Who Drives the Bandwagon?

Bandwagon: supporter of a sports team only during a period of success.

That's the Wikipedia definition of those notorious sports junkies who only get high on victories. Loyalty is not part of their vocabulary in the world of competition, and wins are the only instances that satisfy their desire to watch sports.

I'm talking about those who root for teams like the Yankees, the Cowboys, high school football teams like Concorde De La Salle (well...maybe on a smaller level...but they did win 151 games in a row!), and of course....my beloved Lakers.

Now, let me start off by saying that I do not associate myself with say, bandwagoners. Sure, the Lakers probably have the most NBA fans, possess the most NBA Finals appearances, and, for the most part, because of their market, enjoy winning seasons, because, let's face it....Los Angeles isn't such a shabby place to live if one is looking for ultimate stardom. The Glitz. The Glamour. Jack Nicholson sitting courtside with the signature shades. And all the fame-hungry -women -that-any-athlete-would-love-to-fulfill-the insecurities-that-daddy-left-them. Why wouldn't the Lakers be good, when money, success, and fame can be tied to one organization?

But does that make me a fan? No, but it makes it that much more bearable. Bearable because even during times of failure, I can have true hope that my team will make the effort to turn it around. It's the Lakers. The Purple and Gold. Colors that only royalty can claim as their own. And colors that, by themselves, seem a tad on the feminine side when one chooses their wardrobe, but when associated with the Lakers, are worn proudly when the basketball mesh is pulled over their head.

Fourteen years ago, when I was nine years old, I officially became a Lakers fan. I had uncles, parents, and grandparents who cheered for the Lakers over the last couple of decades. But it wasn't until 96-97 season that I began tuning into Fox Sports West and watching every Lakers game that I could. That was the year Kobe Bryant was drafted, and fortunately for us, the Charlotte Hornets felt that aging big man Vlade Divac would pay better dividends for them and traded their young prodigy away to Los Angeles.

It was during this time too, that the big fella out of Orlando wanted out. The big fella, known universally today by one syllable, Shaq, decided to leave the Magic to join the bright lights of Los Angeles in order further his career as an athlete, a rapper, and become the triple threat talent by making critically acclaimed films like Kazaam and Steel (...yes I kid...).

As a nine year old, I couldn't help but admire these young Lakers take the floor. Shaq and his ferocious slams, Kobe's 360 dunks, and even Nick Van Exel's heel kickin' three pointers. They were fun to watch, and being young basketball fan, you couldn't ask for better entertainment. There wasn't a week that went by when single-digit-aged George didn't sport the NUMBER 8 Great Western Forum Lakers jersey.

To this day, I have yet to miss more than maybe a handful of Lakers games. Hell, I missed only one Lakers game last year, and with DVR in the 21st century, I don't plan on missing many more.

I could go on and on about the Kobe airballs in Utah, the Kobe-Shaq squabble, Rick Fox's tunnel skirmishes with Doug Christie, the Boston beatdowns, the Eagle Colorado fiasco, the Shaq trade, the other Shaq trade, oh and the other Shaq trade...but I digress.

The truth is, I love the Lakers, and I love the NBA. I follow anything associated with the LEAGUE, because, let's face it, it's important to scout your competition. And when chances when, say, a Threepeat can be threatened, it's important for a true fan to recognize the foes that go against your true warriors that you support (and no, that wasn't a reference to Ron Artest's record Label Tru Warier that produced hits like "Workout" and "I Love Middle Eastern Women"...oh Ron, drop the Hennessy).

So when teams like the Miami Thrice are formed, it's important for one to analyze the repercussions of such a collaboration of talent. Because maybe, just maybe, the Lakers bandwagon might become a little lighter. And although I'd never consider myself a bandwagon fan, I do drive the vehicle...so get off if you're gonna "take your talents to South Beach" because I'm the designated driver....