It is no secret among the regular visitors to this site that Hllywd hates the Los Angeles Lakers. I've been asked many times why. Until now I never thought about trying to justify it, or explain it. It's been this way so long, it feels natural to me. It is what it is. At the risk of being vilified by Laker Nation however, I will attempt to break it down for you.
Growing up in Los Angeles it was basketball that fueled the fire within. It was only natural after accepting the fact that the pro game wasn't going to be a career option, that I would adopt a team in my heart. At this time Laker tickets were very scarse and very expensive, but Los Angeles had an ABA franchise. During this time the league began trying to compete with the NBA by acquiring some of the marquee players from college. George Gervin, Larry Keenan, Artis Gilmore, David Thompson, Connie Hawkins, Moses Malone and others started their pro careers in the ABA. One night after a game, a friend calls and says she's been given tickets to a Virginia Squires game. That night I was treated to basketball like I had never seen it before. The league was not as fundamentally sound as the NBA, but they sure were more fun to watch. That night I also saw a young Dr J. I cannot begin to explain pure poetry in motion, but lets just say that the Doctor was making house calls while Michael was still trying to make the team.
When the leagues merged in '76, I became a Philadephia 76ers fan because that's where the Doctor was. Over the years the Lakers have forever been a thorn in my side. The road to the finals always went through LA. There have been a number of incidents that have fueled the hate. The Kermit Washington incident, Magics firing of Paul Westhead, the "him or me" trading of Norm Nixon, their defeat of the 6ers in the '80 finals, and now Kobe and the current team.
Free agency has made it extremely difficult to maintain allegiance to my favorites over the years. After a Championship, Philadelphia made the bonehead mistake of trading Moses Malone. They haven't been relative since. The 2 Jerrys destroyed my Bulls, and they too have become a joke. It's fun sometime to not have a dog in the fight. Whatever happens however, my hate for the Lakers lingers on. I have also recently discovered that I don't care much for their fans either. I find them to be among the most obnoxious fans in sports, and most lack real knowledge of basketball, which makes it extremely difficult to talk basketball with them. They are not basketball fans--they're Laker fans. Hopefully, they will be bounced from the playoffs soon, and I won't hear from them again until October when the bandwagon takes off again.
Snapshots from Beijing
Comments (56)
Its hard to believe the 6ers only got one championship in those years, they were so good.
The Lakers inspire Hate in me too, but for different reasons.
**** the Lakers.
Thugmeister (1....) | 04/26/08, 03:35 PM
Report Offensive CommentI don't "hate" the Lakers, but I do dislike them.
1Hawkeye1 wants Vida | 04/26/08, 05:11 PM
Report Offensive CommentI now know why you hate the Lakers. Thanks for telling us. Also, good blog.
dyhard: Brewers win series 2-1 | 04/26/08, 05:28 PM
Report Offensive CommentJust sounds like sour grapes to me.
King Leonidas | 04/26/08, 08:31 PM
Report Offensive CommentDidn't see one legitimate argument in your blog, dude. There's a difference between HATING the Lakers and HATING ON the Lakers. Sounds like the latter to me. Your frown makes me smile. All the HATE means the Lakers are doing something right. So HATE ON chump.
LakerLuhver | 04/26/08, 10:29 PM
Report Offensive CommentI wish I could love my Pacers like I used to. Please trade Tinsley so I can stand to watch the game again. Until then, Tracy McGrady is the man for me.
Dallas Clark- SB in INDY 2012 | 04/26/08, 10:40 PM
Report Offensive CommentLakerLuhver
I wouldn't expect you to see it. Laker fans are usually blind.
Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 04/26/08, 10:44 PM
Report Offensive CommentSo you lived in the LA area, but didn't like the Lakers. Makes sense. Then you liked Dr. J, so you were a 76er fan. Then you were a Bulls fan because of MJ. BTW, classic line from a fair weather fan: 'The 2 Jerrys destroyed my Bulls, and they too have become a joke. It's fun sometime to not have a dog in the fight.' WOW! 'My Bulls'? Of course that was when MJ was with them. You must have an MJ Wizards jersey, too. But you have contempt for Lakers fans because 'They are not basketball fans--they're Laker fans.' I guess you would like them a lot more if they jumped from team to team like you.
kjbleu | 04/26/08, 11:12 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe 76ers beat the Lakers in the '83 finals. Some "real knowledge in basketball" you have.
MFont681 | 04/27/08, 12:12 AM
Report Offensive CommentHllywd...you if you can only write another blog on why you hate Ohio State. =)
Odenator...I'll be baack! | 04/27/08, 12:56 AM
Report Offensive CommentHllywd:
ownt...
there is no legitimate argument here. Its all pretty mundane and weak. Hate the lakers...hate LA for gods sake, hate the fans....but somehow...the franchise...the city has been what? yeah, 14 championships more successful than any of yours. With the exception of Boston (and thats because of the string of 11 titles they had when there were 11 teams in the leagues, no disrespect Bill) the lakers are the premiere franchise in the nba. Sure, the lakers have had polarizing players...theyve had great players...but at least the franchise hasnt just had "one" player, even if 6 trophies were brought in.
