Laker Night at the Gym

Silly me, I thought the gym would be abandoned tonight because of the Celtics/Lakers NBA finals game.

I was WRONG!

The gym was packed with folks cheering at the top of their lungs every time somebody made a basket, and then groaning like they ate some salmonella tomatoes when someone else missed a shot.

Most of the folks were cheering for the Lakers. I was not one of them.

Let me be clear: I'd heartily cheer for the Lakers if Kobe Bryant wasn't on the team. Unfortunately, he's still on the roster, which means, as things now stand, my dislike of Kobe supersedes any Lakers affection I might be able to generate. In fact, the entire time I've lived in LA, Kobe has been on the Lakers team, so I guess you could say I've never let the Lakers replace the Chicago Bulls in my heart.

It's not just his whole apres-surgery rape allegations and his subsequent shameful purchase of a $4 million dollar ring for his wife. No, my dislike of Kobe actually began way back in the days of the Bulls vs Lakers. Back then, Kobe's punkish behavior, his arrogance, and his trying to step to Michael Jordan like he was "all that" right out of high school made me cheer every time he missed a shot.

I've never seen any redeeming behavior from him. He's still that petulant, spoiled ball-hog brat that thinks he's the King of the NBA.

Uh, no Kobe. Back up off the crown. The King is still Michael Jordan.

Just think, if the Lakers had gotten rid of Kobe instead of Shaq, I'd be cheering. I'd even consider putting a Lakers flag on my car. Instead, I'm left saying to myself, "Hey, Kevin Garnett is from Chicago, I'm half Irish and I like to wear green and white year-round."

Now, If you think Kobe's the best thing since sliced bread... um, gosh, put down the crack pipe and slowly back away.

I know, major haterade, right? Especially from someone so peace-loving and, cough, gentle. Just trust me on this one. Nothing anyone says will ever get me to like Kobe Bryant. N-O-T-H-I-N-G! Even my kids know that to annoy me all they have to do is repeat his name.

"Ko-be! Ko-be! Ko-be!" By the third time they say it, I'm usually looking at them so evil that they shut up and slink away.

So, tonight, while everyone else was doing more Laker cheering than working out, I turned on my little treadmill TV to the Euro 2008 soccer game instead. Spain was handily wiping the floor with Russia and, ta-da, there was no annoying Kobe Bryant on my TV! AND, there's nothing like watching some smokin' hot footballers running around on a field to keep me going for three miles. It was probably the easiest run I've had in eons.

After my run, I went upstairs to lift some weights and discovered that there were ten minutes left in the game. Lo and behold, almost everybody had abandoned their various weight machines because they were standing around one of the ginormous flat screen TVs watching the Lakers trying to overtake the Celtics.

This was fantastic for me because I didn't have to wait to use anything! For that reason alone I hope this series stretches to seven games. If so, I will be in the gym taking advantage of everybody else's Laker distraction!

Comments

haha! I'm with you. I cannot STAND Kobe. He is no Michael Jordan. Please!

I hope the Celtics win.
Liz Dwyer said…
NYC/CR,
He'll never be Michael Jordan. My blood boils whenever I hear dumb sportscasters mentioning his name in the same sentence as Jordan. I heard someone say the other day that Kobe's as good as Jordan was. Folks are truly delusional these days.
Nerd Girl said…
As much as I do NOT like KB, I still have love for the Lakers! I am CA born and bred, and will always be down with the purple and gold. Thank goodness they decided to play a little ball last night . . . very little, but enough to win.

LOL - my whole workout this weekend was done while I was watching and lusting after those oh-so-toned track stars at the Prefontaine in Oregon! Maybe I'll try futbol stars next :)
Lisa Johnson said…
LOL! I'm glad that the series is helping your workout. : ) I'm not into basketball, but I do support the home team. I'm hoping the Celtics win, but I'm not watching the games. If they win and there is another parade, it will be the first of these parades that we've had in the summer.
Ian Lidster said…
I'd love to go to a real Lakers' game.
Agree about Kobe vs Jordan. Jordan always had class and that's the real difference. It's much like the difference in hockey between Gretzky and Messier.
Liz Dwyer said…
Nerd Girl,
I'm sort of glad they won too. I wouldn't want them to go out totally humiliated. I used to root for the Lakers back in the day when I was a little girl. Why oh why don't they just get rid of Kobe??? Sigh! And isn't there something really motivating about watching other people doing something physical? It makes you believe that you too could be in great shape one day!

