Congrats Nez!
You are the only Laker fan I have met that isn't a bandwagon fan! Just like Yankee fans and Packer fans, your fellow Laker fans all jumped on the bandwagon during your teams good years. You are differnet..you actually chose a team to support not based on their winning at the time, or that you think Kobe is cute, or you like the team colors... no, you picked them because they suck. My hat goes off to you my friend, you are unique in your new crowd! You are now one of the few legitimate fans that team has.
So you wave that Laker flag high and proud. You tell all those other wanna be Laker fans that being a fan doesn't mean having man love for the personnel or hanging out at the mall dressed in full Laker gear and bling. It's not about watching a team win a championship on television and proclaiming them your new favorite. Spread the word my friend, spread the word.