Twin NBA brothers Robin and Brook Lopez were raised to be different

Deborah Ledford used a simple philosophy as she navigated the complex task of raising four boys as a single working mother in Fresno, Calif.

"You don't worry about the dirt in the corners," Ledford said by phone.

As long as the clothes and dishes were clean, and ample food fueled the growing Lopez boys, it allowed the household to pursue the artistic and athletic endeavors that Ledford and her parents found most important.

Robin and Brook Lopez squared off Tuesday night for the 17th time as NBA players and first with Brook as a Laker in Los Angeles, where Ledford gave birth to her twins before her divorce. The twins will engage in their typical habit of not speaking to each other during the game and probably good-naturedly dissing each other before or after.

That behavior will belie a friendship that features them talking every day -