Trey Jemison III has been on four NBA teams in his relatively short career, and nothing compares to his experience with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jemison labeled the Lakers an elite organization, and he’s loved his time with them more than any of his three previous teams.
“I’m not saying this because I’m here and they pay me every 15 days. It’s elite. From the coaching staff to the chefs to the treatment, it’s elite. I’ve been with the Wizards, I’ve been with the Grizzlies, I’ve been with the Pelicans. They’re all great organizations. It’s a different level of basketball here and they expect that from you. They give us everything we need and then some. I love it, man.”
The allure of playing for the Lakers with their rich history is great enough, and these comments from Jemison make them an even more attractive landing spot. They have always had a reputation of taking great care of their stars, but it appears that treatment extends to fringe rotation players, too.
The Lakers signed Jemison to a two-way deal on Jan. 15, 2025, and for him to speak so glowingly of the organization is a great look for them. The top brass has come under fire a lot in recent years for one reason or another, and they deserve a pat on the back when they do something right.
The decision to sign Jemison has been a solid one, too. The 25-year-old is part of a pretty good Lakers reserve unit, and after the 106-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, he spoke about the bench’s identity.
“If you want this win, you have to come fight us,” Jemison said. “Literally fight us.”
Jemison played a season-high 22 minutes against the Clippers and recorded five points (2-3 FG), six rebounds, and one block. The Lakers need him to step up from time to time due to the injuries and the departure of Anthony Davis, and he’s done a decent job of that thus far.
Jemison, who went undrafted in 2023, will be hoping he’s shown enough to the point that the Lakers decide to keep him around for a while. The big man has bounced around a fair bit, as mentioned earlier, having played for the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans. He would want a permanent home, and there’s no better place to be than with the Lakers.
The Lakers are also being rewarded on the court for taking such great care of their players. The team is currently on a five-game winning streak and sports an excellent 37-21 record on the season.
The Lakers have now climbed up to third in the West and are looking like one of the best teams in the conference. You still wouldn’t back them to win it all just yet, but they’re going to give teams plenty of headaches in the postseason.
Jemison and the Lakers will be in action next against the Clippers again at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday at 9:30 PM ET. Another triumph there would mean the Lakers would have won the season series in back-to-back campaigns.
