in life on their own. And, on top of that, I really don’t think they’re wealthy enough to be owners of an NBA team anymore. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Yeah. It’s bad enough fake media people with blue check marks bash us all the time, instead of covering their own teams. It’s bad enough the media and other fan bases love to bash us and see us lose. But then we have our own cry babies who come here whine instead of contributing. Big ups to those who come here and offer more than a (bleep) Magic, (bleep) Lebron, & (bleep) Jeanie mentality.
Amen, fans who cry about the Lakers daily, for years at a time on this site. Making it personal with ownership and the front office. Taking sports way too seriously. Makes for a lousy reading experience.
Yeah, things aren’t going well, but people start making stuff up, exaggerating, over-analyzing every move..this place gets lame.
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:32 am Post subject: Re: Toxic Stigma of the Lakers Organization and their Fan Base around the League
Nash Vegas wrote:
A fan base who desecrates other people's murals and even a player's own home, sounds like if there was a ranking of most vile fans, we're probably at the top of the list :lol:
You mean like Celtics fans desecrated Bill Russell's home while he was busy winning championships for them?
Which Lakers home was desecrated by Lakers fans? Do you know for a fact that fans of other teams have not sprayed graffiti over other player's murals? We the culprits on the Lebron mural destruction Lakers fans first or Kobe fans first or just plain criminals? You're speculating and casting blame on all of us.
I am fairly certain if you were to make a detailed list of fans doing dumb and offensive things like yelling racial slurs at players during games or say throwing things at players, Lakers fans come in around the bottom. Check out player complaints about Utah fans yelling racial slurs at them for decades. Just last year Cleveland fans yelled racist crap at Patty Mills. Oh, and what about the play by play guy for OKC they let go because of his racist comments during a live game? I mean there's plenty of examples out there and they aren't Lakers fans. Kobestan vs Lebronstan is only mildly vile, it isn't the blatant racism we see in other fanbases.
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:32 am Post subject: Re: Toxic Stigma of the Lakers Organization and their Fan Base around the League
RG73 wrote:
Clark Kent wrote:
And it's not just the Lakers organization, but the Lakers fan base in general are regarded around the league by far as the most toxic and vile fan base out of all the 30 NBA teams. And that was publicly displayed and clearly magnified after the LeBron signing.
I take issue with this. I would argue that American culture in general has become vile and toxic, but that is beyond the scope of the Lounge. But certainly if you visit any sports site for any sport and the comments tend towards the vile and toxic. Lakers fans are not in any way unique. Lakers fans, however, have the same sense of entitlement and exceptionalism as the team owners and the FO. This is different than fans of teams without that history. That is different than vile and toxic. It's just spoiled and not willing to accept the reality yet that their franchise is not merely ordinary, but dysfunctional and, as you said, headed into Dolanesque waters. But I don't know--maybe Celtics fans are the same way. I know, from first hand experience, they are, in fact, vile and toxic and violent (not to mention having a history of overt racism that the Lakers never had). And I mean I totally refrained from punching an obnoxious Celtics who had the audacity to be in LA during game 2 in 2010 wearing that vile green jersey and talking all kinds of **it. We Lakers fans are classy like that.
For what it's worth, from my perspective in Houston, Lakers fans are not regarded as toxic or vile. Obnoxious? Sure. The same is true for fans of the Yankees, Patriots, etc. But toxic and vile? I've never gotten that vibe from any of the Rockets and Spurs fans I know.
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144432 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:39 am Post subject:
CandyCanes wrote:
The Buss family needs to sell the team. It’s a bunch of spoiled, incompetent brats who have accomplished nothing in life on their own. And, on top of that, I really don’t think they’re wealthy enough to be owners of an NBA team anymore.
Even if they wanted to it wouldn’t be very easy to sell. We were spoiled with Cooke and Dr. Buss. They are gone and Laker exceptionalism went with them. You Dodger fans had to live through the McCourt years before things got better. That is where we are at now. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
Joined: 03 Feb 2008 Posts: 6095 Location: Los Angeles
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:57 am Post subject:
LG has been toxic since Kobe vs. Shaq. It was a civil war pitting Laker fans against each other. You either a Kobe guy or a Shaq guy. Shaq got traded and I knew a few people who said at the time that became Clipper fans because of it. Even though Shaq and Kobe settled their beef there are still Kobe haters on LG who roll their eyes when his name is brought up.
I think the Lakers need to take a step back and re-build their culture and stop bringing up the past so much. I don't need to see every other photo op with all of those NBA championship trophy's in it. I was on the fence with Lebron coming here because of the drama that comes with him but now he's here and they need to salvage this crap and win at least on ring before he's gone.
The Lakers got the biggest free agent in the NBA last off season. I don't think its even necessary to talk about Aldridge because the Lakers were a last place team and he was looking to sign with a contender. Any other team doesn't even get a meeting with a top free agent when they're drafting #2 overall every season.
The Lakers are ranked 4th spending money on the team over the last 15 years. They’ve showed no signs of being too cheap to pay for a contender.
But you know... narratives
How are we defining spending money? On just player payroll? Or overall payroll? And what was the breakdown? If they did overall spend the 4th most, did they underpay in player development, training staff, facilities, etc., while overpaying for players and coaching (which they often fired anyway)? And ultimately just spending money is meaningless if it isn't spent intelligently. There are countless examples in many industries of people spending lots of money to no avail because they did not spend intelligently.
The Lakers got the biggest free agent in the NBA last off season. I don't think its even necessary to talk about Aldridge because the Lakers were a last place team and he was looking to sign with a contender. Any other team doesn't even get a meeting with a top free agent when they're drafting #2 overall every season.
It is important to talk about Aldridge because they used the same schtick with Lebron and now that it worked with him, they're going to double down with other free agents. LeBron is here because the non-basketball marketing and lifestyle opportunities they tried to pitch Aldridge on were already the reasons Lebron wanted to come here. Those haven't mattered to other free agents since the disaster began unfolding after The Veto. And they're probably not going to be priorities for other free agents--and if they are, they can get those things with the Clippers without the other associated drama.
Still gonna be here rocking my Lakers socks, Lakers house slippers, Lakers shorts, BI jersey, Kobe jersey, sipping coffee from my Lakers mug, looking at my Lakers Shaq and Kobe pez dispenser, Lakers showtime championship trash can and of course, got my Lakers Lin jersey on the wall
Suck on this purple n gold nutz for them jelly sandbitches out there
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