Throughout the course of history, when opponents face the Los Angeles Lakers, players always seem to play with an extra edge. A large part of that reasoning perhaps stems from pure jealousy.
The Lakers boast the second most championships of any NBA franchise, and naturally it is difficult to not see the collection of banners drooping from the Staples Center rafters. As a result, many coming from the outside tend to use that element as motivation to play well against the Lakers.
Understandably so, in many cities across the league, the Lakers’ track record has led to numerous “Beat LA!