Following another December mini break, the Los Angeles Lakers returned to action on Thursday and took down the Sacramento Kings in arguably their most complete game of the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers played a strong defensive game along with some well-timed scoring opportunities to claim the 113-100 victory. Los Angeles got a contribution from everyone that played, though it was Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis and LeBron James who led the way.
Although the Lakers still face an uphill climb back up the Western Conference standings, their newfound identity on the defensive end lends some optimism that they’ll be able to stack more wins in the coming weeks. The tough part is they have a rematch against the Kings on Saturday who will have some extra motivation to come out with a win.
While L.A. focuses on the upcoming game against Sacramento, the Lakers announced that they will be hosting One Piece Night on Feb. 28 against the L.A. Clippers, via the team’s official X account:
Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are joining the Lakers for One Piece Night on Feb. 28! More details to come
#LakersxONEPIECE
麦わらのルフィ「Los Angeles Lakers」入団！？
『ONE PIECE』と「Los Angeles… pic.twitter.com/nzc1wWVMaK— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 19, 2024
One Piece is widely regarded as one of the most popular manga and anime series’ ever, making this quite the collaboration with the Lakers. The two entities are among the best in their respective fields and will surely draw hoards of people looking to celebrate the special evening.
One Piece follows the story of a pirate named Luffy who is in search of a treasure along with a crew of individuals who have their own goals and desires. One Piece’s creator Eiichiro Oda debuted the first volume in 1997 with the anime debuting in 1999 and both are ongoing.
The One Piece franchise has spanned several movies, television specials and other animated works. It’s also welcomed other media ventures such as trading cards and video games.
While there are more details to be released, this is undoubtedly going to be a huge deal for basketball and manga and anime fans.
Rui Hachimura viewed as longer-term piece for Lakers
Los Angeles may be considered one of the NBA’s premier franchises, but the team itself has a ways to go before they can be viewed as a contender.
The quickest way to improving the roster is via trade, and players like Rui Hachimura could be on the trading block. However, Hachimura is reportedly viewed as a longer-term piece for the Lakers and thus might be safe come the trade deadline.
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