Lakers vs. Heat: How the D12 Trade Has Turned Miami into Lovable Underdogs

Who do you hate more right now, the Lakers or the Heat?

Some of you have answered "the Lakers" because you either can't stand Los Angeles, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Lakers fans or big markets. Some of you have answered "the Heat" because you can't stand LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or the Peter Frampton laser show they put on when "the Big Three" signed to be in South Beach.

And some of you probably just answered "yes" because you hate both teams and the players they employ.

It's possible the Lakers will now be the most hated team in the NBA. Los Angeles is one of the biggest markets in the NBA and the fact that they have some of the most boisterous fans on the Internet, radio airwaves and in random shopping malls sporting Kobe Bryant jerseys will certainly help give credence to the idea that the Lakers are everywhere.

There’s also the prevailing thought that people still don’t like Kobe Bryant. I don’t know if it’s because of his arrogance as a young player in the league, his bravado when it comes to being the man (especially at the end of games) or residual feelings from his issues in Eagle, Colo. that we’ll probably never really know about; but whatever the reason is, people still don’t seem to like Kobe.

At this point, I wonder why he can’t be universally appreciated and accepted. Is it because of the player he is, or the player he was? Is it his personality or that his fans seem to pop up everywhere on the Internet asking you to count rings? That’s probably an article for another time.

There’s also the Dwightmare drama from the past year-and-a-half looming over everybody. I didn’t think it was possible for someone to surpass the PR mistakes LeBron James made from 2009 through 2011, but Dwight Howard may have secretly hired Maverick Carter to handle his image.

People flat-out got sick and tired of Dwight Howard and his flip-flopping nature regarding where he would play basketball next. It was enough of an everyday nuisance that we could see him get similar treatment to what LeBron James went through during his first two years in Miami.

Speaking of Miami, now that they’ve won their first title and seem poised to possibly win some more, is it possible people will be more accepting of their existence?

The Heat were hated for throwing a championship party before they actually won a championship. Fans didn’t like the way LeBron conducted himself. People questioned just how much Chris Bosh mattered. Over the last year, we’ve seen a big change in perception, simply because it seems like LeBron may have matured a little and Bosh proved that he’s more than just some bit player.

With the emergence of the Lakers as the new super team to hate and the Heat proving they are worthy of championship expectations, maybe the momentum will turn in which teams are accepted in the public light and which teams are unworthy of such extensive coverage.

Personally, I don’t see the Lakers creating a “lovable underdog” persona for the Heat just yet. The Heat came together to win multiple titles together, and with just one out of the way, they really haven’t accomplished their goal.

The Lakers also have the added benefit of adding pieces that fit together and make more analytical sense. Pau and Dwight should shine together. Nash will take the load off of Kobe’s shoulders and give him the opportunity to be fresher in the waning moments of close games.

Also, Pau and Kobe have won multiple titles together. We know that combination works and it won’t take much to convince people this team is capable of winning it all. It isn’t the same situation as what the Heat went through, even though Dwyane Wade was a previous winner.

If anything, we’ll probably see the Heat and Lakers lumped together as bullies of the league. If they end up winning their respective conferences and meeting in the NBA Finals, the fence sitters of this issue will choose a side.

It could end up coming down to which team is less annoying during the regular season. With Miami now seasoned to go through this kind of spectacle and Dwight Howard being new to the spotlight, those aspects could be the tipping point in the Heat actually being considered the lovable underdog.

Then again, there is a long time for both sides to mess this up.