LA Lakers Roster, Key Dates and Preseason Schedule for 2021-22 NBA Season

The LA Lakers are entering the 2021-22 NBA season as a one-of-a-kind juggernaut. There is only one goal in mind for the Purple and Gold. and that's lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy at the end of the postseason.

LeBron James and co. have assembled a super-team unlike any we have seen before. Their latest addition, Carmelo Anthony admits that it is 'championship or bust' for the LA Lakers.

They are the overwhelming favorites to win the Western Conference. The Lakers have the second-best odds of winning the 2022 NBA championship, behind that of the Brooklyn Nets.

However, for the LA Lakers to be successful in the upcoming season, they have to hope the injury bug doesn't bit them. They are by far the oldest team in the league, so many pundits are ready to dismiss them based on their age, jokingly calling Staples Center a 'retirement home'.

On that note, here's a look at the LA Lakers roster and their key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season.

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LA Lakers roster for the 2021-22 NBA Season

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are teammates for the first time in their 18-year careers [Source: NBA]

The LA Lakers' acquisition of Russell Westbrook was met with mixed reviews. Some analysts focused on his nine All-Star appearances, triple-double seasons and his 2017 MVP award, whereas a few pundits noted his turnovers and lack of shooting as a concern.

Nevertheless, the LA Lakers are certainly going to be fun to watch in the upcoming season. The star power on their roster is simply off the charts, and every game could feel like an All-Star Showtime performance.

Here is the LA Lakers roster for the 2021-22 NBA season:

Player Name:	Position:	Years in NBA:
Russell Westbrook	Guard	13
Wayne Ellington	Guard	12
LeBron James	Forward	18
Anthony Davis	Forward	9
Dwight Howard	Center	17
Carmelo Anthony	Forward	18
Rajon Rondo	Guard	15
Trevor Ariza	Forward	17
Kent Bazemore	Guard	9
Talen Horton-Tucker	Guard	2
DeAndre Jordan	Center	13
Malik Monk	Guard	4
Kendrick Nunn	Guard	2
Austin Reaves (Two-way)	Guard	R
Joel Ayayi (Two-way)	Guard	R

The LA Lakers have 15 roster spots filled up, including two two-way contracts for their rookies (R), Austin Reaves and Joel Ayayi. Mac McClung and Chaundee Brown are also LA Lakers members, but are not on the official roster yet. The duo is likely going to play with the South Bay Lakers, the team's G-League affiliate, in the upcoming season.

As can be seen, the LA Lakers' squad is filled with veterans. There are no rookies in the lineup, except the two players on two-way contracts, who will likely not feature in any postseason game. Many of the LA Lakers players have signed one-year deals, and the 2021-22 NBA season is the one and only chance for many of them.

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Key dates for LA Lakers entering 2021-22 NBA season

Media Day: September 27th, 2021 - Monday.

Training Camp Start Date: September 28th, 2021 - Tuesday.

Season Opener: Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers (October 19th, 2021 - Tuesday, 10:00 PM ET).

The LA Lakers host Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors for their home and season-opener at the Staples Center. The game will air on TNT. The Lakers have 42 nationally televised games in their 82-game schedule, the most among all the teams in the NBA. You can see their schedule breakdown here.

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LA Lakers preseason schedule and dates

With the 2021 NBA Finals ending in July 2021, NBA fans are desperate for any basketball action. Before the regular season kicks off, we can get a glimpse of the upcoming season during the preseason.

Naturally, not many stars feature in these games. So fans of the Purple and Gold are going to wait even longer to see their stars in action because most of them are old, and will opt to rest as much as they can.

Here is the LA Lakers' NBA preseason schedule ahead of the 2021-22 season:

Date and Time:	Match:	TV:
Sunday, 10/3/21, 3:30 PM ET	Brooklyn Nets vs LA Lakers	Spectrum Sportsnet
Wednesday, 10/6/21, 9:00 PM ET	LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns	Spectrum Sportsnet
Friday, 10/8/21, 10:00 PM ET	LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors	Spectrum Sportsnet
Sunday, 10/10/21, 9:30 PM ET	Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers	Spectrum Sportsnet
Tuesday, 10/12/21, 10:30 PM ET	Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers	Spectrum Sportsnet
Thursday, 10/14/21, 10:00 PM ET	LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings	Spectrum Sportsnet

The LA Lakers face the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns twice in their six-day preseason schedule, once home and once away. Their other two games are against the Brooklyn Nets (at home) and the Sacramento Kings (on the road).

Unlike the Golden State Warriors who have five games in their preseason schedule, the LA Lakers will play six matches. The TV broadcast schedule hasn't been officially released from the NBA yet. But we know the timings of the games and the fact that the Lakers' local broadcaster, Spectrum Sportsnet will likely air them.

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