Dwyane Wade on New-Look Lakers: ‘We’re Ready for the Challenge’

After being dubbed the villains of the NBA over the past two seasons, the ‘Big 3′ of the Miami Heat were finally able to come out on top last season with a second title for Dwyane Wade, and the long awaited first ring for LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

It was a tough road on the way to the first championship with the trio of superstars in South Beach, but the Heat were able fight through the criticism and endless badgering of fans across the country. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Wade and company as they head into next season with stiffer competition around the league.

The Heat may have made impressive moves of their own during the off-season to bring in the likes of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, but now they must contend with other teams that took a page out of their book in order to create a championship contender.

As many different current and former NBA players have been asked over the past month or so, Wade also put in his two cents about the reloaded Los Angeles Lakers squad and their chances next season.

Wade acknowledged the talent level of the new-look Lakers, but also went on to say that they’ll have to make it work. If anyone in the league knows what the Lakers will be going through next season in terms of chemistry and deferring to other superstars, it’s Wade.

The two-time NBA champion also went on to say that he’s ready for the challenge of contending with the Lakers via Sam Gardner of FoxSportsFlorida.com:

“There are a lot of teams anxious and waiting on the season to start, and they’re not necessarily concerned whether (the Lakers) are going to figure it out or not,” Wade said. “They’re worried about themselves, but we understand that they’re going to be a very good team, and we’re ready for the challenge.”

Heading into the upcoming NBA season, all eyes will be on the projected top three teams with the Lakers, Thunder and defending NBA champion Heat being the talk of the league. Miami still has the edge in terms of being favored to win it all again next year, but the Los Angeles and Oklahoma City aren’t far behind.