King James And His Knights of The Hardwood - Los Angeles Lakers NBA 2K19 MyLeague

[Eaglerock562]

Hello Everyone, it is great to be back in he video gaming/dynasty story world after being away for nearly 4 years. Two weeks ago I purchased another Xbox One and along with that NBA2K19 and have spent all that time editing a roster set that will be my NBA2K19 MyLeague world. Incase some of you are reading a post of mine for the first time I encourage you to find my previous dynasty threads on this site from years ago. From 2K11 up to 2K16 I was an avid dynasty player and poster. I am die hard Los Angeles Lakers fan (notice I said die heard Los Angeles Lakers fan) so to me it's about the name on the front of the jersey not the back because if that was the case I would have burned every Lakers thing I had when they signed LeBron James (whom I was known for on several podcasts as being the "Biggest LeBron ***** on the Westcoast". So with that in mind I invite you all to sit back and enjoy the reading material. Let's see if my Lakers on 2K19 can do something the actual Lakers seem to have no interest in …. WINNING.

Game: NBA2K19
Console: XBOX One
Team: Los Angeles Lakers (30 team user controlled league)

[Eaglerock562]

Lebron James officially signs with Los Angeles Lakers

EL SEGUNDO -- It's official.  LeBron is a Laker.

The Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of LeBron James as a free agent Monday night just shortly after 9pm pst, confirming the biggest shift created by the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player's decision to leave Cleveland for the 16-time champion franchise on the West Coast.

Klutch Sports Group, who represent James tweeted a photo of James signing his contract with Lakers new general manager Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers are coming off another season where they missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, while James has played in the past eight NBA Finals with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, winning three titles.

The 33-year-old entertainment mogul immediately becomes the focus of the Lakers franchise and possibly the foundation for the NBA's next superteam, depending on whether James and the Lakers can persuade more superstars to join him in the next year or two.

In a news release, Magic Johnson, the Lakers' president of basketball operations, called James "the best player in the world."

"He simply loves to compete and is an awesome leader who is about winning and making sure that his teammates are successful," Johnson said.  "The Lakers players are excited to have a teammate who has been to nine NBA Finals.  It's a huge step closer to returning the Lakers to the playoffs and to the NBA Finals."

James is coming off one of his greatest NBA seasons, where he played in all 82 regular-season games for the Cavaliers and finished third in the NBA with 27.5 points per game and setting career highs with 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists.  He carried the Cavaliers to its fourth consecutive NBA Finals, where they were swept by Golden State.

Last season, James becaome the first player in NBA history to accumlate at least 30,000 career points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists.  In addition, he currently holds the longest-ever double-digit scoring streak at 873 games.

A four-time NBA MVP (2009, '10, 12, '13), James has played in 1,143 career regular season games (1,142 starts) for Cleveland and Miami, holding averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.  He currently ranks seventh in total points scored (31,038), 11th in all-time assists (8,208) and 16th in career steals (1,865).

The Lakers already have begun assembling a revamped team around James by acquiring Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson in free agency while retaining guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.  The Lakers also assembled a reasonably talented young core before James' arrivial with Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers Sign Rajon Rondo

EL SEGUNDO -- The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Rajon Rondo, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

A four-time NBA All-Star, Rondo has played in 779 career games (697 starts) for Boston, Dallas, Sacramento, Chicago and New Orleans, tallying averages of 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 31.8 minutes, while leading the NBA in assists three times (2011-12, ‘12-13, ‘15-16) and steals once (2009-10). For his career, he currently ranks 23rd in NBA history in total assists (6,608) and fourth among active players (trailing only Chris Paul, LeBron James and Tony Parker).

Rondo appeared in 65 games (63 starts) with New Orleans last season, averaging 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.2 minutes. The 12-year NBA veteran ranked sixth in total assists (533) last season, including an NBA season-high 25 assists on December 27 against the Brooklyn Nets.

A member of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, Rondo earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2011-12 and is a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team honoree (2009-10, ’10-11), also earning Second Team honors twice (2008-09, ’11-12). The University of Kentucky product was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after being selected by Phoenix with the 21st overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers Re-Sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

EL SEGUNDO -- The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

In 74 games (all starts) for the Lakers last season, Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.2 minutes per game, while tallying career highs in field goal percentage (.426) and three-point percentage (.383).

The five-year NBA veteran has appeared in 388 career games (348 starts) for the Lakers and Detroit Pistons, holding career averages of 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.8 minutes. He is also one of 22 players in league history to convert at least 635 three-pointers in his first five professional seasons (638).

