What It Means Is More Glitz for Lakers

The L.A. arena deal. What does it mean? For the Lakers, it means:

Jerry Buss will be forking out the funds to pay rent in the new arena to get the much-desired 150 luxury boxes so corporation VIPs and movie stars can be catered to in a class box instead of mingling with the real basketball fans because they yell too loud. Maybe Buss can give the Forum to his daughter with the hopes that roller hockey will catch on in Los Angeles. Or maybe he thinks Donald Sterling might like to buy it if the price is right. Cheap.

The move will be great for the Lakers, especially Shaq, if he has not utilized the opt-out clause his third contract year because of the criticism he will continue to receive because he can’t make a free throw. Don’t make Shaq mad, Laker fans, you need him to fill up those luxury boxes. In fact, the boxes should be named after him: “Shaq in the Box.”

CINDY LE VEQUE

Lakewood