Not everyone has been on board with the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent signing of big man Christian Wood. Yes, he’s a proven scorer and 3-point shooter, the naysayers assert, but he is a woefully poor defender who has a self-entitlement problem and a big ego.
It is somewhat of a low-risk, medium or high-reward move by the Lakers. If he doesn’t work out, they don’t necessarily need him to contend for the NBA championship this season. But if he plays and behaves well, he could significantly bolster their chances of winning it all.
Buy Lakers TicketsOne thing that is undeniable is that Wood seems very happy, if not excited, to be with the Lakers, a team he says he was been watching since childhood.
“Life-long dream come true… it’s amazing to be here, and the atmosphere in the gym is great.” Christian Wood expresses what it means to play for his hometown team. pic.twitter.com/KocsV0V9Cq
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 22, 2023
Wood is a Southland product. He was born in Long Beach and went to Los Alamitos High School as a freshman before relocating to Palmdale and then Clark County, Nev.
He also mentioned that Lakers coach Darvin Ham, with whom he had a previous relationship dating back to his short tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks where Ham was an assistant, called him every day during free agency. When asked how he would fit with Anthony Davis, Wood even said that Davis has always been his favorite player to watch.
The 6-foot-9, soon-to-be 28-year-old has an immense opportunity to not only succeed with the Lakers but to also reverse the negative reputation he has developed over the last few years.
