Better offseason - 96 lakers vs 2014 cavs

[beenz]

96 lakers.

prime shaq/kobe>bron/irving/love

 

[beenz]

lakers signed Shaq and traded an all-star for a rookie drafted at the back end of the lottery. nobody expected the Lakers to win a championship in 96 or 97. they weren't true contenders until Kobe emerged. that's a big difference from the league awarding you 3 #1 overall picks. the Lakers worked with what most major market teams had cap space and and trade chips. flipping Divac for Kobe is more impressive than anything the Cavs have done this offseason

man lets not act like the lakers didn't have talent in the mid 90's. elden campbell, eddie jones, and nick van excel were all young all star talents. then they added shaq to that mix. no one knew kobe was gonna become kobe then, but getting him was a bonus at the time.

 

[Roadie pipeher]

if using hindsight definitely Lakers, but a young kobe who wasn't even starting...

 

[Diddly Drogba]

 

[FTBS]

lakers signed Shaq and traded an all-star for a rookie drafted at the back end of the lottery. nobody expected the Lakers to win a championship in 96 or 97. they weren't true contenders until Kobe emerged. that's a big difference from the league awarding you 3 #1 overall picks. the Lakers worked with what most major market teams had cap space and and trade chips. flipping Divac for Kobe is more impressive than anything the Cavs have done this offseason

All that said, "worked with less", no luck, and not trying to build a championship team really shouldn't be in the same sentence with the Lakers for most of their history no matter how you may wish to spin it. Adding Shaq to a 50 win team isn't trying to win a championship or contend?