About an hour before tipoff of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, a healthy portion of the Lakers' roster gathered in their lounge to watch the end of the New York Knicks-Toronto Raptors game.

The Lakers were transfixed with the last-minute heroics of Jeremy Lin before their game Tuesday. AP Photo/The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn

The Hawks' most recent game, a loss to the Miami Heat, was playing on the wall-mounted television in the locker room adjacent to the lounge, but game preparation and scouting stood still for a moment. The Lakers were watching the Knicks' Jeremy Lin dribble out the clock at the end of the game against Jose Calderon.

The Legend of Lin grew when the 6-3 point guard swished a game-winning 3-pointer from the top of the key with 0.5 seconds left, and at that second, some 2,500 miles away from Air Canada Centre, the Lakers in that small room in the bowels of Staples Center went berserk.

Reporters waiting in the locker room could hear the roar before their eyes confirmed what just happened when Metta World Peace burst through the door and made his way to the training room to spread the news to any teammates who missed it while getting their ankles taped.

"Linsanity!" World Peace screamed with his hands waving up above his head. "Linsanity!"

Lin's improbable six-game run to stardom reached its pinnacle when we all thought it already had done so against the Lakers, but it was also an instance of pure joy in a Lakers locker room that could use some good cheer.

The Lakers weren't supposed to care. The game they were watching featured the guy who torched them for 38 points (Lin) in a loss four days earlier against the guy who dropped 30 on them (Calderon) two days later when they were barely able to hang on for the win. Furthermore it was a game between two sub-.500 teams in the Eastern Conference.

The last time I can remember the Lakers having that type of reaction while watching a game on TV before they played one of their own was during the 2008-09 season. The Boston Celtics were in overtime against the Indiana Pacers. It was early December and the Lakers had an upcoming rematch with the Celtics on Christmas Day to try to exact some revenge for the 39-point drubbing they received in Game 6 of the 2008 Finals. The Celtics pulled the game out to defeat the Pacers, extending their winning streak to 12. The Lakers cursed at the TV in frustration.

But in both cases, the Lakers were into it. They were fans. It was fun.

It's a serious business for the Lakers these days. With one of the highest payrolls in the league, there's pressure on Mitch Kupchak to make sure they stay a contender. With Kobe Bryant near the end of his career and one ring away from tying Michael Jordan, there's pressure on him to win again. With Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum being dangled in trade scenarios in the past several seasons, there's pressure on the big men to put up or be shipped out. With Mike Brown being the man to replace Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, there's pressure to prove his worth on the sidelines. With Ron Artest changing his name to World Peace, there's pressure to stay relevant as a player or be reduced to nothing but a punch line.