When this offseason began, Kobe Bryant was hoping that he would be able lure stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Lakers. It turns out no one really wants to play with him, and Jeremy Lin being the team’s biggest acquisition resulted in a series of jokes and memes at the expense of the Black Mamba.

The warning signs have been on the walls for quite some time. Kobe Bryant isn’t a star other stars want to play with. Dwight Howard doesn’t have too many people who’ll say what a wonderful person he is, but he ran away from Los Angeles like the plague the moment he had the chance as that super team idea imploded.

Jeremy Lin didn’t sign for the Lakers, he was traded there. He got away from a bad situation in Houston, and is now hoping that things will be different with the Lakers, although he once again has a backcourt partner who doesn’t really love sharing the ball.

The Lakers have a better team than they did last season. Julius Randle is going to be a substantial help in the paint and Carlos Boozer wasn’t bad in Chicago, simply overpaid. Under the right expectations, he’ll look like a very good big man once again.

Image: Source