It's June 2025. Lebron James and Luka Doncic have just dethroned the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Lebron has averaged 30, seven and seven. Doncic scores 25, puts up three triple doubles and hits the game winner at the buzzer to seal what might be James' final NBA title.
And then ... Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka is forced to blow up the whole thing. Lebron goes. So do a number of key role players. The locker room is, more or less, barren. The Lakers have to overpay to rebuild, and bring in a handful of agreeable yet inferior replacements. They start the next season slowly, and watch as their title defense falls apart within a month.
Sound far-fetched?
That is more or less what has happened to the LA Galaxy this season. They were excellent last year. And despite the fact that Inter Miami set a new MLS points record, it was the Los Angeles side who were most well-balanced, and best positioned to win. That proved to be the case, Greg Vanney's side comfortably navigating the playoffs and winning their first MLS Cup in 10 years.
But rather than be rewarded for their success, the Galaxy have had to restructure their roster, trade away key pieces, and are struggling as a result - winless through five games, minus-six goal differential, sitting 14th in the Western Conference. Indeed, their shortcomings this year can be partially attributed to a restrictive system, one that has not only dampened one club's title defense but also speaks to a larger problem of continuity within the league that perhaps limits its global appeal.
