ROOTING VALUES

Four celebrity sports fans weigh in on their favorite teams.

ROOTS FOR: The Los Angeles Lakers
ATHLETIC SUPPORTER: DON DIAMONT (Bill)

When did you become a Lakers fan? “We moved here from New York when I was very young and I can’t even put my finger on when — I just grew up with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich. That is the incarnation of the Lakers I remember.” 

Did you have a favorite player? “I was a big Jerry West fan. I went to his basketball camp when I was 15 or 16. Actually, there was a free throw shooting contest and I ended up getting through all the stages, to the quarters and then the semis and then to the finals, and when you won your age group, you shot the best out of 10 against Jerry West. He missed one and I made all 10. That was very exciting, and honestly, it still is. So yes, I grew up with the Lakers and that carries on through Magic [Johnson] and James Worthy and Byron Scott and on to Kobe [Bryant] and Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal].”

What has been your proudest moment as a fan? “Oh, my goodness. Pick one. The Lakers have had so many great streaks, and yes, a couple of years were not so great, but it’s hard not to root for them.”

What was your most heartbreaking moment as a fan? “Well, playing against the [Boston] Celtics. Some of those moments were painful, losing to the Celtics, particularly in the finals. We did have down years.... Being a Lakers fan is like being a [New York] Yankees fan. It’s championship or bust. It’s like, you are not successful until you’ve won the championship.”