The Lakers’ courage and hard work reflected the city of Los Angeles

“You’re lucky it’s not Dodgers tickets or I’d stab your ass.”

It was Christmas 2009 and the Los Angeles Lakers were facing reigning champion Boston Celtics in a rematch of the previous NBA Finals. My then-girlfriend (and current wife) bought us nosebleeds tickets to see what we thought was a preview of the NBA Finals.

At the end of the first room, I made my way to the bathroom along with what seemed like a decent part of the whole damn city. While we were there waiting in a line that stretched almost to the next men’s room, a Celtics fan in a Paul Pierce jersey came around the corner with a swollen chest (Boston had a huge one-point lead).

“See? This is what a champion looks like. So we hit you. We’re hitting you now. We’re going to poke you this summah.

The voice at the beginning of this story came in response, the kind who was right behind me in line. He was legitimately gigantic, as tall and wide as Kendrick Perkins, but probably more skilled; he was the most intimidating and muscular person I’d ever seen.

When the aforementioned Celtics fan saw the Hulk in real life in a Magic Johnson jersey, he stopped in his tracks with the ghost of his latest taunt on his face.

“Hey bro. I know you heard me. You’re lucky I paid two weeks’ salary for these tickets or I would stab your ass.”

Then the Celtics fan was reduced to the point where he would be looking at the average goblin. His pants probably matched the shorts Paul Pierce wore when he was wheelchair-bound to the bathroom months earlier.

It’s a story I’ve always laughed at ever since. It was hilarious. My friend covered Pierce’s shirt and ran back to his seat like his life depended on it. The whole line and everyone else in that hall laughed. I’ll never forget it, especially since the Lakers sent the Celtics similarly in the second half of that game.

But now, looking back at this Lakers team, the fans’ reasoning for not fighting that brave but weak Celtics fan serves as a reminder of who the city of Los Angeles is, and the Los Angeles fan base. Lakers by extension, it’s actually made up. of. For all the glitz and glamor that has become synonymous with the Lakers, the vast majority of people who live and die with the results of their team’s game are working-class. People who save for weeks, months, or even the whole year so they can see a big game on Christmas Day.

Those fans, the real ones who flocked to even the shitty party of the last seven years because they were finally games that they could afford good seats. Genuine love this specific team of new champions.

Why? Because they resonate with the backbone of Los Angeles.

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images

Sure, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are extremely talented and will get the shine when all is said and done. The same goes for the movie, television and music stars the city has produced. Just as James and Davis are the ones that come to mind when you think of this team, Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Andy Garcia, et al, are shown game after game during nationally televised events.

But what really made this Lakers team special was the acceptance of role players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo and the rest of those who committed to defense, sacrifice, confidence and small doses. of his own heroic deeds. while knowing the credit they would receive would (rightly) pale in comparison to the accolades amassed over Hall of Famers defending their case as the greatest duo of all time.

When another team in Los Angeles was jogging (not unlike the guy in the Celtics jersey) preaching courage and plastering “lamppost” signs all over town as Lou Williams put his and his entire team’s postseason at risk For some chicken wings, the Lakers went to work quietly night after night, building an identity of just getting there.

Ever wonder why the Clippers caught so much shit after their last second-round outing? It is because they spoke what they spoke, but did not follow the path. This city only cares about results. The Lakers got this result and the Clippers earned their humble pie.

It has become a cliché to think of the coastal elites when talking about Los Angeles and, for whatever reason, to consider everyone else who lives here less hardworking than those doing the exact same jobs in the flyover states. Sure, that’s the case with executives who live in the skyscrapers of the city. But the heart of the city? No, that’s made up of millions of working-class families just trying to make a living, working the same jobs, but in a part of the country where the money you make from breaking their backs stretches a fraction of how far arrives in the midwest.

Lifelong Los Angeles natives, immigrants and migrants flocked to or stayed in the city with a dream in mind and a sense of desperation to make it come true or fight like hell trying. Sounds familiar?

Sure, we all know how James and Davis got there, but what about guys like Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, who only have a couple of title chances left as they near the end of their careers?

What about Alex Caruso, who went from being a cult hero waiting for his chance to become a viral sensation, not unlike many bands or actors?

Hell, even Frank Vogel and Rob Pelinka come from very obviously different backgrounds, but they forged a link between media criticism of their hires and a fanbase that had no shortage of people who wanted someone else in their roles.

Look at this list and you will find a similar mix of hardworking origin stories that you will find anywhere you go in the melting pot that is Southern California.

And for all of their goals to be achieved, it was necessary to find common ground to eventually work together. Trust was needed. It was necessary to believe. It was necessary to understand that achieving this goal was impossible without working together.

How is that not the story of Los Angeles, or of any group of people in it who also work toward a goal, whatever that may be?

Photo by Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

This Lakers team resonated as it did to the fans not only because it was the Lakers’ first good team in nearly a decade, but because of the way they overwhelmed and outmaneuvered their opponents.

When the Lakers were in their prime, they ran. “It’s like Showtime” many said breathlessly. But the point is missed.

Transition buckets only come from stops. You only get stops by committing to defense. Advocacy engagement is an organization-wide concept.

In an era highlighted by incredible offensive performances and a rulebook designed to generate eye-catching stat lines, the 2019-20 Lakers built their identity on defense. They worked their asses. And the payoff when they did was a kind of counterattack that often showed the individual greatness of James and Davis.

Sure, the reruns are all about that getaway dunk or crazy alley-oop, but make no mistake, it took everyone on the list to commit to doing their dirty work for those magical sequences to happen.

So I hope my friend from 2008 is saving for the next season (as long as it’s safe, obviously), because this season, and the identity that this city that was built in reflects, was just the beginning.

Important note: I (and Silver Screen and Roll) do not tolerate violence in any shape or form, especially over something as minor as sports.

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