Nine years ago, when the Lakers won the NBA title for the first time in 12 years, it ended a long drought of frustration for Laker fans, who had seen their team come so close several times since they had last won in 1988. That year, in 2000, the Lakers clinched the title against Indiana at Staples Center in front of their home-town fans in six games.
While the game was going on inside, it was being televised on a large screen just outside in the main concourse on 11th Street. Back then, there was a large parking lot across the street, where L.A. Live now sits. That night, there were roughly 10,000 additional fans outside the arena when the final buzzer sounded inside.
As the celebration began inside, it also began outside. The fans had become so delirious, almost to a point where they didn't know what to do or how to celebrate, many resorted to violence. Police cars were damaged or destroyed outside the arena, small fires were set along 11th Street, nearby business were looted, and the fans and players inside the building were locked down until the rowdiness subsided several hours later.
At one point during the melee outside, then-Laker forward A.C. Green came on television, and sent a message to Laker fans around the city to celebrate responsibly. That message was broadcasted on the big screen outside Staples Center to everyone outside the building. It took a long while for the rowdy fans to disperse, but it took a valient effort by the LAPD.
The following two years, the celebrations went on peacefully without any major incidents like those in 2000.
Unfortunately, things got out of hand last night again, and as a Laker fan, living afar now, I'm disgusted by the cowards who decided to act out again. While the crowds weren't nearly as big as what I witnessed in 2000, they were just as irresponsible and immature last night. More fires were set, more looting took place, and rocks were thrown at police officers just doing their job (five of them suffered minor injuries).
Most of the problems took place in East L.A., where there was looting last week after the Game 3 loss. But there were idiots who felt the need to attempt to vandalize, at the very least, the statues outside Staples Center last night.
Don't people care about their city? Don't they care that millions of people around the country, around the world, are watching them? It's sickening. It's embarrassing. It's because of incidents like last night, and back in 2000, that gives L.A. a bad reputation. And it's because of incidents like that why people are leaving L.A. and moving elsewhere.
This past weekend here in Dallas, the Dodgers were in town for the first time in who-knows-how long. It was the first time they've been here since I moved here from L.A. two years ago. And I know in the last five years, many other Angelinos have left L.A. for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. And let me tell you, there are plenty of us here. I see them everyday driving. I see their California license plates with their plate frames from various dealerships around Southern California. L.A. fans were out in full force for all three games, and we behaved ourselves with dignity and class. We represented our native city, and our team, with respect to the fans and the city here. Why couldn't the fans back in L.A. act with the same class last night?
And what's sad is last night during his post-game press conference, Derek Fisher made a plea to the fans in L.A. to celebrate repsonsibly, and act with class and dignity, to represent the city, the rest of the fans, and the team. And they still didn't listen.
What's even more sad is that I don't think the fans who were destructive last night are real fans. To them, the win was just another reason to party and act like morons. It gave them a reason to get drunk, and be stupid. They weren't celebrating responsibly, they were acting like drunk savages. Real, die-hard fans don't disrespect their city, the other fans or the team like that.
I'm proud to say I acted responsibly. I'm proud to say I'm a die-hard Dodger and Laker fan. But I'm disgusted and embarrassed by the display of disrespect shown by the drunks last night back in L.A. who felt the need to be destructive for no apparent reason. I'm glad I left L.A. when I did. I'm almost proud to say, I no longer live among those idiots.
While the game was going on inside, it was being televised on a large screen just outside in the main concourse on 11th Street. Back then, there was a large parking lot across the street, where L.A. Live now sits. That night, there were roughly 10,000 additional fans outside the arena when the final buzzer sounded inside.
As the celebration began inside, it also began outside. The fans had become so delirious, almost to a point where they didn't know what to do or how to celebrate, many resorted to violence. Police cars were damaged or destroyed outside the arena, small fires were set along 11th Street, nearby business were looted, and the fans and players inside the building were locked down until the rowdiness subsided several hours later.
At one point during the melee outside, then-Laker forward A.C. Green came on television, and sent a message to Laker fans around the city to celebrate responsibly. That message was broadcasted on the big screen outside Staples Center to everyone outside the building. It took a long while for the rowdy fans to disperse, but it took a valient effort by the LAPD.
The following two years, the celebrations went on peacefully without any major incidents like those in 2000.
Unfortunately, things got out of hand last night again, and as a Laker fan, living afar now, I'm disgusted by the cowards who decided to act out again. While the crowds weren't nearly as big as what I witnessed in 2000, they were just as irresponsible and immature last night. More fires were set, more looting took place, and rocks were thrown at police officers just doing their job (five of them suffered minor injuries).
Most of the problems took place in East L.A., where there was looting last week after the Game 3 loss. But there were idiots who felt the need to attempt to vandalize, at the very least, the statues outside Staples Center last night.
Don't people care about their city? Don't they care that millions of people around the country, around the world, are watching them? It's sickening. It's embarrassing. It's because of incidents like last night, and back in 2000, that gives L.A. a bad reputation. And it's because of incidents like that why people are leaving L.A. and moving elsewhere.
This past weekend here in Dallas, the Dodgers were in town for the first time in who-knows-how long. It was the first time they've been here since I moved here from L.A. two years ago. And I know in the last five years, many other Angelinos have left L.A. for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. And let me tell you, there are plenty of us here. I see them everyday driving. I see their California license plates with their plate frames from various dealerships around Southern California. L.A. fans were out in full force for all three games, and we behaved ourselves with dignity and class. We represented our native city, and our team, with respect to the fans and the city here. Why couldn't the fans back in L.A. act with the same class last night?
And what's sad is last night during his post-game press conference, Derek Fisher made a plea to the fans in L.A. to celebrate repsonsibly, and act with class and dignity, to represent the city, the rest of the fans, and the team. And they still didn't listen.
What's even more sad is that I don't think the fans who were destructive last night are real fans. To them, the win was just another reason to party and act like morons. It gave them a reason to get drunk, and be stupid. They weren't celebrating responsibly, they were acting like drunk savages. Real, die-hard fans don't disrespect their city, the other fans or the team like that.
I'm proud to say I acted responsibly. I'm proud to say I'm a die-hard Dodger and Laker fan. But I'm disgusted and embarrassed by the display of disrespect shown by the drunks last night back in L.A. who felt the need to be destructive for no apparent reason. I'm glad I left L.A. when I did. I'm almost proud to say, I no longer live among those idiots.
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