MANILA, Philippines – It has not even been a month since the Los Angeles Lakers defended their NBA championship crown but instead of just relishing their back-to-back victories, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are already aiming to win a three-peat.

“I definitely agree that Kobe’s been very excited about the opportunity to win a 6th NBA championship,” Fisher said on Monday in a videoconference made possible by information technology (IT) company Cisco.

Bryant and Fisher are both 5-time NBA champions, being part of the Lakers squad that won in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.

“It's amazing. Once you experience winning a championship… how hungry and passionate you are about winning another one,” added Fisher, who was speaking from the Cisco Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai, China.

“So I'm sure he's probably already thinking about working out and getting in the gym, really trying to get ready to lead his team to another NBA championship,” he said of Bryant.

Fisher and Bryant join Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, George Mikan and Magic Johnson in the crop of Lakers who won the NBA title for Los Angeles 5 times.

“It’s pretty surreal, pretty humbling. I don’t play basketball just for those things, just for the trophy, just for the championship,” said Fisher,

“But it really does give a great deal of satisfaction and gratification,” he said, adding that it “feels very good” to be in such elite Lakers list.

The Lakers’ latest championship triumph came at the expense of the Boston Celtics in Game 7 last June 17.

“I’m looking forward to adding to my total number of championships as my career goes on,” he stated.

Fisher spoke with reporters from Manila, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore via TelePresence. The media members in Manila interviewed Fisher from the Cisco Office in Makati City.

Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher. (Agence France-Presse)

Three-peat vs back-to-back

Fisher, meantime, was asked to differentiate the Lakers team that won from 2000 to 2002 and the squad that bagged the 2009 and 2010 titles.

He said the 2000-2002 team had several veterans who were leaning towards retirement. The sweet three-peat victory thus made the veterans feel good about their accomplishment.

The 2009-2010 Lakers roster, meanwhile, had more young ones such as Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum and Sasha Vujacic. Fisher said Bynum and Vujacic still have 5 to 10 years more to play.

Despite their difference, Fisher commented: “All championship teams are great teams to play on and we really enjoyed working together.”

The constant guide throughout those championships, Phil Jackson, recently announced that he will return as coach for the next season. His announcement shot down allegations that he was going to retire.

“There’s no question that he has really been our biggest guide,” noted Fisher. “His presence, what he brings to the game in terms of experience, championship experience.

He mentioned that his teammates are excited that Jackson will be coaching them again.

With Jackson still at the helm, Bryant and Fisher’s eagerness to win a 6th title, and the capabilities of the other Lakers, Fisher said his team is more than capable of scoring another three-peat.

“I don't see any reason why the Lakers would not be the favorite for the NBA championship next year,” Fisher declared. – Report by Ma. Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnNEWS.com