I created Laker Film Room with a simple mission statement: I was going to dedicate myself to helping Lakers fans experience the team and the game of basketball on a deeper level.

Three years and two superstar players later, I am doubling down on this pursuit by challenging myself to dive even further into the sport I love. Thankfully, The Athletic has given me an incredible opportunity to do that each week — twice a week — by covering not only the Lakers but also the entire NBA through a similar lens.

Watching film is a great way to learn more about the Lakers and the NBA as a whole, and that will remain the foundation of my research. But while these articles will certainly contain GIFs and other instructive visuals, there are other ways to demonstrate the beautiful nuances of the game.

During my time making Lakers videos, I’ve learned that analyzing data, constructing arguments and exploring the theoretical aspects of what the Lakers could do in the future is more constructively explained via the written word. In a perfect world of basketball analysis, the ideal path to understanding the game is by combining film study with data research and analysis, as well as an exploration of the often-forgotten human elements.

The goal of my Lakers articles for The Athletic is to provide a different avenue that leads to the same destination of helping you experience the Lakers — and the game of basketball — on a different level.

As for my general NBA pieces, my mind is bursting with the possibilities of what they will be. What will I see when I’m studying a player or a team as more of an impartial observer than I am with the Lakers? What do 500 Trae Young pick-and-rolls look like? How does Erik Spoelstra manage to have such a well-disciplined defense every season? Why was I wrong about Brandon Ingram even though I watched a zillion hours of film on him?

The possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to explore them.

For years, the Lakers struggled, and I felt banished to the barren desert of bad basketball. That might be changing thanks to a reimagined Lakers roster, but I’ve jealously watched from afar over the last several seasons as we’ve witnessed the rise and fall of the Golden State Warriors and the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Pascal Siakam and others. Now I want in.

The NBA has never been better than it is right now, so let’s celebrate it together on The Athletic. Whether it’s a well-executed ATO or a perfect pocket pass or an iced screen or a fun interaction between teammates that you may have missed the first time, no small detail will go unnoticed or unappreciated.

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Top photo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis: Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images