When the late, great Dr. Jerry Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers back in 1979, he turned the games into a destination for Hollywood’s brightest stars. Everyone is familiar with Jack Nicholson, but another longtime attendee of Lakers games is actor Denzel Washington.
Washington is well known for his roles in movies such as Malcolm X, Training Day, and Man on Fire amongst numerous others, but has been going to Lakers games since the ‘Showtime Era’ of Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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Times have been rough for the Lakers in these last couple of years, but this season has shown signs of promise. Washington appeared on ESPN’s NBA Countdown show ahead of the Lakers’ game against Philadelphia and sounded very optimistic about his team:
“I like what Luke is doing. They’re moving the ball, people are touching it, but they do have to play some defense. They’re young and energetic, and they’re trying. They may not have all the horses yet, but I like what Luke is doing.”
The positivity surrounding this franchise is extremely refreshing considering what has happened the last couple of years. Fans everywhere see the direction the Lakers are headed and Washington is no exception.
Luke Walton coming in as the head coach has completely changed things as the all of the players have bought in and, as Washington noted, the team is energetic and trying every night out on the floor. Even with the recent slide that was thankfully ended on Friday night, the Lakers are clearly headed in the right direction.
One of the unique things about the experience about a Lakers game is that it is truly a star-studded experience. In recent years, many have chosen not to attend as frequently, but with things going the way they are, it’s only a matter of time before Washington, Nicholson, and the rest of Hollywood’s biggest stars are back courtside at Staples Center.