My History as a Lakers Fan

Since the start of the NBA finals are tonight, I wanted to take some time to recount my affiliation with being a Laker's fan. As many of you know, I grew up in Orange County, 40 minutes from LA, so speaking geographically, its only natural that I would root for the Lake Show. Many of you also know I come from one of the least sports inclined families on the face of the earth. Any of my family reading this would definitely agree. Sports to my family were the X-games, no one golfs, no one plays football on Thanksgiving, no one follows any sports. Except, my brother Jared and I always watched the NBA finals and the Superbowl together. I have lots of memories watching Jordan and I remember thinking that he was special even though I really had no idea how special he was at the time. I vividly remember watching Jordan score 38 points with the flu. Remember that game??? Jeez, it still gives me chills thinking about his teammates carrying him off the court because he was so exhausted.

Well, after Jordan had done all he could do, he retired (on a side note, Cortney's grandma cried the day Jordan retired). What team would I watch now? And before you think, oh, so she was a Bulls fan... I wasn't. The ONLY basketball games I watched were the finals and for a few years there, the Bulls were in it almost every year and a few of those they were against that Jazz. Considering I had lots of relatives in UT, most of them hard core Jazz fans, I remember watching Malone and Stockton and thinking, maybe I could be a Jazz fan like the rest of my cousins... only time would tell.

I think I was in 6th grade or so when Jordan retired and I remembered that Phil Jackson was the coach of the Bulls. A little after that he became the coach of the Lakers. When I was a freshman in High School was when the Lakers won their first Championship in my generation. I remember loving watching those games and looking forward to them while I was at school. I considered myself a Lakers fan at that point because they were the first professional sports team that I could name 5 players on the team. Kobe, Shaq, Mad Dog, Fisher, Foxy. Even though I loved watching Jordan, I really didn't know his teammates as well as I knew the Lakers, which still wasn't very much. In summary, I felt the Lakers were the ONLY team I could even try to consider myself a fan of. And for reason, I love that they wear white uniforms when they play on Sunday. The "Sunday whites" are the best looking uniforms out here, in my opinion.

Since then, I followed the "boys" where they were traded and where they are now. I really connected with Derek Fisher. I liked how he played and the more I learned about him, the more I liked him. He was a true teammate. Didn't want the spotlight, or even the points. He's the guy you want in the locker room. Reads the Bible before every game. Puts his family first in his career, etc. I even cheered for the Jazz a little bit while he was there, and both Cortney and I felt horrible for the scare he had with his daughter's eye cancer. However, the Jazz game he played in the playoffs a few minutes after he got off the plane from NY for his daughters surgery is probably one of my favorite sports moments of all time. Dressed in his uniform on the plane, asked his wife if it would be ok if he went and played the last quarter, and left for the Delta Center and scored some very important points for the Jazz to win that game.

Flash forward a year. Fisher plays for the Lakers and they're playing the Jazz in SLC. As Fisher steps out on the court, the Jazz fans BOO him! Are you freaking kidding me? I was torn to the core. How could these people not cheer him on because he was such an important player for their team while he was there? I have never "not liked" other teams fans until that point in time. If you boo'd Fisher, I don't think you're a very good fan, but if you didn't, we can still be friends:) I really don't have anything against Jazz fans, but was just hurt they would treat a former player with such rudeness.

So here's to you Fisher. I hope you win in 5 buddy. And Lamar Odom. He deserves a ring too.