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 year after, playing partly in the AHL, but kept his rookie eligibility going into 2021/22, scoring 61 Points, made the All-Rookie Team, and was 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, but last season saw him play in only 31 Games with a disappointing 15 Points due to injuries.  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

Gambling sponsorship for sports teams based outside the UK might have different consequences than for the British ones. As it is fairly pointed out in this CasinoGap article, gambling on betting sites outside the UK is a thing. So, as the Lakers are a non-UK basketball club based in Los Angeles, getting a betting sponsorship for them might be advantageous. Let’s analyse some of the potential benefits Lakers could get from it.

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!

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the fourth year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic winning the first two, and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers winning last year.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten:

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 89 Cup Points, 20 Games, 4.45 Cup Points per Game, 29.0, PPG, 12.8 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 34.2 PER, 4.6 WS.  Last Week, #1.

Remaining at the top is Nikola Jokic, who is now an NBA Champion and Finals MVP.  At present, the Joker is leading the NBA in Rebounds per Game (12.8), Points (578(, Triple-Doubles (8), Field Goals (227), PER (34.2), Win Shares (4.6), Box Plus/Minus (15.6) and VORP (3.0).  Right now, he is the best player in Basketball, and that is not in dispute (despite what Kendrick Perkins might think).

2. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 77 Cup Points:  18 Games, 4.28 Cup Points per Game, 29.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 23.2 PER, 2.2 WS. Last Week #6

The Warriors are an aging team, but Father Time has not yet found Curry, who is the best beyond-the-arc shooter of all-time.  He is seventh in PPG (29.1) and is leading the league in 3-Point Field Goals (91), but the pieces around him are falling apart.

3. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, 74 Cup Points:  18 Games, 4.11 Cup Points Per Game, 31.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 25.2 PER, 2.6 WS.  Last Week #2.

Durant remains a superstar and when he is healthy, he is among the best in the world.  KD is chasing another title and MVP with the Suns, and he is having one of his best starts in recent years.  At present, Durant is second in scoring (31.0) has not averaged over 30 Points per Game since the 2013/14 Season, but is over that right now.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 73 Cup Points:  18 Games, 4.06 Cup Points Per Game, 29.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 30.3 PER, 3.8 WS.  Last Week #3.

Gilgeous-Alexander broke through to the upper-tier last season, and he is proving that this was no fluke.  He is leading the NBA in Steals per Game (2.4) and Free Throw Percentage (.939) is third in PER (30.3) and sixth in Points (29.9).  The Canadian is now an MVP contender.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 71 Cup Points:  19 Games, 3.74 Cup Points per Game, 29.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 28.5 PER, 2.7 WS.

The two-time MVP has never had a better supporting cast than he does now, and he is responding by doing what he always does: dominate.  Antetokounmpo, however has slightly less metrics than previous years, but the arrival of Damian Lillard means he does not have to always carry the load.  This will cost him a Cup Point or two but the selfless European is totally fine with that.

6. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 69 Cup Points:  18 Games, 3.83 Cup Points per Game, 31.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 27.1 PER, 2.6 WS.  Last Week #5.

Doncic is on a four-year streak of First Team All-NBA stars, and he is on pace to add a fifth.  Hs is second on Points per Game (31.4), fifth in Assists (8.4), and is in the top ten in PER (27.1), Box Plus/Minus (8.7), VORP (1.8) and Win Shares (2.6).

7. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 68 Cup Points:  19 Games, 3.58 Cup Points per Game, 27.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 21.4 PER, 2.5 WS.  Last Week #6.

Tatum begins the year the way he ended the last one: an MVP contender on a power team.  He has already a nabbed a Player of the Week Award, is seventh in PPG (27.4) and is poised to take the Celtics on his back to a title.

8. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 67 Cup Points, 16 Games, 4.07 Cup Points per Game, 32.0, PPG, 11.3 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 32.1 PER, 3.2 WS.  Last Week #3

Embiid is the reigning MVP, NIHOF Cup Winner, and two-time scoring champion, and he is currently leading the NBA in scoring again (32.0).  The 76er is also first in Usage Percentage (36.0), and is second in PER (32.1), and is in the top ten in Rebounds and Blocks per Game.  Embiid has missed the last few games, costing him Cup Points.

9. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, 66 Cup Points:  20 Games, 3.30 Cup Points per Game, 24.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 23.7 PER, 2.1 WS.

James set the all-time scoring record last year, and he continues to defy time by playing at an elite level. 

10. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, 64 Cup Points:  19 Games, 3.64 Cup Points per Game, 22.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 19.1 PER, 2.1 WS.

Towns took over for Anthony Edwards in the top ten and if he stays healthy should remain here.

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Sacramento’s Damontas Sabonis fell off the top ten.

Our next update will be up on next Monday.

The Hall of Fame season continues with the Baseball Hall’s announcement that Jim Leyland has been named to the Hall via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Managers/Executives/Umpires.   The former Manager received 15 of 16 voted for the ballot, making him the only person selected from this group.

Leyland is a three-time Manager of the Year (1990, 1992 & 2006), and led the Florida Marlins to their improbable 1997 World Series title.  With a career record of 1,769-1,728 and helmed the United States to victory in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Missing out was Lou Piniella who received 11 votes and Bill White who had 10.  Also on the ballot were Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Ed Montague, Hank Peters and Joe West.

We here at Notinhllloffame.com would like to congratulate Jim Leyland for his impending honor.