Basketball Fun

I got to experience another "First" yesterday as I attended my first Los Angeles Lakers game. I had taken a friend from church to see the UM/FSU basketball game last week (not worth talking about). This friend then invited me to go to the Miami Heat/Lakers game with him after the person he originally invited backed out.

He had pretty good seats in the lower bowl and we had a good time, especially since the Lakers won 104-94. In addition to seeing the Lakers, this was a good game because it was the Heat's first post-Shaq game, so I got to see Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The Heat played well considering it was the first time they played as a group. But the Lakers played better and I was glad not to have my first Lakers game spoiled by a loss.

I also really enjoyed seeing Kobe Bryant play yesterday. In my opinion, he's gotten a bad rap, but he is still one of the best, if not the best, players in the NBA today and I like watching him play. Seeing it in person only made me appreciate his abilitieseven more.

His abilities became even more apparent at a crucial point late in the game. Kobe was out on a fast break and was going up for a dunk. Before I finish decribing the play, you have to understand how Heat fans feel about Kobe. They don't like him. Immensely. First, you have had Shaq here for the last four years taking shots at Kobe and stoking the fires. Second, this is Dwayne Wade's town. He has elevated himself into the upper echelon of the NBA. Heat fans have a dislike of Kobe because they want to belive D-Wade is the best player in the NBA (which is amusing to me becuase he may not even be the best player in his draft class; see LeBron James and Carmello Anthony). So they don't like Kobe.

So anyway, Kobe's about to dunk the ball and a Heat player comes flying into the play and takes Kobe out. It was a foul. Suddenly, the arena erupted in cheers. I know the fans here dislike him, but to cheer a near flagrant foul when the guy hits the floor hard shows a lack of class in my opinion. The arena is rocking at this point and Kobe steps up to the free throw line and calmy sinks both free throws and shuts the crowd up. You could kind of fell the arena deflate a that point.

The Heat tried to stage a comeback, and got close, but Kobe slammed the door shut with a clutch shot and some clutch free throws. Kobe went to the line with a few seconds left and as he was shooting his free throws, the scattered Lakers fans (quite a few actually) started chanting MVP. The Heat fans tried to drown it out by booing, but so many of them had abandoned the team and left the arena that the booing did not overcome the MVP chant.

It was a fun game and a neat experience.