For the first time since they won the NBA Championship in 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers will not have to fight their way through the NBA Play-In Tournament to get into the playoffs.  Under the tutelage of new head coach JJ Redick whose only prior coaching experience was third and fourth-grade basketball,

The Los Angeles Lakers, who have the third seed in the Western Conference, arguably have the best superstar duo in the NBA right now in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. They also have a legitimate "Big Three" with guard Austin Reaves playing at an All-Star level, and as a result, they're considered by many to be legitimate championship contenders.

LeBron James was the most viewed NBA player across all social media platforms and his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Luka Doncic ranked third.