The Los Angeles Lakers are calling their 16th NBA title “Sweet 16.” After defeating the Boston Celtics at home in a gut-wrenching 83-79 Game 7 victory, there is no better way to describe it.
Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher earned their fifth title together while Phil Jackson notched his 11th. Ron Artest validated himself as a Laker with a clutch Game 7 performance that no one could have predicted. And Pau Gasol put up a cool 19.6 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game throughout the playoffs.
However, after attending my second championship celebration in as many years, I realize that there is something sweeter than all the individual numbers and accolades. It is even sweeter than the Purple and Gold hanging another banner in Staples Center.
The victory over Boston created unity in the city that I had never felt before.
More than 65,000 made it out to Figueroa Street today, and I was stationed right in the middle of the crowd.
While waiting for the double-decker busses full of Lakers’ players, coaches and staff, I could not help but notice the diversity of the thousands of cheering fans — and the diversity of sports fans.
Southern California is filled with rivalries, from Dodgers-Angels to Trojans-Bruins to Kings-Ducks.
No matter the race or the age of an individual, or their favorite team in another sport, as long as they were wearing something that read “Lakers,” they were part of the family.
“Everybody comes together and leaves all of their grievance behind and it is unity today; all colors. We’re just here representing the Lakers and it’s a beautiful day,” Los Angeles resident Rachel White, 63, said shortly after the players had passed by.
The only notable time tension tightened –- other than when the players passed –- was when one die-hard fan was brave, er, stupid enough to walk the street in a Boston Celtics shirt. (For those wondering, the shirt was taken off and destroyed, the fan was spared.)
“For the city, it brings the city together,” Rory “Sombrero” Darvel, 47, of L.A. said. “You see a lot of people out here having a good time [because] one common thing: We love the Lakers.”
Rony Rodas, a 19-year-old Cal State Fullerton student entering his junior year, attended his second consecutive parade, and he could see the importance of the victory to everyone in attendance.
“You can see a lot of fans out here demonstrating their fandom to the team,” Rodas said. “And with this, this parade, it gives the people a chance to thank the team for giving us back-to-back championships. Next year we will probably get it too.”
Workers at the Felix Chevrolet Cadillac car dealership seemed happy to have the celebration pass by their dealership despite shutting down business for the morning and parking their Cameros and SUVs in a garage away from the fans.
Anthony Chavez, service consultant at Felix, noted that “one day is not going to hurt anybody.”
The truth is that this day did not truly hurt anybody. If anything, it brought a city even closer together.
Now that is why it is “Sweet 16.”
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