Anytime you`re playing against those two guys, especially the great one in Kobe Bryant, you want to try to be focused as possible on him defensively. Lamar Odom, being one of the rising stars in the league, a triple-threat element ... I think it was really important that we honed in on them defensively.

As long as you`re respected among your peers, that`s all that matters, and he has my utmost respect. He`s proven himself. He continues to reinvent himself. Everything he does on that court, you`d best believe every other player recognizes it. He is a true All-Star and one of the elite point guards.

Bring it on, ... With the talent that we have, I definitely see that burden being lifted.

But you live and you learn and that`s the whole thing,

We stepped our intensity up, played better defense, applied the pressure,

The damage to the city from Hurricane Katrina is irreplaceable. Thousands of people are homeless. We all know someone who needs help.

Derek Fisher and myself, we bring a lot to this team, as far as winning, ... When you want to win, when you experience winning streaks, you get upset when you lose. It feels bad. When you`re accustomed to losing, then you really don`t have any feelings towards it.

I didn`t realize how injured I was and how much rest my body needed throughout the summer,

My personal expectation is that I definitely want to finish as the best point guard in the NBA, and that translates into us winning, ... If I`m the best point guard in the NBA, it means that we`re winning and we`re a playoff contending team. It`s just motivation for me to know that a lot of people have me low on the totem pole right now. I`m just trying to prove them wrong.

They hadn`t been produced yet.