On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers had to endure an embarrassing matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As they fell behind by double-digits, the opposition mocked and clowned them throughout the game.
As much as it might suck for the Lakeshow, winning is the only way they can get their revenge.
On NBA Today, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins urged the Lakers to take action against the Timberwolves and revealed how they should respond to their blatant show of disrespect.
“I love the pettiness, I love the trash talk,” said Perkins. “Because you know what, the game is won between those lines. At the end of the day, Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook have a history of going at each other. So what did Russ expect? He thought Pat Bev was gonna come out being freindly?”
“Look, If you feel disrespected or if you feel like somebody is clowning you, do something about it! I’m gonna give you an example. When I was in Boston, we hated the Cavaliers and how Bron and them used to pose for pictures before games and do their little handshakes and do they snapshots. You know what Bron said? He said in the media ‘If you don’t like what we doing, do something about it.’ When we saw them in the playoffs, guess what? We did something about it. That’s how you handle it. You handle it between those lines.”
With LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and many other veteran players, the Lakers are full of guys who are unfamiliar with being bullied on the court. It’s a new feeling for them.
Nevertheless, there is no arguing that the Purple and Gold have become a prime target for abuse this season.
At 29-40, they are well under .500 and sit just 9th in the West. Russell Westbrook is having the worst season of his career, Anthony Davis can’t stay healthy, and LeBron James is struggling to carry such a heavy load at 37-years-old.
Morale is at an all-time low for L.A., and opponents are starting to sense it.
If the Lakers really want teams to fear them again, they’ll have to regain the confidence and swagger they once had. Unfortunately, that task is a lot easier said than done.
