LeBron James suggests parade for Rams, Lakers and Dodgers
Los Angeles is the city of champions, most recently on the football side of things.
The Los Angeles Rams lit up the starry city with their own star power on Sunday night, bringing L.A. its first Lombardi Trophy since the Los Angeles Raiders claimed the throne in 1983.
Tinseltown has grown accustomed to being No. 1 these past few years. The Lakers brought the crown home with a historic bubble championship in 2020, and the Dodgers sustained the winning trend with a World Series victory just over two weeks later.
The following year, the Dodgers were knocked out of the NLCS by the eventual champion Braves, while the Lakers were bounced out of the postseason's first round by the Suns. Now, baseball's on the back burner for the foreseeable future as the MLB lockout wears on, and most sports fans are well aware of the problems plaguing the Lakers.
Nonetheless, LeBron James has vivid memories of the 2020 run, and following the Rams' big win Sunday, James had a creative idea that would bring back the glory of the Lakers and Dodgers' championships: a joint parade between the three teams.
Mookie Betts, for one, was a fan:
However, those who disagreed with James' call to action had the present chiefly in mind, which at this point, is matted in misery for his squad.
The Lakers are currently five games under .500 at 26-31 and have won just two of their last 11 games.
And because of their current troubles, Skip Bayless believes that they should focus squarely on their play — not parades.
"Does he have no shame?" Bayless said of James on Tuesday's "Undisputed."
"Does it ever end for this man wanting to associate with somebody's victory? Just about every team exited quickly [from the bubble] because they didn't want to be there. [The Lakers] beat a Miami Heat team that was the fifth seed in the East that lost Goran Dragic, their leading playoff scorer before Game 1, and then lost Bam [Adebayo] during Game 1. Are you really proud of that?"
Shannon Sharpe acknowledged that the Lakers missed out on the festivities amid the pandemic, but he affirmed that it was far too late for them to celebrate the victory.
"It's 16 months removed since the Lakers and Dodgers won their championships. I get it. LeBron's like, ‘Man, that’s a great moment.' He's been a part of that. There's nothing like that feeling. That Tuesday after we won that championship in Denver, 600- or 700,000 people lined the streets. I know the feeling an athlete has for a parade, but the Rams are going to have to ride this one out on their own."
Chris Broussard could see why James would like to hold an event of that magnitude, but he, too, couldn't get on board with the notion.
"People out there are thinking, 'Oh look at LeBron, trying to steal the shine from the Rams.’ He wants everybody to shine. I think he looks at the L.A. sports community as one. I can't rock with it though. I think he means well, but I don't think it's a good idea. The Lakers are in the midst of a free-fall. As much as they cherish that championship, banner No. 17, I don't think they really want to be talking about that right now as the team plummets to the bottom of the standings."
Chris Broussard can't rock with LeBron & Lakers joining Rams victory parade I FIRST THINGS FIRST
L.A. has made good on its "City of Champions" nickname within the past few years, but the Lakers and Dodgers might have to make way for the Rams, at least until one of the two nabs another ring.
Unless of course, Hollywood decides to go Hollywood.
