The three most successful teams that LeBron James has ever played for were the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers along with both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 Miami Heat. While each of those teams were able to secure an NBA championship and stack wins during the regular-season, one key characteristic they also shared was chemistry throughout the locker room while in pursuit of those rings.
LeBron’s three title teams got along well with each other off the court during those seasons and won big because of it. If you followed those groups closely, it’s difficult to dismiss the similarities they seem to share so far with this year’s Los Angeles Lakers from that same chemistry perspective. After the 136-113 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday that extended L.A.’s record to 20-3, for example, veteran forward Jared Dudley posted the following pictures from the team plane that seemed to highlight a genuine camaraderie.
Dudley didn’t just post the final photo that featured each of his teammates who made the trip to Rip City. In a move that might have been similarly made by a 2015-16 Cavalier named Richard Jefferson, Dudley kept it light and fun by also posting a picture of his teammates preparing to take the shot that eventually hit social media.
It’s one small example of a characteristic like team chemistry that is impossible to quantify except for the fact that you’re able to recognize it sometimes if you’re paying attention. For anyone who has paid attention to LeBron’s teams over the years, this iteration of the James Gang appears to have those positive team chemistry characteristics for days. Just how far it will take them remains to be seen, but there’s a number of reasons to be bullish on this year’s Lakers so far including the simple fact that they appear to like each other.
