“Beat LA!, Beat LA” Why so Much Hate?

23 Years ago I joined the school basketball team for the first time, immediately I became fascinated by the sport and got interested in watching basketball games. At the time the only thing I knew was the Lakers and Celtics were the best two teams and this Michael Jordan character was all the rage. Our school teams were the Lakers, Sonics, and 76ers, I played for the 76ers and saw the real Sixers go against the Leprechauns for my first NBA experience. I decided to cheer for the Lakers for the sole reason they had the only player I recognized, the tall guy, with the goggles that fought Bruce Lee and came out in Airplane! Film, hell I didn’t even now my home state of Texas had 3 teams. My first Lakers game was an awesome experience as I saw Showtime versus the hated Celtics, what a way to get into the NBA, I’ve been hooked since. As I learned more about the game I was shocked with the hatred towards the Lakers and did not understand it. What I hear the most is that they get away with a lot and are arrogant, say what? Obviously these people never saw MJ play, or see any games with D Wade and King Crab, ALL superstars get calls their way ALL of them, but that’s a topic for a later
time.

Bullies. It’s easy to dislike someone who pummels your favorite team year after year, and the 80s Lakers did just that, but I don’t remember anyone but Lakers and Sixers fans hating the Celtics in the 60s, or anyone outside Indiana, Cleveland, Detroit and New York hating the Bulls in the 90s,New York is debatable MJ’s always had fans there, what about the Spurs of now only the Mavs, Suns, and of course Lakers fans cannot stand them, I actually don’t hate them, but like them less since the Admiral called it a career. So what it is it about the Lakers that cause hatred? Kobe’s supposed selfishness, Phil Jackson arrogance( he did coach the Bulls too you know, don’t remember the hate then), the celebrity fans? Why are the reigning NBA fans so disliked? I can understand the Yankees they have more titles than anyone in the sport almost 3 times more that their closest peer, but in Basketball the Leprechauns still hold the most titles, yet they are not disliked, at least not globally. One only has to look at the Lakers 62 year history to find a reason. Leprechauns may own the most banners, for the time being, but the Lakers time and time again get into the post season (57 times in 62 years, 92% ratio, the best in any sport), and have gone to the Finals (31)half the time they’ve been on the League. They have more wins than any other team, they own the longest winning streak in any major sport (33 games), and the shortest losing streak (10 games). The only stat the Celtics still own against them is: overall titles, 2 more, 11 titles in 13 years, which will never be matched again, and unprecedented 8 titles in a row, and a 9-2 edge head to head. The Lakers still have been the stain that just will not go away, no matter how equipped you are to get rid of, and even if they go dormant, they come back and hang around for short spurts, rarely one time wonders.

Yes, the Leprechauns have the edge in titles and still own the grandest dynasty, Lakers however while not in the grand scale have not been shabby with multiple mini dynasties, there was the original dynasty, the first team to repeat and three peat the Minneapolis Lakers of 49-50, 52-54, the team of the 80s, the Showtime Lakers who 8 times advanced to the Finals winning 5, including the coveted back to back which had not been accomplished in 20 years, and of course the Shaq/Kobe version who gave the Lakers a second three peat in franchise history, the new millennium Lakers went to the Finals 6 times, winning 4 and enter the new decade with a chance to continue the winning tradition. The Lakers are the only team to play at least in one Finals each decade, 40s (1), 50s (5), 60s (6), 70s (3), 80s (8), 90s (1), 2K (6), ’10 (1 and counting). The immortal Celtics almost went more than 2 decades without an appearance, the longest Finals drought for the Lakers is 9 years from 1991-2000. Another thing the Lakers have a knack of doing is rarely are they one hit wonders, they have won multiple titles 4 times in history ’49-50, ’52-54, ’87-88, ’00-’02, and now have a chance to do it for a fifth time. Of the 31 Final appearances only four times they did not do it in consecutive years ’59 when Baylor served mandatory time in the armed forces, ’80 when Magic never really recovered by an injury, ’91, when Magic retired due to HIV, and ’04 when Shaq was traded and the Fab Four dismantled. The other 27 times are made up of ten title runs resulting in 14 of the 15 titles, they went to back to back Finals in ’49-50,’62-63,’65-66,and ’72-73, three Finals in a row ’52-54,’68-70,’87-89,’00-02,and ’08-10 and four consecutive times from ’82-85, I guess I would be sick of the Lakers tool if I didn’t like them. They have broken many hearts along their way to the record books I happen to have witness a few ’80 vs Sixers, win getting it done without ‘Jabbar, ’85 vs. the Celtics, prevented them from repeating, ’88 vs Pistons, Bad Boys missed their chance, ’91 vs. the Blazers, that should have been Portland in the Finals, ’00 vs. Portland, awesome 7^th game, ’01 vs. Spurs, royal ass whupping, ’02 vs. Kings, controversial, conspiracy favorite, get over it already, ’04 vs. Spurs no repeat again .04 shot by Fish, ’04 vs. KG’s Wolves, ‘08 vs. Spurs, peaked too early but still prevented chance to repeat, ’10 vs. Suns, still no Finals for Nash. It’s no wonder that fans of the mentioned teams detest the Lakers, too many times they have seen their teams bow down to them in the West playoffs.

