From Long Island by way of Boston University, Defenseman Charlie McAvoy did not have to travel far to join the team that drafted him, the Boston Bruins, who used their 14^th Overall Pick in 2017.

McAvoy had a very good start to his professional career, finishing fifth in Calder voting off of a 32 Point year.  The physical blueliner wasted no time proving that he was the team’s top Defenseman, and in 2019/20, he began a three-year streak of top ten Norris finishes, with a fourth-place tally and a Second Team All-Star in 2021/22.  Going into this season, McAvoy had a three-year run of at least 45 Point years (2021-22 to 2023-24), and is very much in his prime.

We could have a top 20 Bruin in Charlie McAvoy.

A ten-year veteran and a Stanley Cup Champion with Tampa Bay Lightning the year before he signed a three-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks, Kevin Shattenkirk brought the Ducks exactly what they signed him for, veteran leadership and defensive depth.

In the three seasons he played in SoCal, Shattenkirk scored 77 Points, with his best being the second year, where he had 35 Points.  He left for the Boston Bruins in 2023.

Trevor Zegras starred in the United States Junior Hockey League, so much so that he was a top ten pick in the 2019 Draft.  Rather than join the team that drafted him, Anaheim, the Center honored a commitment to Boston University, where, as a freshman, he was the third highest scorer in the NCAA.  Zegras joined Anaheim the following year, playing part of the season in the AHL. Still, they kept his rookie eligibility going into 2021/22, scoring 61 Points, making the All-Rookie Team, and being the Calder Trophy runner-up to Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprisov.

In 2022-23, Zegras scored 65 Points and appeared to be a potential perennial All-Star. However, last season saw him play in only 31 games, scoring 15 Points due to injuries, and in 57 games, he scored only 32 points.  As he is still very young, Zegras can easily bounce back and has a shot to make this list's stratosphere.

A partnership between the Los Angeles Lakers and gambling operators certainly comes with a few advantages that include more funds and better entertainment.

The Lakers are among the best and the most successful teams in the NBA. They have cooperated with countless, well-known brands in history. These include Toyota, Adidas, Verizon, and many more. An interesting fact you probably know is that these sponsorships brought some of the biggest payments to the club. 

There is no need to add that the new sponsorship with the operators from the gambling industry will be more than just beneficial and appealing to the team and the fans. These benefits are impressive and should boost the popularity of the Lakers and the gambling industry.

What Advantages Gambling Sponsorship Has for Lakers BC

It Is Safer Than You May Think

The sponsorship we have here is safer and less confusing if you think like this. Many gambling operators have been sponsoring football and NBA teams over the years. Even when they didn’t do this, the growth of gambling in the United States, UK, and other parts of the world was on the incline. The point here is simple. People will always want to gamble and bet. A simple or one sponsorship will not affect that. There is no need to add that there have been countless examples that prove the claim.

There are, however, opponents of this idea who think that it would be better for the Lakers to support self-exclusion programs instead. Even if you are against betting sponsorships, keep in mind that a person who wants to gamble will do it regardless of the brand he or she sees on the Laker’s shirt. If we also add that gambling and basketball have been two of the most popular forms of entertainment in the United States, you can deduce the obvious. The growth is imminent and there is no way you can affect it. Even if Lakers sign up for a sponsorship with Toyota most people will still gamble and place bets on the Lakers and win.

More Funds Equals Better Team

There is no other way to say this. The new sponsorship will have a huge, positive effect on the funds or the budget the team has. This will translate to countless advantages for the team itself. For instance, the Lakers can hire better training, and better players and invest more in training and so much more. All of this means one thing. Sponsorship has a huge role in making the team stronger and more successful. 

All of this makes the magical circle. A better team will generate more money hence they can develop better strategy and more professional players. Although this is interesting because the Lakers are at stake, the same options and the same advantages have been seen through the sports realm. We can see the same things happening in football, baseball, and many other sports all across the world.

As we have seen above, this is the case with all sports and all teams. Many of them cannot afford to choose a sponsor dramatically. They can only accept the offer they have and go with it. Yes, the Lakers have many sponsors and they are one of the best and the most valuable teams in the NBA but they still have to play by the rules and they are no exception in this case scenario. 

Now you can tell that there are a few downsides and that this sponsorship is not perfect. Nothing is and this is the cost Lakers have to pay for being one of the best teams on the court. We can see that these sponsorships have been linked with many negative insights and opinions by the fans. But, it is something that comes with more advantages and benefits than downsides. 

Players Get Better Entertainment

Here we can see that players or bettors will get certain benefits as well. The gambling operator who sponsors the team will offer additional bonuses, more options and also news, interesting facts, and more. For lack of a better word, all the fans will have better entertainment at their disposal at any given money.

All of this affects bettors mostly but not completely. Ordinary fans who just want more fun can benefit from this deal as well. They can enjoy more, have a better time and they can support the Lakers more. Individual and separate endorsements have been a huge deal these days and we believe they will remain active and possible. 

The Final Word

The new sponsorship between the Lakers and a gambling operator is nothing new and not a bad thing. It has been present in the realm of sport for a long time and is something we can see becoming more and more popular. It could be something that the team and each of the basketball players benefit from.  Being able to get the best results every single time does cost and impressive competition makes finding the resources to become the best difficult. They need every single opportunity they need and they can’t make exceptions. Even the Lakers can’t!