Jeanie Buss says one of her goals is to surpass Boston's 17 championship record.
As one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers are in a league of their own when it comes to success, history, and a culture of winning basketball.
In terms of records and numbers, the franchise sits alone at the top in many different categories, and its legacy is set for generations to come.
Still, there is one last milestone that Jeanie wishes to cross during her tenure as the team's owner. As she explained on the new Lakers documentary, one of her biggest goals for the franchise is passing the Celtics to become the most successful team in NBA history.
“It is important to me to finish what he [Dr.Buss] started, which was to have the most championships in the NBA. We are now tied w the Celtics, I gotta get number 18 before they do,”
The road to title number 18 will not be an easy one. With LeBron James close to 40, and Anthony Davis being the question mark he is health-wise, there are going to be significant challenges for the Lakers this season and in the seasons beyond.
Jeanie Buss Expects Big Things From The Lakers Ahead Of 2022-23 Season
Still, Buss is determined to help her guys fight through them and meet expectations as the NBA's most lucrative franchise.
“With the Lakers comes the expectation of winning, and we obviously didn’t do that last season, so some changes have been made," said Buss. "Always, the Lakers want to contend for championships, which means you need a certain level of talent or resources for the coach to be able to put a team in a position to win. The expectation is for this team to win. But it’s hard to win a championship. You need a lot of things to go your way. But, if you’re not part of the conversation or you’re not a team that’s getting into the playoffs, well, you really can’t win a championship can you? I look at my job as providing the resources needed to contend. And re-signing a player like LeBron James to an extension is giving us an opportunity to contend.”
The Celtics nearly won another banner last season, making the NBA Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors. This year, they should be right there with the best of the East.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are rolling out with mostly the same roster they had a year ago, which isn't exactly good news. Still, there is some hope that the new additions, and the new strategies of coach Darvin Ham, will be enough to make them a somewhat respectable squad.
Either way, Jeanie expects nothing but the best from her squad.
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