Micah Davis
It’s been too long since Los Angeles sports fans had a reason to celebrate.
Our Dodgers haven’t sniffed the playoffs since 2006 when they were dismantled and swept by the New York Mets.
L.A.’s only powerhouse college football team, USC, failed to win it all for the third year in a row.
The lowly Clippers have spent the majority of the decade as one of the worst teams in the NBA.
In a city accustomed to success, “trying your best” is not acceptable. We need a team to bandwagon and a star ready to smile for the camera.
Enter the Los Angeles Lakers.
Four years removed from their last championship, the embattled Lakers franchise has finally righted the ship.
Finishing atop a competitive Western Conference, the Lakers find themselves slugging it out with the Utah Jazz for the right to advance to the Western Conference finals.
The team is still well short of their goal of a championship, but it doesn’t appear to matter to L.A. sports fans desperate for a reason to declare their allegiance — especially after a disappointing season last year, which ended in a Round 1 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The frustration bubbled over in the off-season when superstar Kobe Bryant publicly aired his disgust with the organization.
He mocked teammates, demanded others were traded and simultaneously cast a shadow of doubt over the 2008 season.
It didn’t seem to matter, as the Lakers now find themselves in the second round of the playoffs, looking to hang another banner in the Staples Center.
Fans seem content they have a reason to cheer, quickly forgetting the demands for a regime change and the calls for Kobe’s head.
Lakers flags once again adorn our cars as people proudly display their patience with L.A.’s most winning franchise.
The past four years, littered with early playoff exits, have been swept under the rug. Forgiven and forgotten, a winning result is purported to cure everything.
Of course, the Lakers still have to win the title to truly be excused for their consistent disappointment. This will be a formidable task, considering the Jazz are nearly unbeatable at home. They posted a 37-4 record in the regular season, but L.A. was one of the four teams to beat them.
If L.A. manages to advance, which they should, their opponent in the conference finals will present an even more difficult challenge.
Right now, the focus should be on the present.
Fans and players need to take a game-by-game approach. The Lakers are good, but nothing is guaranteed. And don’t forget the last time L.A. was “destined” for a title.
The 2003-04 team, one year removed from a string of three consecutive championships, was supposed to dominate the league after the additions of Karl Malone and Gary Payton.
Injury, age and bad luck combined to squash that dream as the Detroit Pistons easily defeated the Lakers in the finals.
As fans, we need to be realistic. Indulge in the thrill of the chase, but don’t be distraught if Kobe can’t lead his team to the Promised Land.
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