Lakers' new era opens with a thanks for the LeBron James era

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' general manager and president of basketball operations, addresses the media with coach JJ Redick to his right. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)The news conference Thursday began with Lakers president of operations Rob Pelinka saying he wanted to “express gratitude” to LeBron James for the eight years he spent playing for Los Angeles before departing to Philadelphia as a free agent over the summer.It didn’t take long for Pelinka to pivot into