Sorry, Miami, but the LA Lakers Are Not Afraid of Your Super Team

The Miami Heat have been victims of constant criticism since the pairing of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh altered the NBA landscape, and understandably, their fans have been firing volleys of their own in defense of their team.

Most Heat fans chalk up the atmosphere of hate as a result of either jealousy, envy, or fear, and in each instance, they are generally correct in their assumptions.

Some of the teams in the NBA have a very sour taste in their mouths from the manner in which the past two weeks of free agency unfolded, and for some, the very course of their franchise's future was decided by the Miami Heat's superstar trio.

Any hopes the Cleveland Cavaliers had of being a championship team disappeared when James vacated the premises, and the shallow threats made by owner Dan Gilbert only illustrate the future plight of the Cavaliers.

Gilbert's false declarations concerning a Cavaliers' championship before James wins one were hollow, but they did help inspire a legion of anti-LeBron sentiment that has taken center stage.

Chicago and New York also feel jilted in failing to land neither Wade, James, or Bosh, and even though both teams claimed secondary prizes in free agency, there is a feeling the three had made their decisions before the meetings even started.

Cleveland, New York, Chicago, and their fans probably do turn jealous eyes towards Miami because their dreams of reaching the NBA Finals have more than likely gone up in smoke due to Miami's super team.

The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic have no reason to fear the Heat since they are established playoff teams anyway, but the attention which has been adorned on Miami's team has to seem disrespectful to each team.

The Heat have yet to play a game, but they have been installed as favorites over the Celtics and Magic in the East, despite the fact they are the last two NBA finalists from the conference and return with the majority of their teams intact.

The Heat have also been named as favorites to win this year's NBA championship, and that prediction has caused an expected outcry from fans of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The banter between Heat fans and media and Lakers' fans and media has been different though, because Los Angeles harbors none of those same feelings of jealousy, envy, and hate, even though it has been mentioned.

Some Heat fans have said the Lakers are either jealous or fearful of their super team, but that argument fails to hold weight in the context of a historical perspective.

The Lakers' 16 championships are second only to the Celtics' 17, and Los Angeles has only failed to qualify for the postseason twice, while participating in nearly half of the league's Finals series.

It's hard to throw the jealousy label in the face of those facts, and considering the Lakers are coming off of three consecutive Finals series with virtually the same roster, it's hard to find fear in their ranks as well.

The Lakers' legacy has stood the test of time, and despite several challenges throughout the decade, they have managed to remain relevant in the NBA title discussion.

Miami does have their championship of 2006, but how does that lone title stand up in the face of the Lakers' five championships since 2000?

Most of the animosity coming from the Lakers' fans is due to the fact Miami has been installed as a favorite in the minds of some, not because of fear, envy, or jealousy.

There has been much speculation as to how the two teams would match up if they were to meet in the 2011 NBA Finals, but hardly any attention has been given to the Lakers' edge in championship experience.

The Lakers' experience and chemistry would have just as much to do with either team's talent should they meet in the Finals. But for now, it's only speculation.

Miami will be a great team, and the trio of Wade, Bosh, and James will win many more games than they lose, and some teams will crumble in fear at the mere mentioning of their names in the opening line-ups.

But the Lakers will not be one of those teams because the confidence that flows through Los Angeles has been built over a legacy of achievement and strengthened by the franchise's recent success.

Miami's hopes for the future have already been realized in the Lakers' past and present, so to say Los Angeles is is fearful of a Heat team yet to play a single minute may be stretching reality.