Kobe and the Lakers Are Still the Best in the NBA

By Dennis J. Freeman

There is a lot of concern around Lakerland lately about the play of the beloved, two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. There have been blowout defeats this season at home to inferior teams. Poor play has come up in spurts. The team’s defense has been shady at times. Age and injuries have caught up with them to a degree.

 But the Lakers are still the Lakers. And that’s all that needs to be said. The journey is never easy. Sure, there have been some bumps and bruises along this three-peat journey. It’s not a time for panic, which some folks in the media have already done. Kobe Bryant and Co. will be alright. This is L.A.  

Los Angeles is a town painted purple and gold. That’s because the Los Angeles Lakers have staked their claim in the city as perhaps its biggest star attraction. Sure, famed film stars Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio usually can be found holding shop with a courtside seat of a Lakers game, bringing the wow factor to Staples Center on any given night.

But make no mistake…Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and company rule this joint. As the NBA pumps out is popular product, Bryant and friends are tops in terms of must-see television. If don’t know what all the hype is about the Lakers then you must have been under a rock the last couple of years. After three straight appearances in the NBA Finals and back-to-back titles, the Lakers have returned to the glory status of yesteryear.    

Who needs a professional football team when we have the flash and dash of the Lakers?

Coming to a Lakers basketball game is more than sitting in the stands of a three-hour show; it’s a full throttle entertainment event. You have celebrities galore everywhere. But these are not the only stars that can be found at the home of their famed Lakers. Comedians George Lopez, Chris Rock and Hall of Fame rocker Prince also make cameo appearances at games.

Stars recognize other stars. Stars align with other stars. The Los Angeles Lakers are the stars of the NBA. Never mind that the Lakers fell short of their ultimate goal last season of winning the NBA title, Bryant and his teammates are still the hottest ticket in town-bar none. Sure, the Boston Celtics beat them with the blue-collar work ethic that the great Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Paul Pierce embody. But it’s the glitz and glam of the Lakers those fans come to see.

With Hollywood and the wonderful world of the television and motion picture industry serving as a backdrop, the Lakers popularity in and out of the league and around the globe has been fueled just as much by the team’s ability to draw in players with star power as well as producing winners on the court.  In other words, star wattage matters in this town. With that concept in mind the Lakers organization hasn’t disappointed.

Wilt dominated. Elgin glided. West amazed folks. Kareem gracefully executed. Magic dazzled. Shaq intimidated. Kobe leaves you in awe. In a town full of stars, the Lakers electric exhibition on the basketball court becomes a must-see event. High ticket prices are not enough to keep the high-roller and the average working Joe from flocking to see Odom flush down a thunderous dunk or Gasol effortlessly whip a no-look pass to an open teammate for a basket.

These are the Lakers. If the NBA is the Academy Awards of professional sports leagues, the Lakers would certainly be considered to be the biggest Oscar winner, in terms of style, substance and being superiorly talented. With the recently embedded LA Live center lined up just across the street with its high-end clientele, you can bet the Lakers will have more is share of high-powered brokers wanting to get in on the piece of the pie. Stars have that kind of an effect on people.

Dennis J. Freeman

Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com