One night in Staples without Kobe

LOS ANGELES—A pre-season NBA game featuring the Los Angeles Clippers against the Sacramento Kings marks the second day of my United States journey to visit old friends and be godfather at Jill Joson’s wedding in Virginia.
Jill is one of those “nieces” that aren’t relatives but have become like so because of your close ties with their parents. You make trips for their weddings no matter how far away they are because they are family as well.
The delightful husband-and-wife team of Gerry and Jackie Katigbak, producers of concerts of Filipino artists in the US, treat me and my wife Gigi to a night at the Staples Center, better known as the home of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The Katigbaks’ son Miko is also with us to check if the Clippers and the Kings have any chances at all in the upcoming NBA season.
* * *
Our tickets are for the “300” seats, similar to bleacher sections in our own venues. But it doesn’t feel like you’re too far from the action as a circular scoreboard shows videos, graphics and game coverage.
The NBA makes every effort to make the fans feel part of the game experience, whether you are seated in the rafters or alongside Jack Nicholson’s seat.
The Clippers have been called luckless as the struggling cousin of the Lakers. But lo and behold, hundreds of Clipper fans are in team jerseys at Staples tonight. My sense is that these fans just want to have fun.
They could be non-Kobe or non-Laker fans just wanting to cheer for a home squad. Or they just want to be part of the impending success of the Clippers, should it happen.
As the fans know, they are part of the “Clipper nation” that the coliseum announcer repeatedly barked.
* * *
The game is played with all the trimmings from lively starters’ introductions to routines by the Clipper Spirit dance crew. The first three quarters amble along with an initial spurt by Baron Davis and the Clippers, establishing a lead as big as 20 against a team that isn’t into the game.
The Clipper lead is short-lived, however, as the Kings roar back and the Clipper starters begin to get into foul trouble. In the endgame, the Clippers miss out on golden chances to preserve the win. They fail to stop the Kings’ Tyreke Evans from scoring the winning lay-up. Final count, 96-94, Kings.
* * *
We couldn’t help but think that the PBA could adopt many of the elements of the NBA game-day script to enhance its production even more. The emphasis is clearly on the league’s connection to the fan because there’s no problem about the quality of the NBA game.
The generous use of video outside of the game-based camera arrangement of the TV coverage team could show fans really going crazy at the games.
Showing more poignant slices of the crowd like couples, old people and children on giant screens will involve the audience in many ways. Free move-ups for those in the bleacher sections to get a courtside seat is also interesting and engaging.
Many of those who watched the Clippers-Kings game will most likely not remember the score or leading performers over time.
But it’s difficult to shake off the NBA experience as even the less heralded teams come up with a great sports watching experience by simply keeping the fans in the game.