Role Players Drawing Notice

One major aspect of the execution in the aforementioned example is whether folks such as Green, Kuzma and McGee can do their little things to lift James and Davis to be their maximum selves. When James and Davis share the ball, as should happen frequently after Davis’ leap forward in that area last season, the complimentary players also need to come through when they do get the ball to score.

They likewise need to be happy on those many occasions when they don’t get the ball to score—and stay dedicated to the greater good of the team.

If all that happens, and if the team consequently wins big, role players will indeed get their share of the shine. Players who have contributed to all recent Lakers championships remain revered, and fans can recall the acting career of Rick Fox or the engagement of Sasha Vujacic or the reality shows of Lamar Odom became part of the Lakers’ plot.

Who knows what that is in store for certain lesser-known guys on this roster if this team puts it all together, but credit will go in plenty of directions. Everyone from G League product Alex Caruso to journeyman Jared Dudley will be rebranded with a winning stamp. Maybe Kuzma becomes an All-Star; maybe Green becomes the next Robert Horry.

In fact, the only players in league history to have won NBA titles with three different clubs are Horry and John Salley, who both used the Lakers as vehicles to get there. Salley barely played for the 1996 Bulls and 2000 Lakers, yet he still parlayed that into a post-basketball career in the entertainment arena.

Green is trying to reign again with the Lakers after already doing it with the Raptors last season and the Spurs in 2014 (and at the University of North Carolina in ’09). But even Horry never won consecutive championships with different NBA teams.

Green stands in position to establish himself as a truly legendary role player in basketball history. For all that has been said about Kuzma ascending from the 27th overall pick, consider this: Green was the 46th overall pick.

Perhaps there will be pressure on him to meet expectations as a proven winner now as opposed to an underdog?

Well, what if he meets those expectations?

When great expectations are met, great respect is earned.