As fans, we have the right to be angry. I recently went to a Sunday evening Lakers game (against the Orlando Magic) and was irate after they blew a fourth quarter lead and lost the game. I went as far as publicly saying the Lakers stink (well, I used a couple other words) and called them the “worst team in the league.”
I was simply venting, but after I came to my senses, somehow found my optimism. It’s very hard as a fan to be optimistic right now with all the uncertainties currently surrounding the Lakers; not knowing when Steve Nash or Pau Gasol will return, not knowing if Mike D’Antoni will eventually be the right fit for this team, or not knowing whether Dwight Howard will remain a Laker past this season to name a few.
In either event, I think it’s time for Lakers Nation to pick up the spirits of their team.
For too long in Los Angeles, the fanbase has always been a “What can my team do for me?” mentality rather than a “What can I do to help my team?” one.
Through these harsh times we’ve blamed the players, coaches, and management, so how about we start blaming ourselves? It’s worth a shot, and I think we’re a legitimate contributor to the Lakers problems with all the negativity in the air.
So, what can we, as fans, do to help?
Tweet happy thoughts
Well, many of us are on Twitter, and I’m sure plenty of players get extremely disrespectful and even threatening Tweets from so-called fans. Some have sent death threats in the past to the likes of Steve Blake and Pau Gasol. Obviously, those individuals are simply not real fans.
However, what we can do is try to keep the morale up on Twitter. We can convey our disappointment, but keep the positivity. The players really do pay attention to social media, and will be more inclined to play inspired on the floor when they know their fanbase is behind them, and not dissing them.
Get loud!
What else can improve? The Staples Center crowd.
Currently, the Lakers are 7-6 at home (.538). Last season–one filled with uncertainty, a new coach, and no training camp–the Lakers ended the season 23-10 at home (.697), but weren’t as solid on the road (15-18, .455).
There is no question that sports teams feed off of the energy of their fans. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz famously have a very distinct home court advantage due to their loud and energetic fans.
The Thunder are 12-2 (.857) at home, and 6-2 (.750) on the road. The Thunder are an elite team however, so the Jazz are a better example of this; with a 9-1 (.900) record at home and 4-9 (.307) record on the road.
The Lakers have been exceptional at home in recent seasons. Most of it hasn’t been due to the overwhelming energy of the home crowd specifically, but the team played well and in return received plenty of praise and adulation from the audience.
It appears that for this season–at least for jump-starters–that particular arrangement will have to change. The Lakers have given us so much over the years, and it’s time for us to give them something back in the form of our vocal support.
Next Page: The Staples Center Experience
My experiences at Staples
I typically only attend 2-3 Lakers games on average each season, but I’ve been to a few legendary ones along the way.
I randomly went to Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game, which didn’t get the crowd excited until the comeback was in full effect during the second half, but the loudest game I’ve been to was Game 7 in 2010–thankfully.
I remember Phil Jackson remarking on how loud the crowd was and how it really helped the team rally its way to victory over the Boston Celtics.
However, often times the Staples Center crowd is simply quiet and dead. In fact, I sometimes feel like a fool being the only one in my section losing my voice in the first half of the game, before washing away that thought with another beer.
People honestly look at me–and other vocal fans–like I’m crazy, yet they’re the ones not contributing to their supposed team. Players want the fans to get as loud as they can, because it inspires them to play harder–especially on defense.
Additionally, I remember going to Game 5 of the Lakers-Celtics 2008 NBA Finals where I sat in the “Premier” section; the Lakers were on the brink of elimination that game. The guy next to me remarked–after he noticed I was quite vocal–that “This is the suits’ section…they don’t really cheer.” He seemed to be just giving me a heads up instead of telling me to keep it down, but after halftime, he, along with other fans in the section began to get into it. I’m glad 
In my most recent trip to Staples (the game against the Magic) I sat in the nosebleeds (the 300- level seats). The tickets were cheap ($25 compared with the $1,200 I spent on the Game 7 tickets), so I couldn’t turn it down.
I had always been told that the 300-level seats were where the real party was at. Wrong! It was just as quiet as it was in the lower levels! That surprised me even more, because I had heard so much about how the upper-deck sections are supposedly filled with the “real fans.” It wasn’t the first time I sat up there, but it was the first time I took note of the difference in enthusiasm–or lack thereof–between the two.
Los Angeles has an extremely dedicated fan base, and I know it’s in our blood as fans to support our teams to the fullest. Just a day before the Magic game, I attended the L.A. Galaxy championship game. Obviously, that was a championship game, but The Home Depot Center was rockin’!
Clippers fans also get quite lively, so I know it’s not something in the water that’s making Lakers fans so dull and boring.
I know there are intense Lakers fans out there who get wild, but they just don’t seem to be at Staples Center. It seriously seems louder at my friend Erjel’s house than it does at Staples, sometimes.
So, I’m asking all of Lakers Nation to stand up and help support our team! If you’re at the games, go ahead and get loud! Grab a drink, talk with other fans, do whatever it takes to get pumped up for the game and help the Lakers pull out some victories!
I know the crowd is “Hollywood” and Staples Center will never be as loud as Chesapeake Arena or EnergySolutions Arena, but the culture has to change to the point where my group of friends and I will never be told to “keep it down” ever again.
No, the Lakers won’t be able to take Staples Center on the road with them, but if they feel like they have fans to fight for back home, it will inspire them to play hard on the road and they’ll look forward to coming home to a positive environment–instead of the opposite.
A team who feels its fans are behind them 100 percent and are truly pulling for them will often give 100 percent on the court, in turn.
The effort of the Lakers isn’t the only problem facing the team, but anyone will tell you that effort can cure a lot of problems in sports, and I feel that the best way to generate some effort is through the enthusiasm of the fans.
After all, as “die hard” as we all claim to be, we can’t let the Clippers fans out-cheer or out-fan us, can we?