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Max Kellerman believes the Los Angeles Lakers are about to face something that they haven’t faced in decades: a proper challenge to their status as the NBA’s premier franchise.
Speaking on the Game Over podcast with Rich Paul, Kellerman argued that the basketball landscape is shifting, with the New York Knicks emerging as the NBA’s top brand after winning the 2026 NBA championship. The Lakers are also facing increased competition from their own city’s professional teams.
“New York is a ball-obsessed market and is the best team in basketball right now. And how New York and LA could actually switch identities, where New York takes over the basketball brand, and LA, with the Dodgers, takes over the baseball brand because the Dodgers are the best team in baseball year in and year out.”
“But it occurs to me, yes, that’s the thing. They’re the best team in baseball. That doesn’t mean you win the World Series every year, but it means every year you have better odds than anyone else. They just beat up the Yankees in a series, by the way. The Yankees won the last game of the series, the second half of a doubleheader, the back end of a doubleheader, by one run. Okay, like the Dodgers are doing their thing.’
“The Rams get Myles Garrett, and they’re talking about Aaron Donald coming out of retirement. I mean, the Lakers not only have the external threat from the Knicks, they have an internal threat in LA itself, in the market itself, where they could become the number three brand in the market if the Dodgers continue this and the Rams.”
For decades, the Lakers were the gold standard of the NBA. Between Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, the franchise has been blessed with some of the biggest stars in the game, and it has kept winning across decades.
But Kellerman thinks that grip is now loosening.
The Knicks just won their first title in over 50 years, and one of the sleeping giants of the NBA has risen to the top of the basketball world. New York has always been the NBA’s biggest market, and now it has the league’s best team.
That combination raises the question of whether the Knicks are now surpassing the Lakers as the NBA’s premier brand.
Kellerman also pointed out that the Lakers are facing competition much closer to home.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have become baseball’s model franchise. Fresh off back-to-back World Series wins, they have the most talented roster in Major League Baseball, and they enter every season as the favorites to win it all.
Then there are the Los Angeles Rams, who once again became prime Super Bowl contenders after pulling off a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett. Reports also suggest that Aaron Donald could come back from retirement, which could give the Rams the most dominant defense in the NFL.
But Rich Paul pointed out that Kellerman is only seeing it from a fan’s perspective, as he argued that the Lakers still occupy a unique place in sports and business.
“But one thing, you’re looking at it strictly from a fan perspective. A Laker game, for me personally, when I look at it, it’s not just about basketball. When I go to a Laker game, it’s business. Basketball, yes, but business for a lot of reasons. Like, what person flies into town, you have a meeting, okay, tonight come in, we’ll do an early dinner, and then we’re going to hit a game. Or come in at night, come in midday, we’ll catch a game that night, get up in the morning, we’ll meet.”
Kellerman argued that basketball is a better environment because NBA arenas are in the heart of cities and provide a closer setting than football or baseball stadiums.
But he thinks the Lakers no longer enjoy the overwhelming advantage they once did.
The Clippers, he noted, are not a concern. Despite recent success, they are still far behind the Lakers in terms of history, championships, and global reach.
But the challenge comes from the franchises that are winning year after year.
The Dodgers have become baseball’s dominant franchise. The Rams are ready for another Super Bowl run. And the Knicks have finally climbed back to the top of the mountain after a long championship drought.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are in a transition period following the departure of LeBron James. Luka Doncic is now the face of the team, with Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler forming the core around him. While the Lakers believe they have a talented roster, there are still questions about the team, and they are nowhere near the top teams in the West.
Whether Max Kellerman’s prediction proves to be accurate remains to be seen, but his point is quite clear. The Lakers remain one of the biggest sports teams in the world, but for the first time in years, their place on top of the NBA and maybe even in Los Angeles is no longer guaranteed.
