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Source : NBA.com
A noted historian of the game and a keen observer of trends, World Peace knows that the expectations for he and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers are through the roof. So it should come as no surprise that he also has them pegged for greatness.
He said as much in when he joined the Max and Marcellus Show on ESPN 710 in Los Angeles (these transcribed words courtesy of Chris Fedor of SportsRadioInterviews.com):
What he thinks about the team possibly not having Dwight Howard at the start of Training Camp:
“We definitely want to beat the Bulls record and go 73-9, that’s definitely something that I want to do. Whoever is out there at the beginning of the season then we gotta get it. It’s as simple as that. We just have to go get it. (Host: So that Bulls record is something you’re thinking about?) No question. You try to snatch records before you leave this earth. You gotta try to do a lot of great things so it’s definitely a goal. With Dwight Howard, (Steve) Nash, Kobe (Bryant), myself, Pau (Gasol) and then (Antawn) Jamison and a lot of great additions it’s something that’s possible.”
What it will take for the Lakers to overtake the Thunder:
“I think people still have to go through the Lake Show. I think everything goes through the Lake Show. We had a bad season last year. If we don’t turn the ball over in a couple of games then we’re up 3-1 in that Oklahoma series, actually up 3-2, going back LA so with that said confidence remains.”
What he thinks the Lakers are missing:
“Nothing. We feel great. I saw Jamison today and people forget that he is one of the best offensive rebounders in the game, he has the best touch out of everybody in the NBA, he has the best touch out of all the big men in the game so you figure a guy like that and then we have some great players off the bench so we’re confident, I trust in myself and I trust in my teammates most importantly.”
If he feels that he gets overlooked when people talk about the Lakers:
“To me, I know I’m definitely one of the best players in the league, there’s no question. I proved that when I got into shape so I don’t need to be, I’m definitely one of the best defensive players to ever play the game so people can deny it if they want but it’s okay. I do my own thing, I market myself in my own way so I really don’t need to be marketed or talked about throughout the outlets because I do that on my own. On this team nobody plays defense like Metta World and nobody in the league plays defense like Metta World so I don’t really need to prove that.”
“Metta World,” huh?
The 73-9 alone would seem off-the-charts ridiculous to most of us reasonable bystanders. But when you throw in the source and the references to this far off land known as “Metta World” … then it all seems to be a bit far-fetched.
Lakers fans would love for the most colorful member of their team (sorry, Dwight) to be right, though. And we understand why. This is a championship-or-bust proposition for the Lakers.
So we’ll just have to check back in a few months and see if they are on pace to hit that 73-win mark.
We’re going on record now, though, and declaring that no team in the league comes close to that number!
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