Cleveland Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers may essentially control the name, but it would also work for the Cleveland Indians.
Geographically, the name makes sense. Cleveland sits along the shores of Lake Erie, one of the key ports in the Great Lakes. This works with the original concept of the team name, as the basketball franchise was originally based in Minneapolis, Minnesota – the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The Lakers are also a name that is synonymous with success. The franchise has 16 NBA championships, and holds the record for most wins and highest winning percentage in league history. For a city like Cleveland, which has had its share of struggles over the years in regards to finding success, maybe a name change will make a difference.
It certainly could not hurt. The Indians have just two World Series titles in franchise history, coming in 1920 and 1948. They have been close, falling in seven games in 1997 and again in 2016, but have not been able to bring back that elusive championship. Maybe a name change will help.
The Cleveland Lakers may take some getting used to, but it could be a good change for the Cleveland Indians.