Well they ARE the World Champions...and they FINALLY tied BOS for most championships.
It is quite the accomplishment.
Being the WC's allows you the luxury to do just what the OP alluded to - whether we like it or not - especially with the current situation in the country and whatnot.
Even "IF" say LeBron and AD sit out the first few weeks LAL would NOT finish that much below 500 during that time - and would be able to ramp up within a few weeks once they returned.
I just don't see it as a bad thing.
And LeBron James is STILL hungry - and after FINALLY getting his 4th I have no doubt that he is setting his sights on Michael Jordan's 6 rings and could very well achieve this.
From a BOS's fan perspective? This is just TERRIBLE.
From a BOS fan that ALSO admires LeBron James the LEADER? Especially on Social Justice issues? I applaud him for it.
A part of me was actually CHEERING LeBron James for getting his 4th but also cheering AGAINST him for what it entailed for BOS.
Let whomever chooses sit out....there is nothing we can do about it except gripe...and hope perhaps that they come back too rusty or too drunk with success that they can't ramp up in time for the playoffs next season. One can only hope.
But make no mistake about it LeBron James is cementing his argument for the Greatest of All Time - right up there with Russell, Michael, Kareem and Co. Let him get his time off if he chooses.
The reality is the Lakers are the greatest franchise in the sport's history, have been for awhile, and that should have no bearing on your Celtics fandom at all. The only reason to really care if the Lakers win one is because it means Boston isn't winning one. I mean the Montreal Canadiens have won 24 NHL titles, yet they haven't won one since 1993. To anyone under say like 40, the Canadiens basically don't matter at all, which sadly not a whole lot different with the C's because they've won just 1 title since 1986.
I mean seriously, before the recent 6 year string, the Lakers missed the playoffs just 5 times in their entire history. They've won 17 titles and finished 2nd 15 times. While we like to think of 2nd place as 1st loser, it is still pretty hard to make the finals. The 10 years between Finals appearances they just had, is the longest drought in the franchise's history. Bill Russell was the greatest winner the sport has seen, but since he retired in 1969 Boston has just 6 titles and 3 runner-ups. The Lakers have 12 titles and 7 runner-ups in that same span. To anyone outside of Celtics fans, the Lakers have been the sports best franchise for a long time. Boston can certainly take that mantle back if it puts together a nice decade behind Tatum where it wins multiple titles (and the Lakers don't). But again, outside of the joy of winning the title, who cares. It makes no difference at all, which franchise is the sports best because you don't hang banners for that.