Los Angeles Lakers host Will Smith for team event, actor talks ‘gratitude in times of great challenge’
By Richard Brody
February 8, 2019
LOS ANGELES — It’s just another Lakers victory on the way to another trip to the NBA Finals, and then another NBA Finals victory. In some ways, you’re just grateful for a regular season victory.
You’re grateful for the opportunity to get to the Finals and feel that excitement as you get down to the wire against another rival or another elite team. You’re grateful that your son enjoys watching basketball and that he keeps him up to date on the latest results. You’re grateful that your daughter likes the game and doesn’t mind that she doesn’t have a lot of money to spend.
The players on the Golden State Warriors are grateful for the opportunity to play in the NBA Finals. They’re grateful for the opportunity to play against the team that took them out of the playoffs and knocked them out of the first round.
And they’re grateful for a team owner he refers to as his “savior” that has kept them in the league and on the road to the NBA Finals.
“If they are going to win it all, we need the best team, period,” Stephen Curry told Yahoo Sports on Friday. “But we can’t compete with them. It doesn’t matter who the players are on the team. It doesn’t matter if the owner is Tom Benson, Jerry Buss or the guy who has the greatest team in the history of this team. The Lakers are the team to beat. We have our work cut out for us. We are going to have to be that much better next week than we were the last time out.”
The Los Angeles Lakers are the team to beat if you’re looking for a playoff challenge. The Golden State Warriors are the