the Lakers were the World Champions…

Seven years ago, I was 14. Now, I know for some teams, it’s been my lifetime since they won a championship. But for me, seven years SEEMS like a lifetime ago.

And today, it’s such an amazing feeling to revel in the glory of having captured another title. I CAN’T BELIEVE WE DID IT. All the haters said it couldn’t be done without Shaq, that Jackson wasn’t really that fantastic of a coach, that Gasol was too “soft” (p.s. props to him for single-handedly shutting down Dwight Howard) and all that other jazz. BUT, we did it. Under the leadership of Kobe and a passion that finally sparked loudly enough in each player, they were able to focus, play COMMENDABLE defense and clinch Game 5. They went on that 16-0 run in the second quarter over the Orlando Magic and never looked back, keeping their eyes on a prize that eluded them last year against the Celtics. AAAAHHHHHHHH I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. If ONLY I could go to the parade. siiiiiiiigh. But work will also be amazing..

Yet, for many non-sports fans, celebrating so intensely for/with/about a team that doesn’t even k now who I am, who will probably never personally know who I am, seems kinda silly. And I’ve often thought about this a lot. WHY am I such a huge Lakers/sports fan? I technically have no concrete afiliation with them. But then again, it’s like having a favorite movie star or favorite music group. For some reason (not excluding the love of their love of their craft/art), we love to cheer on extraordinary people. We love seeing others win/achieve and we have strong bonds with other strangers who have this same affinity for our shared team. It’s this camaraderie that makes me love sports. It brings people together to root for a common team/individual. And this desire to see OTHERS win reminds me that we’re not all self-obsessed. We actually want to see people accomplish great feats, like winning World Championships. It’s also the great journeys and stories of individuals that makes the victory that much sweeter.

So, I need to stop over-analyzing everything all the time, and just revel in my happiness and enjoy the Lakers’ win for now. And, of course, I will be donning my Laker jersey and foam finger the entire day tomorrow.