As the Los Angeles Lakers embarked on a lengthy journey to the Midwest, superstar LeBron James took to social media to express his frustration about the trip. “Can someone explain why we’re flying all the way to Milwaukee for just one preseason game?” he questioned.
The Lakers are set to play six preseason games this month, but none of them will be held at their home arena, Crypto.com Arena, which is currently undergoing its third phase of renovations since its rebranding in 2021. As a result, the team has scheduled a series of away games, much to James’ dismay.
The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings are also affected by the renovations, and will be displaced from their home ice until October 24. This has led to the Lakers going on a preseason tour, with games scheduled in Palm Desert, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Oakland.
First-year coach JJ Redick described the travel schedule as “not ideal” for the team. In previous years, the Lakers would typically play a few preseason games at home, followed by a few road games against Western Conference opponents. However, this year’s schedule has been dictated by the arena renovations.
The NBA allows each team to handle its own preseason schedule, with no minimum or maximum number of games required. The Lakers’ schedule was arranged in part as a tradeoff with the Milwaukee Bucks, who visited Los Angeles last preseason as part of a three-game road trip.
While James and teammate Anthony Davis may be feeling the strain of international competition over the summer, point guard D’Angelo Russell is looking forward to getting back on the court. “The rest of us are still hungry,” he said. “We want to go out there and play every game and put the Laker uniform on and see how the crowd responds.”
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