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Maria Menounos: Jack Nicholson got me booted from Lakers game

"Extra" host Maria Menounos gets feisty when she's courtside.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Maria Menounos’ sports affiliations keep getting her into trouble.

The “Extra” host is a self-proclaimed “die-hard” Boston Celtics fan and has no problems trash-talking and taunting players.

And on Wednesday, the 35-year-old explained on “Conan” that “the ultimate” Lakers fan Jack Nicholson had her booted from Game 6 of the Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals game in 2010.

“Dane Cook and I were sitting courtside, we made it our business, our like second job to go to all these games and really rally for our team,” she said. “And all of a sudden — we’re courtside. I’m wearing my Celtics gear, I’m screaming, going crazy — and I get booted! These guys come and pull us out of courtside! I’m like, ‘What is going on?’”

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“So we end up in the chairman’s lounge at halftime and I’m like hiding in this hallway and all of a sudden Jack Nicholson comes out of the bathroom and he’s like ‘Heh, heh, heh ... I see they moved your seat,’” she said. “He got me kicked out! I heard later he called [late Lakers owner] Jerry Buss and had me removed!”

“I just got mafia-ed! This is not right!”

Menounos also mentioned that Lakers star Kobe Bryant gave her a hard time (but also respect) at an All-Star game for wearing a Celtics green-inspired shirt to the game.

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The lifelong penchant for Boston sports teams stems from her being a Beantown native. She told Conan O’Brien that she even sold sausages outside the Red Sox’s Fenway Park and at New England Patriots games. The stunning brunet also charmed customers with a cute little jingle to get them to buy her product.

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Menounos has been photographed shouting at players during games, including an incident at one particular Orlando Magic basketball game that O’Brien was sure to ask her about.

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(Watch the video below to hear her rather complicated taunt.)

Her fanaticism has garnered her quite a bit of publicity, too. In early 2012, the host lost a bet to AJ Calloway, an “Extra” correspondent, that resulted in her having to host the show in freezing Times Square while wearing a New York Giants-themed bikini. She mistakenly thought the New England Patriots would beat the Giants at the Super Bowl that year.

We imagine she’ll never live down -- or warm up from -- that moment.

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Follow Ministry of Gossip @LATcelebs.

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