The L.A. Lakers have traded their share of barbs towards the Miami HEAT. Lakers' coach Phil Jackson dubbed the NBA, as the "No Boys Allowed" league, after hearing of tears in the HEAT locker room.
The Lakers come into tonight matchup against the Miami HEAT sporting an eight-game winning streak and a re-focused commitment to defense that has returned the Lakers to where they want to be - a half-game behind Dallas for second place in the West.
The Lakers are the most tested team in the NBA these days, so it's no wonder that their thoughts on the HEAT and their struggles ring the truest of any voice on the subject.
"It takes a little adjusting, I guess," Lakers' star Kobe Bryant said to Howard Beck of The New York Times. "I don't know, I'm still trying to kill people."
"I think the difference between us," Bryant said, "is that we all know what our roles are. Everything's cemented for us. I think for them, they're still trying to figure that out, so it makes it a little tougher."
"They don't know how each other are going to respond to it," Bryant said. "I've been around Pau for years — I know how he's going to respond in certain situations. I know how Ron's going to respond. I know how Lamar's going to respond. So we know each other extremely well, so we know how to support each other in those situations."
Lakers point guard Derek Fisher points to his team's belief in each other as a core reason the Lakers have not fractured under adversity and a lot of time together.
"Faith is remaining certain in the face of doubt," Fisher said. "You're not sure how it's going to end. But you're constantly of the belief that it will end the way you want it to, and the way you always believed would end — and that's on top."
"It's taken years for us to develop the abilities to face whatever storms come our way and just push right through it," Fisher said.
Lakers' coach Phil Jackson also believes the negativity surrounding the HEAT adds to the struggle the team faces.
"I've always said that one of the reasons why the Bulls were very successful and the Lakers also is they engendered good feelings," Jackson said. "People were rooting for them and wanted to see them be successful. And I think from what I've heard, this team feels like they're being looked at to lose."
"Nationally, if that's the case, it's a burden to carry."
The Lakers and HEAT get underway in Miami at 7:00pm EST.
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