For Ziaire Williams, signing with the Lakers was even more significant compared to most of the team’s offseason additions. 

Williams, the 25-year-old forward the Lakers signed to a veteran’s minimum contract after playing for the Grizzlies (2021-24) and Nets (2024-26), was born about 60 miles north of Los Angeles in Lancaster. 

He was born just after the second championship of the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal/Kobe Bryant-led three-peat in the early 2000s, and was a kid when Bryant led the franchise to two more championships in 2009 and ‘10. 

Williams went to high school at Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks before transferring to Sierra Canyon for his senior year, playing alongside his now Lakers teammate Bronny James.

He referred to joining the Lakers as a “full circle” moment.

“It’s a blessing, man,” Williams said. “I remember being six years old in a YMCA Junior Lakers jersey in Lancaster. Just growing up and seeing the LA culture, watching the the championship parades on the street. It’s purple and gold everywhere, man. My family bleeds purple and gold, so just to be able to throw the jersey on and be able to play on the biggest stage of the world is a blessing for sure.”

Williams isn’t alone one of the Lakers’ new additions who grew up loving the franchise. 

Collin Sexton, the veteran guard the Lakers signed to a two-year deal (player option for 2027-28), said during the Lakers Monday media day that he “grew up loving Kobe Bryant”.

Walking into the Lakers’ practice facility brought back memories for Sexton, who reflected on watching the team’s games when he was a little kid, but also talking with fans of the franchise since joining the team this summer. 

“You can tell they love their team,” Sexton said. “I’m super excited to be here and just thankful to be a part of the organization. I can remember my first basketball recreation [team], I was playing for the Lakers jersey, number 10, so that’s why I also chose number 10. So I got to pull that picture up somewhere so you guys can see that.”

Sexton and Williams are among the nine new players the Lakers added during the offseason to complement star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Walker Kessler, the franchise’s marquee offseason addition, got a taste of how far the Lakers’ reach is while the team was in Slovenia for the Doncic-sponsored mini camp.

“The amount of Lakers fans, and obviously Luka fans, but just Lakers jerseys and kids and adults, just everyone just being so excited to see the Lakers, I mean, it’s one of the biggest brands in all of sports internationally,” Kessler said. “With the fan base and everyone loves the Lakers and wants them to succeed.”

Kessler felt the Lakers historic significance when he got a firsthand look at the Lakers’ 17 NBA championship banners hanging in their El Segundo practice facility.

“That can be looked at as pressure, so to speak,” he added. “But I think it’s more of an opportunity to play for a historic franchise, to play for a franchise that has done. I mean, you can look to your left [gestures to championship trophies] and see it, I mean, it’s insane. To play for a history like this, I don’t really feel pressure. I just feel grateful, grateful for this opportunity and grateful to play for this franchise.”

Quentin Grimes, who’s already played for the 76ers and Knicks, as well as the Pistons and Mavericks, is well aware of the pressure that comes with playing for an NBA team in a big market like Los Angeles.

“L.A. is a different beast,” Grimes said. “It’s one of the, if not the most coveted sports team basketball-wise in the country for sure, one of the most prestigious ones as well. Everybody knows the Lakers. You go anywhere around the world and everybody knows that Lakers logo, everybody’s heard of the Lakers. But like I said, it’s one of the top markets in the world in general, sports aside. So you just gotta not worry about if you get good praise, bad praise. 

“At the end of the day, I’m here to play basketball, and I’m here to handle business every single day. So you can’t get caught up in external noise because you got our team, that’s the only noise we’re really worried about. So that’s the only thing you got to worry about. Just keep the main thing the main thing and everything will be alright. 

For Matisse Thybulle, another wing the Lakers signed to a one-year deal, is looking forward to experiencing what it’s like to play for the NBA’s marquee franchises. 

“Just as an NBA player, it’s just widely accepted that it’s a big deal to play for the Lakers,” Thybulle said. “And for me, not having yet done that, just being able to put the jersey on and take some photos, I don’t think it’s fully settled in. But I look forward to the first game and just to get this season going and see what that support really feels like from a local and global standpoint.”