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers Sign JaVale McGee

EL SEGUNDO -- The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center JaVale McGee, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

McGee appeared in 65 games (17 starts) for Golden State last season, tallying 4.8 points (.621 FG%) and 2.6 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game. The seven-footer has played in 558 career games (187 starts) for Washington, Denver, Philadelphia, Dallas and Golden State, with averages of 7.5 points (.559 FG%), 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 16.7 minutes.

A 10-year NBA veteran, McGee won back-to-back championships as a member of the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and has appeared in 44 NBA playoff games (12 starts), averaging 6.5 points (.610 FG%), 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 14.0 minutes.

Selected by Washington with the 18th overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, McGee averaged 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 66 career games (31 starts) at the University of Nevada, Reno.

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers Sign Lance Stephenson

EL SEGUNDO -- Lance Stephenson always felt his famed rivalry with LeBron James was rooted in mutual respect.

When James called Stephenson last week to pitch him on teaming up with the Los Angeles Lakers, Stephenson's feelings were confirmed - and he quickly accepted the invitation.

Coming off a productive season in his latest stint with the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal to join James, McGee and Rajon Rondo in the Lakers' influx of veteran talent.

Stephenson has been one of James' most famed antagonists during their careers, and even Stephenson is surprised they've become teammates. But it only took a phone call from LeBron to persuade Stephenson to join the Lakers.

Stephenson and James competed fiercely in the Eastern Conference over the years, with Stephenson applying tough defense and creative tactics to the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player. Stephenson created multiple memes during the 2014 East finals between the Pacers and James' Miami Heat by blowing in James' ear and making a famously exaggerated flop.

Stephenson appeared in all 82 games for Indiana last season, averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The Lakers are his seventh NBA franchise entering his ninth season.

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers Sign Michael Beasley

EL SEGUNDO -- The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Michael Beasley, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Beasley played in 74 games (30 starts) for the Knicks last season, averaging 13.2 points (.507 FG%), 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. Named to the 2008-09 All-Rookie First Team, Beasley has appeared in 583 career games (236 starts) for the HEAT, Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets, Bucks and Knicks, with averages of 12.7 points (.464 FG%), 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.4 minutes.

A native of Prince George’s County, MD, Beasley went on to play one season collegiately at Kansas State, earning consensus First Team All-America honors in 2007-08. The Big 12 Player of the year started all 33 games, tallying 26.2 points (.532 FG%), an NCAA-leading 12.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.2 assists in 31.5 minutes per game.

[Eaglerock562]

Matchup Preview | October 18, 2018
	@
Los Angeles Lakers (0-0, 0-0 Away)		Portland Trailblazers (0-0, 0-0 Home)
TRAIL BLAZING DOMINANCE 103 March 5, 2018 108 92 December 23, 2017 95 110 November 2, 2017 113 81 March 26, 2017 97 98 January 25, 2017 105 87 January 10, 2017 108 109 January 5, 2017 118 103 January 23, 2016 121 96 November 28, 2015 108 STARTING LINEUPS Rajon Rondo Point Guard Damian Lillard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Shooting Guard CJ McCollum Brandon Ingram Small Forward Al-Farouq Aminu LeBron James Power Forward Jack Layman Javale McGee Center Jusuf Nurkic INJURY REPORT Moritz Wagner 1-2 weeks     GAME NOTES It’s the start of the 2018-19 NBA season and the season opener for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers. It was a busy offseason for the Lakers as they went out and recruited the biggest free agent, LeBron James, who signed a 4-year $153 million contract back in July. The Lakers wasted no time in bringing in some playoff tested veterans to surround James with in Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee. They even managed to get one of James’ most notable rivals, Lance Stephenson to come and play along side him. The Lakers are expecting these battle tested veterans to not only mesh well with the young talented core of Ingram, Ball, Kuzma and Hart, but to also get them to the next level. The Trail Blazers season ended on a sour note back in April, despite securing the third seed and having home court in the first round of the playoffs they were swept by the surprising New Orleans Pelicans, without DeMarcus Cousins. Despite their first-round exit, they were able to retain starting center and restricted free agent Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic signed a 4-year $48 million contract after he turned down a more lucrative four-year offer during last season. With Nurkic returning, Portland has all of its starters back from last season. The Blazers also signed free agents Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas as well as their first-round pick in the draft, Anfernee Simons. The Blazers won the season series last season 3-0 and have won 15 straight games against the Lakers.