Ring nights are notoriously tricky for the defending champions, an emotional event that often tends to overshadow the basketball game at hand.
The last time the Lakers received their championship rings, even in an empty building, they found themselves down 20 points on opening night in the blink of an eye, ultimately losing to the Clippers.
In the grand scheme of things, being the defending champ is more satisfying than collecting one regular-season victory. But in order to actually defend that title, or mount a championship chase of your own, the win matters more. That’s the mindset Juan Toscano-Anderson has going into opening night.