Power Ball Rich Paul is Lakers Secret Weapon

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RICH PAUL & LEBRON JAMES

Underneath the fatal clouds of the evasive albeit ever intruding COVID pandemic, one of the Americas most glorified sports franchises returned to glory, national prominence and title dominance.

It had lost its favorite son Kobe Bryant and prodigy daughter Gianna Bryant in a horrific helicopter crash that cast a pall over the Lakers franchise, suffocating Kobe’s cult like fanatics and paralyzing a close knit basketball community from grassroots to the NBA fraternity.

The year 2020 had barely began amid optimistic aspirations that LeBron James and Anthony Davis would lead the Lakers to their 17th NBA title healing a title starved city.

As Kobe died, COVID was lurking, swarming and making its way from China to Europe to land on American shores altering all things living, most things dying or anything dead.

 If not for COVID, Kobe Brant’s death would still be the leading subject associated with the Lakers title run that concluded at Disney World in Orlando and essentially virtual reality.

LeBron captured championship number four, earning MVP honors, Anthony Davis survived without being injured and there were moments sublime after all. Jeanie Buss could finally exhale, but Laker Nation would make Kobe as much part of this wired NBA Finals culmination as LeBron and AD.

Mere weeks thereafter the NBA season is already beginning anew with a 72 game slate that tips on Dec. 17 with the Lakers playing host to the Clippers in an empty Staples Center.

Most of us wish that 2020 was just a bad dream decorated by some memorable moments and we’d awake to discover Kobe still here celebrating along with LeBron and the rest of Lakers Nation.

The harsh reality is Kobe is NOT here and nobody was more responsible for the Lakers capturing NBA title No. 17 than LeBron Raymone James.

Kobe fanatics may never accept this, but reality is reality.

As much credit LeBron deserves for returning the Lakers to relevance and title glory, one man who cannot be forgotten is LeBron’s agent Rich Paul.

Just call him Richie Rich if you will.

Paul is the man most NBA executives loathe. He young at 38 years of age, as shrewd and cunning as a businessman you’d find, but he’s also Black.

When former super agent Leigh Steinberg was wielding his power and influence representing some 300 of the top athletes across all three sports they ultimately made a movie Jerry Maguire for him.

With fewer clients in just one sport at the moment, Paul is feared by his peers, beloved by his clients and respected by all.

Quietly, or perhaps loudly, Paul is the man who orchestrated the move of bringing Davis to the Lakers to pair with LeBron after the team whiffed on Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in free agency.

Rob Pelinka is the Lakers General Manager, and also Kobe’s former agent and dearest friend, but he is also responsible for Magic Johnson bailing in a dust clouding back stabbing power grab.

However to his credit, Pelinka turned to James and his childhood Northeast Ohio homeboy Paul to obtain the pieces to the puzzle that would stabilize the franchise.

LeBron will not last forever, AD has signed on for five years at $190 million, and LeBron has extended for $88 million and two more years through 2023.

Paul has Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Markieff Morris to go along with his big two on the Lakers roster, but his relationships and reach throughout the NBA culture is much broader.

Keep you eyes on the $100 million man Paul and his growing business empire that is influenced by LeBron, the most brilliant mind in the history of basketball.

Squeezing another title or two out of the LeBron/AD duo is not out of the question, but the sort of dominance sought by this franchise will require an ally such as Rich Paul to make it a dynasty again.

It had lost its favorite son Kobe Bryant and prodigy daughter Gianna Bryant in a horrific helicopter crash that cast a pall over the Lakers franchise, suffocating Kobe’s cult like fanatics and paralyzing a close knit basketball community from grassroots to the NBA fraternity.

The year 2020 had barely began amid optimistic aspirations that LeBron James and Anthony Davis would lead the Lakers to their 17th NBA title healing a title starved city.

As Kobe died, COVID was lurking, swarming and making its way from China to Europe to land on American shores altering all things living, most things dying or anything dead.

 If not for COVID, Kobe Brant’s death would still be the leading subject associated with the Lakers title run that concluded at Disney World in Orlando and essentially virtual reality.

LeBron captured championship number four, earning MVP honors, Anthony Davis survived without being injured and there were moments sublime after all. Jeanie Buss could finally exhale, but Laker Nation would make Kobe as much part of this wired NBA Finals culmination as LeBron and AD.

Mere weeks thereafter the NBA season is already beginning anew with a 72 game slate that tips on Dec. 17 with the Lakers playing host to the Clippers in an empty Staples Center.

Most of us wish that 2020 was just a bad dream decorated by some memorable moments and we’d awake to discover Kobe still here celebrating along with LeBron and the rest of Lakers Nation.

The harsh reality is Kobe is NOT here and nobody was more responsible for the Lakers capturing NBA title No. 17 than LeBron Raymone James.

Kobe fanatics may never accept this, but reality is reality.

As much credit LeBron deserves for returning the Lakers to relevance and title glory, one man who cannot be forgotten is LeBron’s agent Rich Paul.

Just call him Richie Rich if you will.

Paul is the man most NBA executives loathe. He young at 38 years of age, as shrewd and cunning as a businessman you’d find, but he’s also Black.

When former super agent Leigh Steinberg was wielding his power and influence representing some 300 of the top athletes across all three sports they ultimately made a movie Jerry Maguire for him.

With fewer clients in just one sport at the moment, Paul is feared by his peers, beloved by his clients and respected by all.

Quietly, or perhaps loudly, Paul is the man who orchestrated the move of bringing Davis to the Lakers to pair with LeBron after the team whiffed on Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in free agency.

Rob Pelinka is the Lakers General Manager, and also Kobe’s former agent and dearest friend, but he is also responsible for Magic Johnson bailing in a dust clouding back stabbing power grab.

However to his credit, Pelinka turned to James and his childhood Northeast Ohio homeboy Paul to obtain the pieces to the puzzle that would stabilize the franchise.

LeBron will not last forever, AD has signed on for five years at $190 million, and LeBron has extended for $88 million and two more years through 2023.

Paul has Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Markieff Morris to go along with his big two on the Lakers roster, but his relationships and reach throughout the NBA culture is much broader.

Keep you eyes on the $100 million man Paul and his growing business empire that is influenced by LeBron, the most brilliant mind in the history of basketball.

Squeezing another title or two out of the LeBron/AD duo is not out of the question, but the sort of dominance sought by this franchise will require an ally such as Rich Paul to make it a dynasty again.

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