The Lakers Who Cried Wolf

There once was a basketball team who spent their days sitting on a perch high atop the NBA.  They won games with ease, so much so that one day, they became bored, and decided to cry out "We suck! We suck! Our point guard is too old and slow, we can't deal with small penetrating point guards, we can't shoot, and hard working, athletic teams will beat us even when they shouldn't".  Immediately, the team's fans came running to the team's side, panicked, only to find the team defense strong, point guards contained, and three point shots falling as a championship was won in the playoffs.  The fans were relieved, and forgot their mild annoyance that the team would raise an alarm so falsely.

Eventually, the team became bored again so once more, they devilishly cried out "We suck! We suck! Our bench play is terrible!  Our offensive execution is poor.  Our young center is hurt, and our star post player is soft!"  Once again, the fans came running, afraid that the team would falter, only to find the offense potent, the bench contributing at just the right times, and a power forward who stood up to the league's biggest bullies on the biggest stage, and the championship was once again theirs.  The fans were thankful for victory, but chided the team. "Stop making us think you have problems when you don't!" they said.

Later on, the team cried out again "We suck! We suck! Our point guard is too old and slow, we can't deal with small penetrating guards, we can't shoot, hard working athletic teams will beat us even when they shouldn't, our bench play is terrible, our offensive execution is poor, our star post player is soft, our superstar can no longer dominate, and we can not execute on offense or defense down the stretch of a close game."  But this time, the fans ignored the team's cries, believing the team to be pulling the same trick all over again.

Eventually, when the team did not show up, the fans went in search of the team, and found the team weeping atop their perch, their hopes of a championship destroyed.  "What happened?!?" cried the fans.  "We called out for help, to warn you that we weren't good enough, but nobody came to our aid.  Nobody took our cries seriously".  To which the leader of the fans, the one they call C.A. responded:

Nobody believes a liar, even when they are telling the truth.