Reveling in the Lakers’ Demise

On April 5th, the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from playoffs contention by the Phoenix Suns, dropping their last hope by a score of 125-99. With Kobe Bryant watching from the sidelines with an injured right leg, the Lakers lost their 12th game in 13. Included in those last 13 games was an eight-game losing streak, the second longest since the Lakers moved from Minnesota.

For the first time since the 1993-94 season when they finished 33-49, the Lakers won't be making a playoff appearance. And I couldn't be happier.

I don't know why I despise the Lakers so much. It's more of an irrational hatred than one based on any player, game, or series. I remember rooting for the Lakers when they played against the Detroit Pistons' Bad Boys. Magic Johnson, James Worthy, A.C. Green, Michael Cooper. These were good players and good people and they were fun to watch. But something happened after that group moved on. A transformation of the Lakers fan. Maybe it had something to do with Michael Jordan's dominance of the game or Magic's retirement, but I found I disliked most Lakers fans I met.

Before I continue, I want to first clarify that I do know some good people who, for whatever reason, also happen to be infected with a passion for the Lakers. These are the fans who stuck with the team when their record dropped, when Del Harris was coach, and who will continue to support their team in what I hope are the next few lean years. What I say about Lakers fans is not directed at them.

Off all fans in all professional sports, I can't think of a team with more fair-weather fans than the Lakers. A lot of that has to do with its proximity to Hollywood, but even outside the Los Angeles basin, Lakers fans are as fickle as a fat man on the on-again-off-again diet. How many Lakers jerseys have you seen recently? Seen any with the No. 8 on them? Even as recent as last year, they were everywhere.

There is some good about the wishy-washy nature of Lakers fans. If you happen to be watching a game while the Lakers are losing, you don't have to put up with the cameras panning to all the celebrities. Now we just have to watch them show shots of Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon, which is fine with me because they've been stalwarts, along the lines of Spike Lee and his endurance of years of bad Knicks teams.

There's nothing worse than watching the NBA playoffs and being bombarded with celebrities capitalizing on the Lakers' playoff success. Well, maybe listening to Bill Walton's commentary is worse, but at least you can push the mute button.

But more than Lakers fans' tendency to show up only when they're winning, what irritates me the most is that I've yet to meet a Lakers fan who can acknowledge Michael Jordan as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ever to play basketball. They can't accept that he simply dominated the game between the Magic and Shaq/Kobe eras. Every one of Jordan's accomplishments is qualified by Lakers fans. He was great, but not the best. They point to Kareem with over 6,000 more points, and Celtics dynasties of the '60s to show that Jordan wasn't all that. They show video of his push with his off-hand to clear space for a shot (name me a great player who doesn't push off — they don't get called for it).

Lakers fans, more than anyone else, delighted in Michael's forgettable excursion into baseball, and his return to the Washington Wizards. They loved seeing him perform on a level far below his peak. As an aside, it was funny to see him try to hit a curveball. But I think more than anything else, Lakers fans were happy that Jordan looked bad because it justified their opinions of him.

It was Lakers fans that were the quickest to anoint Kobe the next Michael, even though the numbers prove its no contest. Michael averaged 31.5, 6.2, and 5.4, while Kobe is at 22.4, 5.1, and 4.4 for points, rebounds, and assists per game. These same fans were quick to criticize the Lakers for their signing of Phil Jackson, most likely because of his association with the Bulls' dynasty.

Later, they claimed their three championships under Phil were proof that it was the system, not Jordan, that led to the titles. Never mind that Jordan won the titles with only Scottie Pippen and a host of role players. Do you think Luc Longley could have won a title with any other player?

The Lakers' championships were reached with Shaq, the dominant center of our time, and Kobe, both of who are capable of dropping 30 a night. And while Pippen was good, he was never Shaq good. Granted, both Shaq and Pippen were named part of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, but Pippen was only in that group because of Michael. Shaq, on the other hand, has dominated as part of the Magic and the Heat.

But let's talk more about Kobe. Whereas Jordan was clearly the leader of the team, and his teammates fell in behind him, Kobe has become the Lakers' leader by bickering with anyone who didn't agree with his way. He constantly feuded with both Shaq and Phil Jackson, both of whom left in this past offseason. He forced the Lakers to make a choice between him and Shaq, and his youth made the choice a foregone conclusion. Point guard Chucky Atkins best described the current state of the Lakers, "I ain't no GM. Ask Kobe. He's the GM." There's no one more thankful than me that Jerry West is in Memphis, and Kobe's in charge in LA.

Kobe is now the undisputed leader of the Lakers, but unlike Jordan who demanded the most of his teammates and helped them elevate their game, Kobe is content to place the onus solely on himself. And much to my pleasure, it's a burden he can't carry. No one person can win day in and day out for a team. You have to rely on your teammates to make clutch shots and that's what Kobe hasn't figured out. Unless he changes, I can't seem him being comfortable with anyone else being a go-to guy. Just like with Shaq, he'd end up in a feud.

And thankfully, as long as Kobe calls the shots, the Lakers won't be making a run at any championships.