Can Lakers repeat their victory?

In volatile Artest, Lakers add wild card to their title defense By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers are ready to begin their quest to repeat as NBA champions. And the media are on alert, from TNT, which is all about what happens on the court, to TMZ, the gossip outlet that hopes to get plenty of mileage out of volatile forward Ron Artest and the marriage of forward Lamar Odom to reality-TV celebrity Khloe Kardashian.

"The Hollywood media is different than the sports media," Lakers veteran guard Derek Fisher said last month.

Of course, the Lakers are accustomed to both.

This is a team that once had its two biggest stars openly feuding (Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant) and a coach (Phil Jackson) the author of a book extremely critical of one of those stars (Bryant again).

But Bryant has been above the fray of late. He has his four NBA championships, his 2008 MVP award, a good relationship with the coach (still Jackson) and, unlike the old days, the respect of his peers as the unquestioned leader of the team.

And he has all the complementary parts, it would seem, to lead the Lakers to a repeat title:

• A young, healthy big man in the middle in 7-footer Andrew Bynum, 22 today, who might or might not be ready to become an All-Star this season.

• A versatile second offensive option in forward Pau Gasol (18.8-point career average).

• A crafty, tough backcourt mate in Fisher.

• A potential Sixth Man of the Year in Odom.

• Experience off the bench in guards Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic; energetic big reserves Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga and small forward Luke Walton.

Then there's the wild card — Artest — who will try to contribute what departed free agent Trevor Ariza did last season (defense, energy, hit open shots) — only better. He'll try to do it without losing his cool, which he has done in the past, most notably serving a 73-game suspension while with the Indiana Pacers in 2004-05 after igniting a brawl between players and fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.).

Artest, who turns 30 in November, was also front and center in the testy playoff series last season between his Houston Rockets and the Lakers. He was ejected twice and had one confrontation with Bryant that could have — but didn't — turn ugly.

Five months later, they're teammates, seeking a championship together, and both are confident this will all work out.

There are those who have their doubts, however.

Reggie Miller, a former teammate of Artest in Indiana and now a TNT NBA analyst, said recently what some Lakers fans fear.

"I understand what Ron can do and how he can help a team out," Miller said. "I also know how he can hurt a ballclub with his misguided actions.

"Ron doesn't have to do a lot on this team, and I hope he recognizes that he's not the second or third option on this team offensively. If he recognizes that ... the Lakers will win the championship."

Just two days before the start of the regular season, Artest spoke at the Lakers training compound and said he has no individual goals and he was totally into following Bryant's lead.

"Statistics don't really show what type of basketball player I am," said Artest, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds for his career. "That's why I don't have to average 20 points and I can still be one of the guys that every team wanted going into free agency. There are a lot of guys who average more points than me or jump higher, but who would teams rather have?

"Whatever Kobe wants, that's what we're reaching for. Kobe's the leader of the team. We're going to follow Kobe. ... It's pretty simple. Just do what's asked of you by Coach Jackson and follow Kobe on the court."

What Bryant, 31, wants is another championship.

"We have the talent to win another one," he said. "If we don't, it's because of our lack of focus or something else or an injury."

He seems to be right about the talent. The "something else" will bear watching.