When we take a look at this current era of basketball that has taken over the NBA, it’s safe to say that there are more components off the court than ever. When you factor in social media likeness, marketing opportunities and a CBA that gets re-negotiated every couple of years, it’s clear that the game has changed a lot and the Los Angeles Lakers have been in the middle of it.
LA is one of the biggest markets in the world and their fanbase is one of the most active on Twitter and so many other social platforms. Many players have admitted that it’s hard at times to see some of their biggest fans turn against after just one bad game when they hop on Twitter afterwards. Previous generations of NBA stars did not have to worry about this nearly as much and many believe that the influence of social media and instant highlights have been bad for the game.
It is one of the biggest debates in sports: Which era has been the toughest to play in? I try to vouch that everybody should appreciate every style of play and all competition that had to be faced but disagreements lead to more views and clicks, so certain people go against the grain just to get reactions from others.
However, someone that can never be questioned about their will to win no matter how long ago he played is Jerry West. He spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers and even though it took him nine tries to capture a title, he never gave up on the city.
And recently he spoke on the popular term ‘dog’ that is used to describe players with a ruthless mentality and explained that none could match up to him in his playing days.
“The word ‘dog’ comes up a lot… Well, I was a wolf. I used to eat dogs.” – Jerry West looking back on his playing days (via @NBA)”
This sparked a huge conversation but one person that certainly agrees with him is fellow current Lakers superstar LeBron James.
