Do-or-Die Basketball Turning Into a Sideshow

When the world champion Lakers are in desperate need of fan support in earlier playoff games, what do they get? Here’s what:

A half-empty building (though 17,505 tickets are sold as corporate tax writeoffs), a bunch of Laker girls who reside dangerously close to the sidelines, a band that has been playing the same four songs for three years and an egotistical dancing jerk running up and down the aisles for the so-called fans to enjoy. Then they are subjected to a P.A. announcer who is more of a cheerleader than informer.

Come on, Dr. Buss, this is do-or-die basketball, not Las Vegas.

CHARLES OKONSKI

Canoga Park