When the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office mapped out the blueprint for their new-look roster heading into the 2018 season, they focused on creating a veteran bench spearheaded by Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley, and JaVale McGee. The group was originally given the unfortunate nickname of the "Meme Team," based on the previous follies throughout their careers.
However, as they embark on this new chapter with LeBron James in their corner, this veteran crew is looking for a rebrand. On Monday, Stephenson shared a photo of himself with Rondo, Beasley, and McGee from the team’s Media Day on Instagram with the caption," Name this unit?"
There were plenty of jokes sprinkled into Stephenson's comments, but there was one suggestion that could very well stick. Yahoo! Sportspointed out that LeBron James thought they should go as "MUD," an acronym for "Misunderstood. Under-appreciated. Determined."
This may...work. It's hard to not look at each one of those four players, and think they have always been misunderstood throughout their respective careers. As bench players, they may never get the shine that they truly deserve, which could make them under-appreciated all season long. With LeBron at the helm, they have to be determined to make a deep run at a title this season.
