Perhaps one thing that Dorian Finney-Smith looks forward to in his Los Angeles Lakers landing is the prospect of playing alongside LeBron James.
As a premiere wing defender, Finney-Smith has had his fair share of on-court battles and encounters with James since entering the NBA in 2015. And with him joining the Purple and Gold, he is certainly relieved of finally finding himself as an ally and teammate of the Lakers superstar after all these years of their competitive basketball.
Finney-Smith arrived in Los Angeles on Monday and on his first day as a Laker, he didn’t hesitate to immediately engage with James.
Knowing what’s still left in the clock for the future Hall of Famer upon celebrating his 40th birthday today, the veteran forward is now taking every opportunity that he has as a teammate to maximize his time around James.
“I told Bron today, this is probably the most I ever said something to him,” Finney-Smith said. “I’ve been guarding him for nine years, but I’m just not too friendly on the court. So now I just have to pull that shade down and ask him, ‘Give me some of those shoes.’ I can finally ask for some of that gear. We never know when he’s going to hang it up.
“It was fun to be able to ask him for something, knowing I ain’t got to compete against him tomorrow.”
Coming off a three-season run with the Brooklyn Nets, Finney-Smith embraces a newfound opportunity to contend for a title in the Lakers.
After settling in the Nets’ mediocrity and rebuilding situation, the 32-year-old will bring his versatility, defense, and dirty work to the Lakers’ ongoing hunt for a championship. Averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 boards while shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from beyond the arc this season, he is primed to be the team’s swiss army knife and ace defender who will be tasked in guarding the opposing teams’ top players — a role that JJ Redick has admired from the undrafted forward since then.
“It’s fun, man,” Finney-Smith said Monday. “Just the opportunity to play for a championship. Not even just playoffs. In Brooklyn, we were just fighting to get in the playoffs.
“Here, we’re trying to win the championship. So it’s a different approach, different energy, all around.”
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