and as for the band wagon comment.....be more disrespectful...and, doesnt the Nba season end in June and start in october? So why would people be jumping for the nba in the offseason? The teams get little publicity. In that case, every city's fans would be bandwagonners....what flawed logic.
and....would that make the bulls fans bandwagonners too? if they are willing to jump all over their team when they are doing badly? oh please. come back when you have, say...8 more championships...
xvargas | 04/27/08, 03:16 AM
Report Offensive CommentI look up and see how the lakers are doing, up 3-0....
and then i look at the east to see how the bulls are doing...
and i find myself still looking.
xvargas | 04/27/08, 03:18 AM
Report Offensive CommentLet me clarify something here. I am not a bandwagoner. I had a "soft spot" for the Bulls long before Michael got there. After the Moses Malone trade, the retirement of DR J, and Barkley trade, I found it hard to maintain my allegiance to the direction the 76ers were going. The same as with the Bulls, after 6 Championships, why would anyone simply decide to break up this team? All I'm trying to say is, free agency has made me follow certain players as opposed to one franchise. It has also made me a better student of the game.
Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 04/27/08, 09:26 AM
Report Offensive CommentI think the first basketball game I ever saw was Magic vs. Bird in the Finals, Magic hanging 42 on the Celtics. I've been a Lakers fan ever since, even through the Nick the Quick / Cedric Ceballos era. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching both of Jordan's trilogies, enjoyed Riley haplessly leading the Knicks against Jordan's Bulls and then Hakeem's Rockets, but seeing Shaq (and now Pau and Andrew) and Kobe gets that heart pumping again. Just as your hate for the Lakers will always linger on, I suppose my love for the Lakers will as well.
Just don't call me blind.
PiFloyd | 04/27/08, 10:05 AM
Report Offensive CommentThat's an excuse Hllywd :
As i remember, there were no players that went via free agency from the sixers to the bulls during those years that would make you be a bulls fan out of nowhere when they were winning 6 championships...and then they break up....and you disappear?
and you don't like Kobe and the current team? As a BASKETBALL FAN...i enjoy watching any team, regardless of how much i may dislike them, because i cant appreaciate a good team, regardless whether it be SAS, NOH, DAL, PHX, UTAH, DEN, or HOU....while i am a fan of the lakers, i appreaciate high levels of basketball. This year's lakers didnt punch anyone in the face or play dirty with anyone to earn hate. or maybe its jealousy that the bulls and sixers have a couple year stints of success and then disappear into mediocrity for years thereafter...and the lakers, on the other hand, have one or two bad years and quickly rebound into a force in the nba.....perhaps thats it, yeah, i think it is.
So Hllywd...you're not a bandwagonner of the bulls....but you do abandon your sixers team.....
xvargas | 04/27/08, 11:20 AM
Report Offensive Commentxvargas
You're not paying attention. I was a fan of Chet Walker and the Bob Love Bulls before, while still loyal to the 76ers. It was only after the 6ers team as I knew it, was dismantled that my loyalties changed. I guess you could say that I did abandon the Bulls after the Jerrys broke up the team for no reason. Much of the Lakers success has been the result of free agency and trades also, As you stated, 6 Championships were bought.
Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 04/27/08, 01:30 PM
Report Offensive Commentfree agency and trades....
isnt that how the success of most teams are brought? very few teams can stay on top relying solely on draft picks...[except the spurs, they are a freak of nature with their draft picks lol (ginobili, parker, duncan) insane haha]...thats how most teams suceed, cant knock on one team specifically.
its a sad thing that anyone would need to change loyalties of teams....i guess it depends on the person and on the franchise...because even during that dreadful season where the lakers didnt make the playoffs a couple years ago, and right after the magic era, before shaq and kobe came....i was still a proud laker fan...and i must say, there were years where i thought they would never get out of that hole...they had pampered us too much during the 80's....
don't hate the lakers for being a good franchise.
jealousy is not well lived.
xvargas | 04/27/08, 02:31 PM
Report Offensive CommentYou're partially right. It does depend on the franchise. What, you think after 2 trilogies the front office was tired of winning? It is tough to lose players to injury, retirement, and free agency. To just decide to break up the team, as far as I was concerned was unacceptable. 10 years later, they're still rebuilding, with no end in sight.
Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 04/27/08, 02:57 PM
Report Offensive CommentStill confused why you hate the Lakers that much despite the reasons you gave. Doesn't make sense. Then again, you're entitled to your opinion and you hating the Lakers would not in any way affect LA's performance on their way to a 15th title.
Perhaps, you don't appreciate the hardships the franchise had to go through back in the day when they always end up as bridesmaid to the Celtics' bride. What about LA's nadir in the 90's under Dunleavy?
Unlike many teams, LA gets to find a way to be back on top.
Doesn't matter if you're "just" a Laker fan or a "student of the game." What matters is what makes me happy...
...and I don't have to apologize nor feel sorry on behalf of the Laker Nation why you still end up miserable just because the Lakers franchise is one of the NBA's greats.
FoulDwimmerlaik | 04/27/08, 10:02 PM
Report Offensive CommentLooks like we have something in common. Hatred for the LAKERS
Daveita | 04/28/08, 12:13 AM
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