{"id":52261,"date":"2023-08-04T08:30:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T12:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=52261"},"modified":"2023-08-03T19:43:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T23:43:53","slug":"baseball-superteam-fuels-comparisons-to-former-lakers-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/08\/04\/baseball-superteam-fuels-comparisons-to-former-lakers-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseball Superteam Fuels Comparisons To Former Lakers Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

The word “superteam” often gets thrown around until you add forward Kevin Durant<\/strong><\/a> to a 73-9 Golden State Warriors<\/a>\u00a0team–a move that made, but also hurt, Durant’s legacy.<\/p>\n

The most famous NBA superteam in recent memory came at the hands of Los Angeles Lakers<\/a><\/strong> forward LeBron James<\/a><\/strong> with his “decision” to end up with the Miami Heat<\/a><\/strong>. At the end of the day, James became a champion and built his legacy.<\/p>\n

The same can’t be said for superteams across all major sports. That includes this year’s New York Mets<\/a>: a team who stacked the payroll and have been so disappointing that experts have been comparing them to some not-so-memorable Lakers teams.<\/p>\n

Baseball Superteam Draws Comparisons To Former Lakers Teams<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Rt2PWqisB1g<\/p>\n

The Lakers Are No Stranger to Disappointment\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Naturally, when playing in professional sports, failure happens. It’s not quite the failure of the Mets, who came into the 2023 season with a $350 million payroll<\/a>, the largest in MLB history, and have now started shipping away their players.<\/p>\n

Unlike baseball, superteams in basketball can cause quite a stir. The ability for a basketball player to takeover in any given moment draws little comparison to baseball.<\/p>\n

To make matters harder, like postseason baseball, each game is a best of seven. A superteam could materialize in the NFL, but anything goes in a one-and-done scenario.<\/p>\n

The earliest memory of a superteam for the Lakers goes all the way back to the 2003-04 season. The Lakers fell short of winning four championships in a row. To combat disappointment, they chose to boost their roster with Hall of Fame players Gary Payton<\/a><\/strong> and Karl Malone<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The tandem of Kobe Bryant<\/a><\/strong> and Shaquille O’Neal<\/a><\/strong> alone was enough to give the league trouble. The Lakers made it to the Finals but were easily defeated by the Detroit Pistons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Lakers quickly moved on. They traded away Payton and Malone retired. It would be wise to think they learned from their mistakes, but the Lakers tried it again nearly a decade later.<\/p>\n

\n

20 years ago today, Gary Payton & Karl Malone sign with the Lakers. #LakeShow<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/1Q8m0YQT5f<\/a><\/p>\n

— TodayInSports (@TodayInSportsCo) July 16, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n