Snoop considers the Lakers the ‘team to beat’ in NBA

The man who refined G-Funk and ebonics also just brought some good news for Laker fans.

Snoop Lion, or Snoop Dogg as he used to be called, proclaimed in an ESPN SportsCenter interview that the Lakers will be the “team to beat” in the NBA’s 2012-13 season.

“We’ll see you in June,” Snoop said as he stared at the camera.

Don’t take Snoop’s words as gospel even if he delivers it with that smooth and laid-back voice, a signature in his numerous rap albums. Two years ago, the Long Beach native predicted in “Purp & Yellow” that the Lakers would win a third consecutive NBA championship and expressed little concern about the Miami Heat’s touted Big Three. LeBron James may have shrunk in the fourth quarter that season. But the Lakers fared worse, falling in a four-game sweep to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.

Meanwhile, Lakers legends seem split on the purple & gold’s championship prospects. Magic Johnson instantly gushed about the Lakers’ title chances. James Worthy still pens the Heat as the favorite because of last season’s championship. And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hesitated in making any predictions other than conceding the Lakers will become a contender.

Still, Snoop’s optimism epitomizes the high spirits among Laker fans after watching a season that entailed a new coaching staff, limited training camp, a shuffled roster and a nixed trade. Now those fans are gushing over the Lakers acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.

“We want to thank Commissioner David Stern for vetoing the Chris Paul trade and allowing us to get Dwight Howard,” Snoop said. “I didn’t like it before, but right now I’d like to personally thank him from the city of Los Angeles to open up the Dwight Howard trade. We got what we needed, so thank you Commissioner.”

ALSO:

James Worthy: Miami Heat still has the edge over the Lakers

Snoop Dogg predicts the Lakers will three-peat in ‘Purp & Yellow’

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