The season, the three-peat, and possibly the dynasty.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers got swept by the Dallas Mavericks a few weeks back, fans are still having difficulties accepting the fact that the season is over. Fans have been trying to find coping mechanisms to deal with the loss, but the sour taste in their mouth will only disappear with another successful season.
The Lakers fell to the Mavericks in embarrassing fashion, and Los Angeles looked like an old, worn out squad while the Mavs seemed as though they have been at that position before. However, it was the way in which the Lakers walked off the court that irritated spectators. The once proud Los Angeles Lakers franchise was the epitome of the ideal organization, and it personified class and greatness. Nevertheless, those traits and characteristics were lost after the team left the court for the final time.
Not only was the effort throughout the series horrendous, the Lakers’ players abashed the franchise with their nefarious late-game antics. Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum got ejected from Game 4 after shoving Maverick players and they were deservedly lambasted by the media later in the locker-room. Bynum and Odom may have apologized several days later, but they ruined their reputation around the league, and even within their organization.
Aside from the unspeakable actions pulled off by several Lakers’ players, the entire sports world has to commemorate the great Phil Jackson. Jackson may as well be crowned the best coach of all North American sports, but he was no doubt ridiculed by the way he ended his career. Instead of a picture-perfect culmination with a three-peat, the Zen Master had to walk off the Dallas court knowing he will finish his coaching stint with a 36-point defeat. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher tried to will their team to a historic series comeback, but because of an apparent of effort from their teammates they had to watch their long-time coach get swept out of the playoffs.
Times like these may be hard to digest, and frankly it is quite difficult forgiving a team like the 2010-2011 Lakers for their effort in the Playoffs. The team played with little intensity, and there was never a point of the post-season where fans convinced that this squad was determined to win a third-consecutive title. However, bailing out on the Lakers and no longer supporting a team is not the correct way to treat a favorite team.
Yes the Lakers did not provide fans with a coveted “three-peat,” but integrity and faith play a big role in sports. Fans are just as important to franchise’s as are great players, and the Lakers need a strong, supportive fan-base more than ever.
Next: Band-Wagoners vs. Lakers Fans
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During debates and arguments Lakers fans tend to avoid the post-Shaq era that bestowed the city of Los Angeles, and for good reason. There wasn’t much positive to talk about the team expect for the prolific scoring outings by Kobe Bryant and the usually star-studded Staples Center crowd. The glitz, the glamor and the excitement were no longer apart of Laker basketball and the city was dying for another championship team.
During this era of the franchise’s history, many fans jumped off the bandwagon and did not want to be known as the person in society that supported the lower, or lesser-skilled squad. Just like in the real world were humans tend to drift away from the “outsiders” and follow the ones that are elite and “well-mannered,” sports fans have a penchant of supporting the best team.
The Lakers were nowhere near an upper echelon squad in this time, and let’s face it, the franchise lost many fans because of their early-playoff exits. The once excitable Staples Center arena was no longer a hostile environment, and might I say, only the “real” Lakers fans attended the games. The other fakes were off watching their new favorite teams like the Nets, Suns and Spurs shine in the NBA Playoffs, while the former Laker players were right there watching it with them.
Not surprisingly, when the Lakers finally became relevant in the NBA in the year 2008, all of a sudden a myriad of Lakers “fans” once again supported the team. Those who claimed to have sided with the Lakers during their dark days were the ones who bragged when the Spurs or Suns made deep-playoff runs just a few years back. Just because the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol and reclaimed the top-seed in the Western Conference, the once empty Staples Center was filled with self-proclaimed “true-fans.”
Nevertheless, deep inside the mind of the band-wagoner lives the dreadful truth that he or she had left the Lakers after they had lost their edge, and supported a more “talented” ball-club. While the other true Lakers fans stuck by the team through thick and thin and had faith the squad will once again shine in the NBA, thousands of front runners stormed in with ill-conceived notion that they were always with the team.
I applaud the fans who never abandoned the Lakers when they were once fighting for a lottery pick. These “true” supporters were faithful to the team, and never lost hope in Kobe Bryant or Dr. Jerry Buss. These fans believed in the Lakers and did not let obstacles on the road influence whom they claimed to be their favorite teams.
Every team and every movement in history has seen setbacks and disappointment along the way, but their resiliency and sheer determination allowed them succeeded and find a way to the top of the mountain.
Despite impediments along their way, the Revolutionists eventually gained their independence from the British; although the Civil Rights Movement lost momentum after assassinations to various leaders, it found a way to gain rights for its people; and even though the Los Angeles Lakers were a laughing stock in the NBA for several seasons, fans’ support paid off when the team won two consecutive champions. Now I don’t mean to compare the Lakers’ success to the great accomplishments of the Revolutionists and Civil Right Movement, but all of these examples featured supporters who stayed true to the cause despite setbacks.
These people had faith.
“Fake” fans can gloat all they want, and they can defend themselves to the best of their abilities, but leaving a team in tough times is not the correct way to show “faith.” The Lakers now face the same situation as they faced in the 2004, to a lesser degree obviously. Nevertheless, the team is undergoing problems and will most likely have to make changes which will results in a loss of fans.
These times separate the “fake” fans from the “real” fans. Those who will stop supporting the team since they lost Game 4 in embarrassing fashion and relinquished hopes of a three-peat, are considered the band-wagoners, while the fans that stick around for the tough times should be praised for their faith.
User Yash commented on a previous post, “I am done being a Lakers fan, I spent countless hours supporting them and in return all I got was happiness. This is just SAD.” This ex-Lakers fan has most likely already purchased his or her own Derrick Rose jersey and has long forgotten his or her time being a Lakers fan. However, user Ktheevilgenius has a mindset which is the antithesis to the one held by Yash. “True fans stick with there teams no matter what.” Says Ktheevilgenius. “[They] ride or die with them ’till the end.”
Now that the Lakers’ dynasty seems to have ended, there will be a drastic change in the size of the team’s fan-base. However, don’t be surprised to see the “fake” fans come storming back if the Lakers make another championship run next season.
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