A Lakers Fan In Enemy Territory

Lakers players often thrive in enemy territory, but what is it like from the fan’s perspective?

For Lakers fans of a certain age, the three-peat years from 2000-2002 are fondly remembered as a time when Phil Jackson brought his triangle offense and zen philosophy to Los Angeles and turned the feuding Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant into the most formidable one-two punch in the league.

Lakers fans will also remember that each year on the way to another championship parade an upstart from up north would seemingly always be in the way.

The Sacramento Kings, a once moribund franchise, began ascending at the same time as Lakers. Coached by Rick Adelman the Kings ran a high tempo offense that utilized All-Star Chris Webber‘s all around game to open up shooting opportunities for the likes of Peja Stojaković and Bobby Jackson, while also creating lanes to the basket for guards Jason “White Chocolate” Williams and then eventually Mike Bibby.

To say these teams didn’t like each other would be an understatement.

The Lakers hated the Kings’ youthful, brash bravado, the Kings hated the Lakers arrogant assumption that the NBA crown was their rightful domain.

For basketball fans each year they were treated to back and forth playoff series (two of three went the distance), and the sniping in the press.

How can we forget Phil Jackson complaining about the noisy cowbells in Arco Arena and calling Sacramento a “cowtown”; or Rick Adelman complaining to officials about the bruising play of Shaq in the middle.

With those thoughts in my head I took my Lakers bias up to Sacramento so I could see the new Kings of DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins and old Lakers friend and foe Vlade Divac now in a GM role.

The Kings and their fans are playing out there last games in the old Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings will move into a new downtown arena in the fall.

The arena once state of the art with its luxury boxes is now archaic with few of the modern amenities that dominate the sports arena landscape like a Staples Center.

The charm of Sleep Train Center is how close the fans are to the action that must make it intimidating for opposing teams.

Kings fans live and die with every shot that goes up, a Rajon Rondo alley-oop to Boogie Cousins brings cheers that make it sound as if a 747 is taking off.

Unlike a game at Staples Center where many times it seems people are there to be seen, Kings fans are not the type to sit on their hands they blast their cowbells from tip-off until the bitter end when the Kings are resigned to suffer another loss, this time at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

As a Lakers fan, I have bought into Sacramento Kings and their fans  as being second rate. But being there first hand without my purple and gold colored glasses, I saw a passionate fan base that wear their passion on their sleeves.

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These fans deserve their new arena and they certainly deserve a better team.