SINCE LEBRON JAMES arrived in Los Angeles in the summer of 2018, he has been in charge of metaphorically tipping off the Lakers' season.
James' voluntary, team-bonding minicamps -- in Las Vegas for several years before shifting to San Diego -- have given players a chance to break a sweat during the day and break bread at night before training camp officially opens.
That changed this season. With James and Anthony Davis spending their summer with Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the minicamp was scratched to give the co-captains a break before the season.