LeBron James isn’t happy with the Lakers’ preseason schedule.
Los Angeles is a third of the way through the preseason and is already two games behind on its schedule. The Lakers lost their first two games, but will look to bounce back on a road trip against Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
All teams must play at least some road games on the exhibition slate. No one has the luxury of staying home all the time and welcoming teams and pre-season matches. However, this does not mean that the club has expanded to all parts of the country.
Most organizations stay local and play against teams from their area. That’s why the Lakers will play two games against the neighboring Warriors and two games against the Suns.
However, it does involve some travel. James and the team welcomed the Timberwolves from Minnesota to Los Angeles to begin the preseason, and now Los Angeles is traveling to the Midwest for a game against the Bucks.
James may be excited about his son Bronny’s first away game with the team, but he’s not excited about flying to Milwaukee.
More on why he and the Lakers are upset about the preseason road trip.
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Lakers travel controversy, commentary
LeBron James took to social media Wednesday to vent his frustration with the preseason schedule.
After hosting two exhibition contests, Los Angeles will embark on its first road trip of the season, traveling to Milwaukee for a date with the Bucks. James couldn’t understand why his team would travel to the Midwest for just one game, so he decided to ask his followers at X (formerly Twitter).
Can someone please explain to me why we’re riding the ✈️ and heading to Milwaukee for one preseason game?
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 9, 2024
He’s not the only member of the Los Angeles organization not satisfied with traveling halfway across the country. New head coach JJ Redick also tackled the preseason slate on Tuesday ahead of the game against the Bucks.
“It’s not an ideal preseason for us,” Reddick said when asked about the road schedule.
More: LeBron and Bronny James play together for the first time
In recent years, the Lakers have rarely played teams from the Eastern Conference. California-based teams typically play a few preseason games at home, a few on the road against Western Conference opponents, and a game or two at unique locations around Southern California to play to a variety of audiences. Deliver the match. For example, the first two games of the 2024 preseason were held in Palm Desert, California.
But this year, the Lakers had to fulfill their home-and-home commitment with the Bucks. According to ESPN, Antetokounmpo came to LA to play against James in 2023, but now the Lakers have to go to Milwaukee.
As someone who has covered this in NJ/Brooklyn, the preseason schedule is done in-house rather than through the NBA.
This process is similar to how universities arrange non-conference games.
The game against Milwaukee appears to have been part of a home-home agreement between both teams.
Bucks… https://t.co/dhjZ9eHxnM
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 9, 2024
After the Bucks game, the Lakers will play three more exhibition contests. A home game against the Warriors, then a road game against the Suns, and then two games against the Warriors again.
In conclusion, the Lakers’ preseason consisted of three home games, two games against teams an hour and a half away on a plane, and one long trip to the Midwest, followed by three full days off. I will be playing again from now on.
One year doesn’t seem like a big ask.
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Los Angeles Lakers Preseason Schedule 2024
Date Opponent Time (ET) TV Channel Friday, October 4 vs. Timberwolves 10:30 PM NBA TV Sunday, October 6 vs. Sunday 9:30 PM—Thursday, October 10 Bucks 8:00 PM NBA TV October 15 Sun Tuesday vs. Warriors 10pm NBA TV Thursday, October 17th 10pm TNT Friday, October 18th Warriors 10:30pm ESPN2
