NBA warns of counterfeit Laker gear -- and stuff for those other loser teams too

As if we Laker fans don't have enough to contend with in Tim Duncan and his pals trying to get in the way of our championship, the NBA has warned that we have to worry about counterfeiters selling us fake Laker gear.

The rotten scum. They must be Celtic fans!

Ayala Deutsch, senior vice president and chief intellectual property counsel for the NBA, is urging Laker fans to beware of counterfeit merchandise -- T-shirts and the like.

"The NBA insists upon the highest quality products, to protect both our authorized vendors and our fans," Deutsch said in a statement. "Counterfeiting is a lose-lose situation, harming those retailers who play by the rules and cheating fans out of the lasting NBA mementos they

 deserve."

Lakers fans won't be cheated! 

To avoid buying counterfeit stuff, Deutsch urged fans to:

• look for the hologram sticker or hangtag and a sewn-in label identifying the merchandise as "genuine" or "official" as authorized by the NBA.
• shop at the Lakers' official team store and other NBA-authorized retail locations instead of buying items from street vendors and flea markets.
• beware of ripped tags, typographical errors, poor quality screen-printing, or irregular markings on apparel.

"The 2008 NBA Playoffs is an event that Los Angeles fans will want to remember for many years to come, but a counterfeit T-shirt is not a really keepsake if it contains a typo or shrinks three sizes when you put it in the laundry," Deutsch said.

Okay, so the NBA warned Spurs, Pistons and Celtics fans too, but those fans won't be buying CHAMPIONSHIP shirts this year.

So when you buy your "World Champions 2008" shirts, look for the NBA label!

Lakers fans WEAR THE REAL DEAL.