Whether contenders or pretenders, the Lakers always have a big draw on the road, and teams always get up for them, they are the only team to have a hate chant, you don’t hear “Beat Spurs, or Beat Celtics” anywhere, even sounds awkward. I thought it was hilarious when fans gave their team standing ovation in ’04-05 season, the last Laker team to miss the playoffs, that’s how much the hatred is, even when Lakers have a lousy team, it's still a big deal to beat them, funny stuff. Love them or hate 'em, the Lakers have earned their spot in pantheon of sports and the true basketball fans, know this, and give them their props, haters keep hating, the Lakers will never hava a drought like other teams, that's a fact.
I currently reside in the Lone Star State, home to 3 ball clubs, their fans hate the Lakers with a passion, makes for good competitive fun come playoffs, here a run down of my Favorite Lakers “rivals":

Boston: Duh! The most storied rivalry in sports, if you don't know this, you're not an NBA fan.

Chicago: MJ former playground, the pinnacle by which Kobe greatness is measured, have been insignificant for 12 seasons now, still enjoy seeing them lose and look forward to Kobe getting six rings to match MJ, the next argument will be MJ never lost a series, and didn’t have Shaq, *Sigh* the hate continues.

Cleveland: More for Kobe vs. King Crab, and the addition of the Big Way Past His Prime, will be meaningless if James bolts out, keep collecting MVP trophies Crabby, Kobe collects rings.

Dallas: Want what Lakers got, cannot have it, you must earn it, regular season means squat , win when it matters. Nice colletion of talent in recent years, but continue to dissapoint in the playoffs.

Denver: The supposed biggest threat, failed to keep up their end, too much talk, no action, love seeing JR pissed off when Lakers win. Do like Melo and Nene though.

Detroit: Not as fun now that they suck, but back in the Bad Boys days I really disliked them, a feeling that was reawakened in ’04, hope they become worthy rivals again.

Warriors: Just a fun team as long as Nelson runs things, many exciting games I have watched between these teams. From Run TMC, Sprewell, Jamison/Arenas, B Diddy.

Houston: West rival, home state team, always get up for LA, with Yao coming back next year, should again play LA strong everytime.

Clippers: LA’s other team, were supposed to be the new LA team 4 season ago, phocking hilarious, what a waste of talent.

Miami: Died down a bit with the exit of the Big Once Was, but D Wade vs Kobe still fun, how’d that trade work out for ya Miami?

New York: Madison Square Garden, Spike Lee, what else can I say, man this team need to improve, any team Eddie House plays in I automatically dislike, what if he would end in LA, hmm, that’d suck.

OKC: The new kids on the block, here's to a future of great games, may become my next disliked team if they are to become heirs to the Western throne. Former Longhorn Durant is outstanding.

Orlando: recent Finals opponent, I actually liked the Magic and was hoping to see Kobe smack Barnes, oh well.

Philadelphia: Great history between, not the same since AI bailed out, get better quick!

Phoenix: Still remember them breaking my heart in ’90 and ’06, great city, great players, a team I enjoy seeing when not watching the Lakers, but get pleasure in them losing to them.

Portland: the only time I cheer for Portland is when they’re playing the Celtics, one of their most intense rivals Rose Garden is still a nightmare.

Sacramento: Still remember the great battles of early 2000s, no matter if they suck, it’s still fun to see them lose.

San Antonio: Another respected rival and the one most fellow Texans cheer for, their fans are brutal, I’ve experienced it first hand, great rivalry.

Utah: My first ever disliked team going back to ’88, but one of the team I’ve come to admire over the years due to Coach Sloan. Games against them are always entertaining, sometimes lopsided, but always emotional.

So it’s no wonder the reigning Champs are hated, losing to the same team sucks, while Leprechauns still have more titles, the gap is closing and whether haters give them credit or not, the Lakers the Lakers are just 2 titles away from tying them and with Kobe and Pau still All-Stars and Bynum potential still possible, and the role players doing their work, Lakers are on road to becoming even more hated, is that possible? Ha, gotta love it, 3 more LA, just 3 more.