Bruins celebrate Lakers’ victory with merriment, mayhem in Westwood

By Moin Salahuddin

Daily Bruin Staff

It took a long 12 years for Los Angeles to bring a major
professional sports title back to the City of Angels.

But it took seemingly only 12 milliseconds for the fans of the
Los Angeles Lakers, including many UCLA students, to erupt in a
fervor that hadn’t been seen in Southern California for a
long time.

As the Lakers grabbed the lead late in the fourth quarter on
June 19th against the Indiana Pacers in game six of the NBA Finals
at the Staples Center, nearly 20,000 fans standing just outside the
arena and millions of others citywide held their breath before
breaking out into celebration.

“Three … two … one. The Lakers are the World
Champions!” exclaimed Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn as the
Lakers prevailed, 116-111.

As superstars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant toasted
their dramatic victory with champagne inside the lockeroom,
bonfires erupted just 50 feet from the walls of Staples Center.

A peaceful celebration once characterized by the sound of
honking horns soon turned into a lawless mess epitomized by the
sirens of police and firefighters.

And while the streets surrounding the Staples Center grew more
insane as the excitement of winning grew, the bars, restaurants,
apartments and dormitories of Westwood also felt much of that same
fervor.

Screams of joy could be heard throughout campus as students,
having just finished final exams, became even more relieved as
their men in purple and gold won.

“I love L.A.!” yelled the large Bruin crowd as they
emptied out of the Westwood bars and restaurants and into the
streets just seconds after the Lakers’ win.

An estimated 200 revelers roamed the streets of Westwood late
into the night, tossing garbage cans and bottles out into the
street, nearly hitting several vehicles. Many students taunted
police, who were placed on a tactical alert as a melee broke out on
Gayley Avenue. The activity, however, paled in comparison to that
of downtown Los Angeles.

But the focus of the night was celebration and UCLA students
were a large part of that. With the likes of Magic Johnson showing
up on campus regularly throughout the year and Bryant enrolled in
UCLA Italian classes, many Bruins typically sway their affection
toward the “Showtime” Lakers ““ both of the 1980s
and of the present.

“Even though (Pacer guard) Reggie Miller is from UCLA, I
still love my Lakers!” said junior Rebecca Jones.

Not since 1995, when UCLA defeated Arkansas in men’s
basketball for the NCAA Championship, had Westwood seen the crazy
fanfare that occurred just moments after the Lakers won their
seventh NBA title.

“It was unbelievable,” graduate Stephanie Leonard
said of the celebration back in 1995. “This (party)
isn’t even close to back then.”

But despite the jubilation of many, there were a few Bruins who
weren’t happy with the outcome ““ mainly Pacers
fans.

“The Pacers should have won,” said senior Jake
Cooper, an Indiana fan for over 10 years. “It’s all
part of a conspiracy.”

Still, the overwhelming sentiment of UCLA and the city of Los
Angeles, favored the Lakers.

“I knew the Lakers were going to win the title,”
Leonard said. “It was just a question of when.”

Others merely worried about how much to celebrate the NBA World
Championship.

“I’ve been partying all week long,” graduate
Danny Ben-Moshe said.

While it seemed as though the Lakers were going to capture the
title entering the playoffs, the squad was pushed to the limit by
the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trailblazers. In the decisive
game seven against the Blazers, the Lakers overcame a 15-point
fourth quarter deficit to make it to the NBA Finals.

“The Lakers are incredible,” Ben-Moshe said.
“I wish our school could create such excitement.”

While UCLA garnered five national titles last year, it seems the
Bruins need to win a football or basketball title to have another
excuse to party in the streets of Westwood.

But that shouldn’t be a problem, according to current
Bruin Jesse Smith.

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about stuff
to celebrate. With Kobe and Shaq, the Lakers will keep on winning
and we’ll keep on cheering.”