In the realm of sports fanaticism, where enthusiasm and folly intersect, there are no fans more superstitious and arrogant than the followers of the Los Angeles Lakers.
From talismans to pregame rituals, Lakers fans have turned superstition into an art form, and their passion is unparalleled among the most eccentric of sports enthusiasts.
Basketball fans, buckle up and delve into the crazy and mysterious world of the Lakers.
In a recent survey conducted by Casino.org, fans of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Cowboys emerged as the undisputed defenders of superstition.
When it comes to superstitions, Lakers fans don't just wear team colors and shut up. Their superstitions are strange and deeply rooted, sometimes spanning generations. They aren't the only ones with superstitions. Star players have it too.
LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer and the Lakers' talisman, has his own routines and superstitions that fans imitate with religious fervor.
From his iconic choke toss to his right arm sleeve, his sneakers, and his pregame attire, LeBron pays close attention to every detail, and his superstitions have become gospel to the Lakers faithful.
“He always had his jersey spread out on the floor,” former teammate Mario Chalmers said of James' superstitions when he played with the Miami Heat. control tower Podcast. “That guy used to lay out all his clothes on the floor before games and everyone would walk around them. One time, when the media walked over his jersey, he got mad. We put the reps in brand new jerseys, shorts, tights, headbands, armbands, socks and everything else back on. ”
But James isn't the only Lakers player with superstitions. Anthony Davis, the Lakers' towering big man, also has a habit of wearing the same socks over and over during a winning streak.
So if the Lakers make it through the playoffs this spring and make it to the NBA Finals, their success could be directly correlated to Davis' sock drawer.
Within the purple and gold tapestry of Lakers fandom, every fan has a story, superstition, or unique custom.
Michelle Rodriguez is a die-hard Laker who believes she can change fortunes in Lake Shaw's favor by watching every game from her favorite La-Z-Boy recliner. If the Lakers are losing and need a comeback, she will reposition her chair to the exact angle she believes can change the team's fortunes.
“It all comes down to the winning angle,” she said. “Anything you can do to maximize the good vibes.”
And Kevin “Lucky Charm” Thompson attends every Lakers game with his trusty rabbit's foot keychain. He showed it off outside Crypto.com Arena prior to the recent Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers win.
“I've had it since my days in Kobe,” he laughed, patting the well-worn amulet. If the Lakers win, you can think of a good luck charm in that building.
But he's not alone.
As a personal anecdote, while attending UC Santa Barbara, the Lakers dynasty was in the midst of the Shaq and Kobe era. My own superstition is that during the halftime show hosted by Jack in the Box, if the Lakers were trailing at half, I would drive half a mile to the nearby Jack in the Box and buy food. I ordered it and was told I would eat it in half. And that will help the Lakers rally toward victory.
Eating high-calorie jumbo jacks and curly fries was never beneficial to my diet, but it was anything to get the purple and gold to fly a new flag.
Speaking of Shaq and Kobe, the Lakers' dynamic duo each had their own superstitions during their “three-peat” era from 2000 to 2002.
According to former Lakers forward Horace Grant, Shaq developed a strange pattern of good fortune after one of his toenails came off during a game.
O'Neal reportedly applied black toenail hardener to the skin of the toe where the toenail was missing. His first time doing it, he scored a career-high 41 points.
“I painted my toenails before Dennis Rodman,” O'Neal said. “One time I stubbed my toe at training camp and it fell off. My mom gave me toenail hardener and I put it on top of it. I got about 40 points that night. So it became a ritual: Paint your toenails and get 40 points.”
The late great Kobe Bryant left an indelible mark on the court, but he also had some quirky rituals on it. Bryant famously wore his two pairs of socks to increase his comfort. During the final season, he released a collection of Performance His socks featuring his alter ego, “Black Mamba”. After that year's blowout victory over the Golden State Warriors, Bryant credited his performance to “the power of the Sox.”
Kobe also had a very specific free throw routine.
The regular season has already concluded, and the Lakers are set to headline Tuesday's play-in tournament. Regardless of the result, they will likely play at least one more game at Crypto.com Arena. That would turn “The House That Kobe Built” into a theater of superstition.
The orchestrated cacophony of good luck chants, synchronized handclaps, and the roar of Lakers fans creates an otherworldly atmosphere. It is as if the collective energies of thousands of superstitious souls have come together to cast a spell over the entire court.
For Lakers fans, championships aren't just about talent on the court. It is the meticulous observance of superstitious rituals. From the lucky snacks consumed at key moments to the specific seats occupied during playoff games, each fan plays an important role in the Lakers' cosmic ballet of superstitions.
Remember the Lakers' 2010 championship run? Fans attribute that success to a collective effort to observe superstitions with religious fervor. Some blame it on the lucky jerseys worn at every game, while others believe in the communal custom of chanting “Kobe” during free throws. Whatever the secret sauce was, it worked, and Lakers fans are convinced that their superstitious efforts played a pivotal role in the outcome.
Rebecca Phillips, a longtime Lakers fan from Sylmar, was at Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Lakers and the rival Celtics. Wearing a Kobe jersey at the start of her game, she quickly switched to a Ron Artest jersey during the first half when her Lake Show led 40-34. After a few shots of whiskey to calm her nerves, the Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to win the game. What was the shot that clinched Lake Her Show's win?
Artest's three point shot.
The Lakers' mystical journey through superstition is as diverse as the City of Angels itself. Some fans swear by their lucky Lakers hats, while others do intricate handshakes with fellow fans to convey positive energy.
Whether it's lucky jerseys, pregame dances, or mantras whispered during key possessions, Lakers fans understand that superstitions aren't just weird, they're an integral part of the Lakers experience. doing.
In the grand tapestry of sports fandom, Lakers superstition stands tall as a cultural phenomenon. From the Magic Johnson era to the Kobe and Shaq era to the current era of LeBron and AD, each generation of Lakers fans has added their own chapter to this mystical story.
As the Lakers chase more championships this postseason, fans will continue to wear their lucky socks, perform sacred rituals, and contribute to the symphony of superstition that echoes through the hallowed halls of Crypto.com Arena. Dew.
So the next time you witness a Lakers fan engaging in a seemingly bizarre pregame routine, remember, it's not crazy. It's the madness of the Lakers, an integral part of the Lake Show mystique, that elevates the game from mere competition to a cosmic ballet of superstition and spectacle.
