June 12, 2008: I sit here before at 10:00 o’clock at night, approximately an hour and fifteen minutes following the most shameful, saddening and downright depressing walk of my life… but those words don’t begin to describe the emotions felt by myself and millions of others.

If that wasn’t the most shameful exhibition of basketball, it has got to be up there because nothing else strikes me as ever doing this to me.

"You just blew a 20-point lead… that’s got to be embarrassing," I heard from someone behind me. He was right. It sure was.

Hello everyone, I’m Bryan and I live in Los Angeles, the City of Angels. But those angelic figures fell asleep in the final 24 minutes of play in downtown LA this night. I write this tonight, ladies and gents, in pure shock and disbelief… along with millions of others across America.

Some, mainly including those in New England, are in a state of shock that is urging them to party all night at their local pubs and get even more wasted than they already likely are. To be them for the night would be something I would love to be… except I would not want to be rooting for this fake team they are.

Others, including the disinterested parties everywhere else besides Los Angeles and Beantown, are in a state of shock with the expression, "Holy $#!@, did that really just happen! What a game!"

I envy these people a great deal, because their team played a heck-of-a game  of basketball tonight. And lastly, there are those in Los Angeles… the state of shock where I found myself in tonight after one of the most utterly depressing nights in sports history. Folks, I present to you my story of my night at Staples Center, the home of games three and four of the NBA finals between the LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

Sunday afternoon, I was sitting at home twiddling my thumbs when I got a message from a friend offering me tickets to games three and four of the NBA Finals. An opportunity of a life time, really, as I held them in my hands. I instantly called my dad and told him about the offer, and we accepted.

Sunday night came, and so did the Lakers trip to Boston as they looked pretty bad as they were at one point down by 24 points. But with 39 seconds to go, the Lakers found themselves a few fast breaks, three pointers and slam dunks ahead and cut the lead down to a mere two points.

However, the Lakers were not able to pull the trigger and tie up the series one to one, and fell six points shy of a Lakers victory. Poor officiating by the refs, lack of defense and offense for the Lakers cost the team a victory. But, I do not want to go into details about this game, as Monday soon came, and I anxiously awaited the next day as I carefully slipped into conversation with anyone who would care just exactly where I would be the following day.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up and got ready for action. I put on my Lakers shirt, and was the most pumped I’ve ever been for a sporting event. As my dad walked down Pico Avenue, Grand Avenue, Figueroa, and all the streets leading up to the arena, the adrenaline rush grew greater and greater with every step.

Let me tell you, for those of you who haven’t been to a Championship game… the first home game of a championship series is something you need to experience before you die. Even if you can’t get tickets to the game, make an effort to walk around the city and feel the buzz and electricity surrounding the arena. Thinking back on the energy and excitement I felt walking into Staples Center on Tuesday, I’ll be able to have that added energy to get through a test after a long night of studying or stay awake during class.

After collecting an array of free stuff promoters were passing out on the streets, including "T-Mobile NBA Finals" shirts (which I am currently wearing… it’s a VERY nice shirt), I headed into the stadium and watched in awe as the NBA Championship trophy was seen everywhere.

Tons of celebrities were at the game, and I heard murmurs everywhere around me of, "Hey look it’s ___________________ (fill in hot shot celebrity here).

It seemed as if neither team deserved to win at a lot of points in the game, considering both teams played very sloppy. In the least scoring game in any Lakers- Celtics championship game ever, the game was soon over just as quick as it started.

It was an amazing experience that I will never forget, and after watching an ugly Lakers win led by Kobe Bryant, Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic, and not much else, I was left quite satisfied. But I hadn’t had quite enough yet. I still had tickets to game four, except my dad couldn’t go. Having everyone in the city wanting to go, I took an old friend of mine who is one of the biggest Lakers fans I know because I knew he would appreciate it more than anyone else.

There are no words to describe this renewed Lakers' rivalry. How many of the fans actually were old time Celtics and Lakers fans, I’m not sure. But it sure seemed like there thousands more Celtics fans on Thursday night than there had been two nights before.

Yet, that was all fine and dandy in the first half… the better to taunt you with, my dear. More Celtics fans meant more we Lakers fans could yell at, and, at the time, it seemed as if we had every right to because Lamar Odom was playing like a madman and the rest of our team (with the exception of one) followed.

