The Purple & Gold

I grew up in Oregon in the late 80's and early 90's with four brothers who loved the Trailblazers. Part in parcel with their love for the Trailblazers came an intense hatred of the Los Angeles Lakers. I don't know what it was about those boys in the purple and gold, we just loved to hate them. My mother's family was from Los Angeles, however, so my aunts and uncles and grandma and grandpa were huge Laker fans. I remember one Christmas when my Aunt Jodie and Uncle Kelly sent us all a bunch of Laker paraphernalia as a gift/joke. I can still remember the shrieks and booing that my brothers let out as they ripped into their Laker socks. (or gloves,or shirts, or whatever else it was).

Fast forward twenty years. I'm married to a man who grew up as a Laker Fan, and his love has never softened or weakened toward that team. We even survived the whole incident with Kobe in Colorado, keeping our Laker fandom intact. I've always remained pretty much neutral towards either team, and really towards the sport as a whole. I've always just felt lucky that the sport my husband loves is basketball... a game is relatively short to watch on TV, compared to football, or baseball, or, heaven forbid, golf. Plus, he doesn't really like to play it anymore...watching seems to be enough for him these days.

But it's high Laker season around here these days...and it's been fun to watch my boys learn about the sport and start to turn into little fans. Sunday, my boys dressed for church in purple and gold (when appropriate), and after church we had a full blown Laker party.

Too bad they lost that game.

But then they won the next one.

So that was good.









My Grandpa Curly passed away on Monday. He was an awesome man and also a huge Laker Fan himself. So, there's a little part of me that wants the Lakers to win the whole thing just for him. I know that's not the reality of the situation, but in my mind, when they win, they'll be doing it for him. And I know he'd be happy to see all my little Laker fans cheering on his team.