The NBA’s biggest stars were front and center during media day on Monday, as several players faced questions about how exactly they would fit in with their new teams in the coming season.
With teams preparing for the start of training camp and the NBA preseason, this was the first opportunity for the media to talk with some very recognizable players who are now wearing unfamiliar uniforms.
LeBron Says Lakers Have Work to Do
Perhaps the biggest move in the offseason saw LeBron James sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. The free agent acquisition instantly turned the Lakers into a contender, with William Hill listing Los Angeles as a 10/1 pick to win a title this season. But LeBron knows there’s still plenty of work to do if his new team is truly planning to compete with the defending champion Golden State Warriors (8/15).
“We’re picking up from scratch, so we have a long way to go,” LeBron told reporters. “Golden State is Golden State. They’re the champions and they’ve been together for a few years now. We put that to the side. We can only focus on what we could do to get better every day as the Lakers franchise.”
Leonard Has ‘Open Mind’ About Toronto
One of the more surprising offseason moves saw the San Antonio Spurs (40/1) trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors (16/1). While there was plenty of speculation that a disgruntled Leonard – who missed almost the entirety of the 2017-18 season – might want out of San Antonio, it was widely known that his preferred destination was Los Angeles.
Against that backdrop, it was important for Leonard to let fans know that he was enthusiastic – or, at the very least, content – to play for the Raptors.
“As long as I have on a jersey I want to play basketball,” Leonard said at Toronto’s media day press conference. “I came here with an open mind. I want to do great things so I’m going to make sure I put in a full effort on the court each and every night.”
Anthony Willing to Find Role with Rockets
The Houston Rockets (6/1) came within one game of knocking off the Warriors in the Western Conference finals last season, meaning their offseason was largely about how they could add pieces that would allow them to get past the two-time defending champions.
That included bringing in Carmelo Anthony, though that acquisition raised some eyebrows, as it was unclear exactly how the aging 10-time All-Star would fit into the Rockets’ rotation. Those questions came up yet again at Houston’s media day event, where Anthony signaled a willingness to do whatever his new team asked of him.
“At the end of the day, we’re all going to camp to figure out what works in order for this team to try to win a championship,” Anthony said. “All the questions of coming off the bench, I don’t want to answer those questions at the end of the day. Whatever I have to do to help this team win a championship, that’s what’s going to be done.”
The NBA preseason begins on Friday, with the first regular season contests scheduled for October 16.
