LOS ANGELES — The flurry of deals the Los Angeles Lakers have made during free agency have led critics to point out that the “purple and gold” could look more like the “purple and old” after the team sacrificed young talent to bring in veteran players.
After adding Carmelo Anthony, 37, Trevor Ariza, 36, and Dwight Howard, 35, the team has an average age of 31.4 years, making them the oldest in the NBA, according to SB Nation.
A handful of other teams could be a full decade younger than the 2020 champions when the regular season kicks off on Oct. 19.
“Keep talking about my squad,” the 36-year-old LeBron James wrote on Twitter.
“Our personnel ages, the way he plays, he stays injured, we’re past our time in this league, etc etc etc. Do me one favor PLEASE!!!! And I mean PLEASE!!! Keep that same narrative ENERGY when it begins! That’s all I ask. #ThankYou”
The Lakers aging process began in earnest when the team parted with a raft of young talent including Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to nab forward Anthony Davis in 2019. — Reuters