The Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason schedule has LeBron James taking to social media to question why his squad must travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks Thursday.
“Can someone please explain to me why we’re getting on a [plane emoji] and heading to Milwaukee for 1 pre-season game!?!?” James posted on X Wednesday.
The Lakers will fly 1,750 miles to Milwaukee to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks at 8 p.m. ET. And while this may look normal to NBA fans, James and the Lakers may not agree with the scheduling considering none of their games are at home.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts after scoring on a fast break layup against the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena March 18, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The reason for that is Crypto.com Arena is undergoing renovations, according to ESPN.
The Lakers’ “home” preseason games on the schedule against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns were played in Palm Desert, California, a two-hour bus ride from the team’s training center.
After Milwaukee, the Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors twice and the Suns once more. James is questioning why they have to travel to the Midwest for the preseason when they could play an opponent much closer to home.
And he’s not the only critic who thinks the preseason schedule is a bit over the top.
“Not an ideal preseason for us,” JJ Redick, the Lakers’ first-year head coach, said Tuesday via ESPN.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif., Sept. 30, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
It’s worth noting that, while the league is responsible for putting together the regular-season schedule for each team, the preseason is scheduled by each squad. They have up to six games they are allowed to schedule, though there is no minimum.
According to ESPN, the Lakers, who hosted the Bucks in the preseason last year, are returning the favor “as part of a preseason trade-off as a home-and-home series.”
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs April 27, 2024, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Lakers begin the 2024-25 regular season Oct. 22, when they host the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
