Lakers News: Bill Simmons Claims LA Core is Cooked in Expletive-Laden Rant

The Ringer's CEO weighs in on the aging club's outlook in a young Western Conference.

Apr 12, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Jordan Goodwin (4) drives to the basket between Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

During the latest episode of his essential The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer's head honcho Bill Simmons unloaded on the Los Angeles Lakers, one of his favorite past times, while chatting with colleague Kevin O'Connor.

L.A. just got booted from the postseason in a five-game first round defeat by the Denver Nuggets, who themselves didn't survive the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. In response, the team canned head coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons.

Strange starting lineup decisions aside, the coach was not the issue. It's the team's rapidly aging core, comprising 39-year-old All-Star forward LeBron James (the league's oldest active player) and 31-year-old All-Star center Anthony Davis, and not enough money to fund the kind of young, athletic two-way supporting cast the team will need to compete with the youth movement in the conference.

"The Lakers are f---ing done."@BillSimmons went OFF explaining why it ultimately doesn't matter who the Lakers hire as their next head coach: pic.twitter.com/2BiNwWjasB

— The Ringer (@ringer) May 22, 2024

"The Lakers are f---ing done, put a fork in them," Simmons said. "It's over. They're in the same conference as Minnesota, Dallas, OKC, and Wembanyama. Buh-bye, you guys are done. If you're not one of those four teams in the West, it's a wrap. They might as well hire Linda Rambis as the head coach, they're gonna do nothing. Hire a f---ing actor. Hire Jon Hamm. They should hire JJ Redick."

Note that Simmons somehow opts not to mention the most recent champions, the Denver Nuggets, fresh off barely losing in seven games to the Timberwolves.

"Hire Jack Nicholson's son, it's not gonna f---ing matter," Simmons opined. "They'll be lucky to be like a seventh seed. It's ridiculous. 'Oh, this is AD's team now.' It's like, 'Cool. AD, welcome to the play-in again, 'cause that's where you're headed.'"

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