After a very splashy offseason by the Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace told ESPN radio that they are the team to beat and are capable of making a run at the Chicago Bulls all-time record for wins in a season.
World Peace: We definitely want to beat the Bulls record and go 73-9, that's definitely something that I want to do. Whoever is out there at the beginning of the season then we gotta get it. It's as simple as that.
Host: So that Bulls record is something you're thinking about?
World Peace: No question. You try to snatch records before you leave this earth. You gotta try to do a lot of great things so it's definitely a goal. With Dwight Howard, (Steve) Nash, Kobe (Bryant), myself, Pau (Gasol) and then (Antawn) Jamison and a lot of great additions it's something that's possible.
The Lakers certainly have the firepower to compete with the best in the Western Conference, adding Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison and Steve Nash to the roster after a disappointing end to the 2011 season at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The often-outspoken forward says he is coming into the 2012 season in better shape than he was last year -- he is at 7% less body fat than he was last year.
Last year I came into with 13.3 percent body fat and this year I'm already at eight percent. The pounds that I weigh is really irrelevant, the body fat really tests where you're at. It's really hard to lose body fat and I got down seven percent body fat by the end of the playoffs so I will probably be at around four percent.
By default until someone unseats them, a lot of sports pundits might say the road to the NBA Finals goes through Oklahoma City. World Peace disagrees, saying that the Lakers aren't missing a single thing, and that he trusts in himself and his teammates.
Somebody definitely could learn some information but the way the Lakers look initially I can't see nobody getting past us at all so I don't think they're [Lebron James and Kevin Durant] going to have a chance to see each other in the Championship.