Anali,
I usually only watch the second half of the finals games, if that much. I wouldn't even know the games were on if everybody and their momma wasn't all, "Lakers in 6!!!" I do miss the big get-togethers with friends back home at the height of the Bulls dynasty. Jordan, Scottie Pippen and "The Worm", Dennis Rodman -- gosh those were some really fun times.
Liz Dwyer said…
Ian,
I don't know so much about hockey but Gretzky has always seemed like a decent guy. Messier seems to be the one with the Kobe-sized ego. Am I right? I've never been to a Lakers game but when I was teaching I took my students to a practice. Kobe was a real pill. Derek Fisher was really nice and so was Shaq. Phil Jackson was a little mean, probably because they'd just lost the night before. Jordan did always have class. Still does.
Anonymous said…
I love Kobe and I love my Lakers. Always have, always will. As a bball player, he's the best in the game RIGHT NOW. I'm not saying he's Jordan but Jordan is retired and Kobe is the best thing going. MVP baby! Do I agree with his behavior all the time and his past indiscretions?...of course not! But I watch bball because I love the game and I watch Kobe and have love for him as a bball player. Besides all that...Jordan may be the greatest to ever play but in terms of class and being the moral compass...he is not. He made cheating on his wife and keeping mistresses here and there his side sport...so yeah. If you don't like Kobe...fine, no problem. But please don't take away from the man's talent and skills. That just looks and sounds...haterish.
Liz Dwyer said…
Brownsugalady,
Of course it's haterish because I don't like the man. Sure he's talented and all that but I can't even enjoy his talent because just seeing his face on my TV annoys me. In fact, I'd say I'm not taking away from his talent and skills. His attitude is the thing that takes away from his talent and skills. And nope, Jordan wasn't and isn't a perfect being and he's done some pretty crappy things as far as cheating and all that. But I still respect him despite it. Glad you stand by who you like though. :)
Anonymous said…
I can't stand the man. The raping of that poor 5'2" 19 year old girl, then actively destroying her entire life, was just the icing on the cake. He's a psychopath - plain and simple. I hate what he did to Shaq and every other person on that team. I love the Lakers when all the cool kids were on the team. Now that it's the Kobe show? Yuck.
Jen said…
I'm totally with you on Kobe. And not only is Michael the King, but he has the sexiest smile.

Ever.
Anonymous said…
There's not many people on earth I can this about but I truly loathe Kobe. His actions in his indiscretions and the treatment of teammates far supercedes any inkling of talent he may have. I keep hoping he'll leave so I can at least watch the Lakers again but he continues to stay so I continue to not watch anything to do with him.
Lola Gets said…
I am completely feeling you on that "hot footballer" comment. If you read my post titled, "Voguing Omegas", I writa about my all-too-brief encounter with a football team that Black Pride night. And I included a pic, too (of course its not that football team, but who cares, theyre still hot!)!

L
Liz Dwyer said…
Claudia,
I hate what Kobe did to Shaq too and how he divided the team up. Shaq's no saint in his personal life either but he's not such a divider. Kobe's like the acquaintance you see in the grocery store but you try to hide from so you don't have to hear about how everything on earth is about them.

Jen,
The Jordan smile is definitely a winner. There's always genuine warmth in it. Even though he's aged, he's still got that lovely smile.

Yolanda,
I wish Kobe could get sent to some other team. Then we can start to enjoy the Lakers and not have see his grill unless he's on the other side. Every time the Lakers win because Kobe saved the day, it feels so hollow.

Lola,
Yep, for me it's because they have great legs, that's for sure. When you see them running around, it's so motivational because then you start to think, if I run, I can have awesome legs like that, too! :)
Jameil said…
lol. well at least kobe gave you something-- free weight machines! i find him ridiculously arrogant, as well. salmonella tomatoes? hilarity!
Anonymous said…
Los Angelista,
I wasn’t gonna make a habit of this, but this topic just drew me in…lol.
I too had an “at the gym during play-offs in LA Laker-time” experience, but it was against Utah, game #6. I belong to 24HR Something-or-other and I went to the MJ one (that’s Magic Johnson to you!), just off Crenshaw. I too thought it’d be empty, being play-offs and evening and all. Wrong! The Guy’s locker room has guy’s standing all around looking up at the TV’s. The big positive was, no-one, and I mean no-one, was using the weights or equipment; didn’t have to wait fer nutin’! Funny part about all this…I don’t live in LA, not even in Cali! So I watched it all with removed non-passion.
So, that would answer your question about reading the article about depression and young people in Central LA, etc. Since I’ve read similar information from other areas like that, it doesn’t surprise me at all it would be the same there. It’s just kinda hideous we almost just accept it…
I swear the “Skanketta” was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. I remember, years ago, I had a girl like that. Whew! “She” and that whole environ is exactly why, as much as I’ve worried about the racial disconnect; my kid’s have been raised around and gone to school with a completely different situation than that. Hope it helps them out in their life…
SOCCER?! Wow! Did you play on the “pitch” in the day? And wasn’t it wonderful to watch Croatia beat the Germans?! Yeah!!!
Single White Daddy
Liz Dwyer said…
Jameil,
I went out to eat last night and NO TOMATOES on my salad. Such disappointment!

SWD,
I know where that 24 HR Fitness is! So you got some good luck as well as far as folks being distracted. You get the best of both worlds then. You get to visit but live somewhere else. Do you get to come here often? I didn't see Germany vs Croatia but I am looking forward to France vs Italy next Tuesday. It should be a good one. And Skanketta has definitely moved on to someone new. I feel sorry for her because she just seems so unhappy. Hope she grows up soon.

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