New Lakers Team Not Just About LeBron James, Michael Beasley Says

New Los Angeles Lakers signing Michael Beasley believes his new team is more than just LeBron James as they embark on a new era.

The Lakers were gearing up for a change in fortunes this summer as they looked to create a new super team capable of challenging the Golden State Warriors. The initial plan was to sign James and add Los Angeles natives Kawhi Leonard and Paul George into the fold as well.

However, it would solely be James on a four-year deal with a bunch of veteran signings that immediately followed as the Lakers would go on to sign the likes of Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee on one-year deals.

Beasley, a former teammate of James, was the latest addition after signing a one-year deal as a free agent on Monday as team president Magic Johnson continued to add championship-caliber veterans to go hand-in-hand with the Akron native and the young core of players already present at the franchise.

Despite what will be a completely new team compared to the one that finished the regular season with a 35-47 record in the 2017/18 season, Beasley believes all the new signings will come together, even warning teams not to underestimate them as being just a James-led team.

"I think it is going to come together like a basketball team," Beasley said on a conference call about how the new Lakers signings will gel with each other, according to ESPN. "You got [14] guys other than LeBron James that know how to play basketball, and I think you got 29 teams that [are] overlooking the fact that they know how to play basketball."

Beasley also hit out at the narrative that there were now too many personalities and characters in the Lakers' locker room as he believes team chemistry will not be a problem whatsoever.

"For there to even be a narrative of the personalities in this room is judgment enough for me, and I don't want to be a part of that," Beasley explained. "You being a critic doing your job, [if] everybody do their job and stop judging a lot of players -- me mainly -- you will figure out that guys like me, Nick Young, JR Smith and Lance Stephenson and guys like that know how to play basketball and win basketball games, know how to get along with others. It is nothing to do with my maturity."

Beasley averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 rebounds for the New York Knicks last season and is ready to play any role required of him to help the Lakers enter the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and potentially win a 17th championship.

"Just be myself," Beasley added regarding what the Lakers expect of him. "I come in here and try to help the young guys and put the ball in the basket. Use my abilities. Don't be shy about being myself."