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By Elliot Chen

Editor's note: This is a fan editorial. Views are those of this particular fan. Opinions below are not representative of InsideHoops.com or our staff.

Is it wrong to love hating a team?

I'll come out and say it. I hate the Lakers. I hate Laker fans. I hate Paul Sunderland and Stu Lantz. I hate Jack, Denzel, and every other celebrity Laker fan. I especially hate the Laker Staple's Center announcer who sounds like a lazy James Earl Jones imitation. I have even learned to hate the Laker girls. I enjoy hating the Lakers.

This is a team that has gotten by on more luck rather than effort recently. For example, if Shaq ever worked on his free throws to get them to 70%, the Lakers would be such an unstoppable force that no team could think of competing with them. In spite of this the Lakers were still dominant enough to win three titles just to kick dirt in my face. On darker days, I think it is because God is a Laker fan. But then he must also have a sense of humor because he gave them Slava Medvedenko, Samaki Walker, and Mark Madsen at the same position.

And now the news about Gary Payton and Karl Malone signing on for peanuts? This is simply the icing on the cake for all Laker haters. Here are other reasons to despise them:

*The Lakers waive Brian Shaw, one of their heroes from the 2000 playoffs, midseason so that they could rip him off by re-signing him for the veteran minimum.

*Shaq basically delayed foot surgery and cost his team home court advantage and their 4th title, because he couldn't be bothered to attend training camp.

*Kobe's continued arrogance and selfishness.

*The Lakers are the only NBA team to not wear a standard white home Jersey (since they are not subject to the same rules as the rest of the NBA). Well that's if you don't count this year's introduction of space age looking white jerseys just for Sunday home games which just happens to coincide with national broadcasts of their games on ABC.

*Rick Fox tries to "jump" Doug Christie in the halls of Arco Arena.

*Phil, Zen, and the Triangle offense are hogwash. It's about the players. Look how many wins Chicago got with the triangle last year.

*Shaq insulting the Kings and Maloofs when his commemorative 20,000 point ball was disfigured by a little boy at Arco. Childish.

*Rick Fox the "actor".

*Kobe and D-Fish balling their eyes out like women and children on national TV after being run out of the playoffs. Can you imagine Larry Bird or any of the other greats doing something so ridiculous?

I live in LA and for 3 years I've been subject to ridiculous barrages of flag adorned cars here every year around June. It isn't enough to have one flag; by the second year many fans had a flag sticking outside of windows on both sides of their cars. Along the way, I've had to endure ridicule, condescension, and even pity at the hands of often uninformed but smug Laker-fan. They somehow have it in their minds that because their team won the championship that somehow makes their opinions on basketball somehow more informed and valid. It's funny when you remember back to the commercials shown during the previous two years' Finals to encourage local fans to "Celebrate with dignity" instead of rioting and burning cars like they did in 2000.

But as in life, all unpleasant times eventually pass. The Spurs are the new king of the hill. Looking to the future I'd like to say that the Lakers are done and Shaq and Kobe won't get another title. Unfortunately, in light of their recent "free agent" signings (if you can call them that) this seems unlikely. It's kinda like that feeling you have when you watch a horror flick monster die but secretly you know the movie isn't really over yet and the killer is gonna come back one more time. But you know what? I'm looking forward to it. Sometimes hating a team is more fun than rooting for one.

Editor's note: This is a fan editorial. Views are those of this particular fan. Opinions above are not representative of InsideHoops.com or our staff.