sp6r=underrated wrote:DarkAzcura wrote:The Lakers didn’t even hang that banner until the early 00s.
Didn't know that. It makes it even grosser.
DarkAzcura wrote:They didn’t really care to recognize them until it brought them artificially closer to the Celtics.
Nothing artificial about it. It is one franchise. But if they're going to claim the titles show them the same respect instead of doing the two step of fronting them to the outside public as normal titles but treating em as third rate in your own house.
Well, it is artificial, imo, because of timing. The franchise was in LA for decades before they decided to recognize them, conveniently on the back end of a three peat with Shaq and Kobe.
Another example of something similar. There was a clause in the agreement with OKC where if Seattle ever gets a franchise again within a period of time, the city would get their championship back. I think OKC would do it regardless of time.
If the LA Lakers honored those championships and players from the day they moved, I wouldn’t care, but the Lakers are inconsistent with it as noted in your OP. That’s what makes it feel artificial.
EDIT: There is also that ‘Drive for Five’ shirt that was made after the 1987 championship which only recognized the 5 championships won in LA to that point.
Again, I wouldn’t really care that the championships get held by the franchise if they wanted to keep them from day 1, but they clearly didn’t care for decades, and then one day, they did.