As someone born and raised in LA, it isn’t unusual for me to attend a good amount of of the cultural events that constantly take place in my city. In fact, my family has been season ticket holders to the Dodgers since before I was even born. But even so, I’ve never been much of a baseball fan because I find the game to be too slow. When it comes to sports, it seems obvious to me that basketball is superior to the rest. Though I don't consider myself to be much of an athlete to say the least, I've always loved to watch a good game of basketball- live or via video game when my brother used to force me to play NBA 2k09 with him when we were kids. As a fan, I stand loyal to my home team, the Los Angeles Lakers, however I don't associate whatsoever with the “Lob City” bandwagoners. Whether it is a good season or a bad season- or even this year’s terrible season- I can never turn down the opportunity to attend a Lakers game.

Due to my constantly hectic schedule, I wasn’t able to make the time to attend a game until mid January of this season. Finally, on January 11 and 13, I found myself in the Staples Center supporting the Lakers, even though Steve Nash, my favorite player, was not playing as usual. Both games, to my dismay but not surprise considering our track record as of late, ended in a loss to both Portland and then Miami. Even Kobe’s return against the Heat wasn't enough to save the Lakers’ sorry excuse for their performance. But though losing is never fun and it just became embarrassing when we were down 18 to nothing in the first quarter against the Heat, when I looked around the stadium I realized there's no fans like us Lakers fans. We truly do love LA as much as the song claims we do, and we show that love game after game when we all come to support our team, regardless of the scoreboard. Whether the Lakers win or lose, we still love our city, still love to be Lakers fans, and still love to have a good time because the real points are scored in the overall experience of watching a Lakers game live at the Staples Center.

In all honesty, part of the fun of attending basketball games is not even watching the game itself. To me, a majority of what makes the experience so memorable is the friends you go with and the environment of the Staples Center when it’s filled with its die-hard fans. I consider my time at Miami game to have been extra special because I had the opportunity to have my friends that were back in town for college break to join me rather than the usual high school friends. Now that many of my friends are graduates and are spread all over the state- or across the country- I cherish even more the few times a year that I get to spend time with them. So, it’s no wonder that we went all out for the game- we each came decked out in Lakers gear and jerseys and brought the noise. We made our presence seen and heard as we got emotionally and physically involved in each play of the game, maybe even too involved at times. But of course we couldn’t contain ourselves when our pride and two free Jack in the Box tacos were on the line. So even when it became clear that we had no chance of beating Portland or Miami, we still remained cheering in the stands until the bitter end. Because as a Lakers fan, you get enough by just watching the team you love, playing the sport you love, while surrounded by the friends and fans you love.

After one of the most memorable games I’ve been to, it’s extra hard to come to grips with the fact that it might’ve been my last game for a while. In a few months, I too will be a high school graduate thousands of miles away from my best friends, and Los Angeles. Attending college out of state consequently means that I can’t attend all the cultural events that I appreciate so much. So, for the next four years, I’ll have to make due with watching Lakers games on a couch, in front of a screen. But then again, that’s months away. Until then, I’ll savor any chance I get to watch the Lakers play live at the Staples Center. And even when I’m not home in LA, I will always bleed purple and gold.