A Day in the Life of a True Fan

Last Sunday was Mothers' Day. It was also the day that my favorite basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers, were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs.

Throughout the NBA Playoffs, I have noticed something--that when a team loses on their home court, they finish the game without any support. A few weeks ago, when the Atlanta Hawks lost by about ten solid points in Atlanta, the crowd was cut to half the amount with the entire fourth quarter left. Seeing the empty stands shocked me.

"This is the NBA," I thought. "Not just some high school basketball game where the bleachers are filled with kids that come to socialize and could care less about the actual score. Why aren't the fans real fans?"

According to the dictionary, a fan is an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a particular thing. If this is the definition of a fan, then why are basketball fans all over the nation walking out on their respective teams when they need support the most? 

To me, a true sports fan is one who celebrates wins, grieves losses, and understands how to lose graciously. Of course, getting angry at the opposing team is natural, but fueling a rivalry and recognizing pure talent are two completely differnent things. 

As a die-hard Lakers fan, I, by nature, despise the Celtics. Its a common thing. When the Lakers lost the championship to the Celtics in 2008, I was devastated. But I sat on the couch for a couple of extra hours watching the celebrations in Boston, both teams' interviews, and the post-game show. Just because my team lost, doesn't mean I couldn't see and appreciate the talent that Boston has. Boston is a great team, no doubt about it, and I don't think its right to let my anger at them take the best of me.

Of course, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will NEVER know that I accepted Lakers defeat. But I think being a true fan is a more personal thing for me. Knowing in my heart that I did the right thing makes me feel respectful of the sport.  

Being a true fan is important to me. Basketball is important to me. It has taught me how to have passion for something I love, and that giving up may be an easy way out, but it is never right.

Winning is what everybody wants in life. Whether it is to "win" acceptance into a university, that bonus at work, or the local Relay for Life, every human being on this planet is searching for success, and in our society, winning is success. 

Hate to break it to you, but with every win, comes a loss. I guess that's how life works. But through basketball,  I have learned that losing is healthy. I think it helps us stay in check with reality.

Because at the end of each day in the life of every person, fans included, life is ten percent action and 90 percent reaction.