Up by 18 at the half (and at one point even 24 points -- 24, sounds like a pattern), we came back to the second half with our heads up and our tickets to game five in our hands. The game, as far as we knew it, was over. We were just curious by how much we would win by.

This is what separated us from the Celtics. In game two, the Lakers were down by 24 points and cut it down to two, but that was it. In game four, the Lakers were up by 24 and the Celtics cut it down to two, and that’s when I knew it wasn’t over.

To be honest, I was VERY nervous when we were only up by 11, let alone nine, seven, five, three, two, and eventually one. And, by the time it was a tied ball game, I turned to my friend and realized it was five minutes into the game and we had had the lead the entire game – and I wanted to keep it this way.

Yet, as our lead shrunk, so did my tolerance for an obviously drunk Boston fan behind me. This guy is the kind of guy who I’d be willing to bet my entire life’s income on that he could not name me the starting line up for last years Celtics team without help from his slightly less drunk friend. But his lack of knowledge did not take away from his drunken excitement, as after every play he yelled in the loudest, deepest voice ever, "YEAH!!!!!" Had there been a scribe present writing down what this man said, every word would have been "yeah," but there would be plenty more exclamation marks where that came from. In the final two minutes, after every "yeah," I said loudly under my breath, "shut up."

(It’s these fans that come to home games and root loudly for the other team that make me angriest. I have no problem with you being a Celtics fan. We can’t be friends, but I don’t have a problem with you. But if you come to Los Angeles loud, drunk, and rowdy… I’ll get a little ticked off. And, if you sit behind me and give me a headache, I’ll get furious. Being that he was quite a lot older than I am, I obviously couldn’t do anything except write about it. I am not really one to talk, because I am known to go to LA Dodgers games wearing full New York Mets jersey, but I try my best to keep it somewhat cool. Ugh, stupid Boston fans. I don’t think I’m ever wearing green again in my life.)

We’re on a sports web site. We all know Kobe only had 17 points. We all know Lamar had the best first half I’ve ever seen from him, but had four points in the fourth quarter. We all know Phil Jackson was out-coached by Doc Rivers. We all know that "the machine" went from an all-star game to the game of an unknown athlete. We know all this.

However, assuming I’m the only one writing about the finals, I’ll tell you the feelings I was feeling. As I was walking down the escalator of shame, I didn’t know what to think. Possibly, how utterly depressing this loss was. Possibly how much we needed this game because of how impossible it is to come back from a 3-1 lead.

A group of obnoxious, thick accented Bostonians began telling me how much it must hurt to be me in a teasing way. I shut them out, and I began thinking about every single reason why we lost the game. But you can get that from a sports commentator.
 
As I was walking down Figueroa Avenue, a man on a cell phone said to whomever he was talking to, "Look, I’m glad I went and here’s why… I got to see first hand as the plays unfolded before my eyes that the Lakers don’t deserve this championship. They are a *$&$* team."

I looked at him, at first taken back because he was wearing a Lakers jersey, then soon realizing I agreed with him. I’m glad I went, because I learned the Lakers don’t deserve it. Kobe and Derek Fisher have there rings. Pau Gasol was only here for a few months. Lamar played bad in other games. The bench didn’t step up like they needed to.

But, Paul Pierce suffered through all those terrible years in Boston, and is finally leading a good team. Kevin Garnett, one of the leagues best players, played for such a terrible team for so long and is now playing on a great team in the championship. Ray Allen played for a mediocre team and is stepping it up when it counts. This hurts to say, because I am a huge Lakers fan, but they aren’t playing like they deserve a ring, and that’s the truth.

Remember, I’m a Lakers fan. I want the ring. However, I learned first hand they are not the better team and it is not likely we get the championship.

Riding home from Staples Center with the window open, I heard lots of cussing and angered and depressed Lakers fans. Not many people were talking, and if they were they were screaming. It’s only a game, I know. Worse things could happen. I could be severely sick. Someone I know could be severely sick. But this is what had killed our souls in Los Angeles this week, and this was my experience with the NBA in the past seven days.

It’s now 11:30. The loss has had time to soak in, and I need to keep reminding myself you lose a series after four losses, not three. It’s the Lakers – Celtics… stranger things have happened.