Lakers Fans Flood Pier Plaza

It may have been Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but the mood Sunday at the Pier Plaza seemed more Game 7. Basketball fans  flaunted purple and gold, and the chant "Let's Go Lakers" echoed across Hermosa Avenue 30 minutes before tipoff.

"You just have to be out in this atmosphere. It's exciting and it's Lakers-Celtics-- what more can you ask for?" said Chris Chacon, 31, who was watching the game at Patrick Molloy's.

Chacon's passion for Laker basketball originated during the legendary 1980s battles between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers when "Showtime" ruled the Forum and Laker greats were known by their first names: Magic and Kareem.

Despite the fact that it has been more than 20 years since the Celtics and Lakers battled three times in the finals (1984, 1985, 1987), fans vividly and fondly remember the classic matchups between Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers.

"There is a huge difference between then and now," said Bryan Driscoll, who played basketball as a freshman at Hawthorne High School against current Celtics star forward Paul Pierce. "It was more cutthroat back then with the physical play and it was just a bitter rivalry with so many great games played. That was what got me into basketball and where I developed my love of basketball."

Driscoll, who was watching Game 5 at Patrick Molloy's, is rooting for the Lakers but admires Pierce. "He was a phenomenal player at Inglewood High and you could tell he had superstar written all over him," he said. "He was a class act all the way."

The Celtics won 92-86 on Sunday, limiting the Lakers to 39.7% shooting during the game. Despite the loss, South Bay fans are happy to be playing against the  Celtics and are counting on the Lakers to capitalize on home-court advantage and win Game 6 at the Staples Center on Tuesday.

"I love to root against them [Celtics]. They have so many fierce competitors and emotional players, but they whine on every possession," said Hermosa Beach resident Kyle Smith as he turned his attention to the television screens at Patrick Molloy's.

Katie Varner, 32, was watching the game at Patrick Molloy's and said that she couldn't stand Pierce and teammates Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis.

"They are so obnoxious with their celebrations," she said.

 Chacon chose to view the Celtics as a respected opponent rather than the enemy.

"The late 1980s, that legacy, is the reason basketball is so big in Los Angeles," he said. "I don't have any animosity toward these Celtic teams. They are competitors and professionals. You have to respect their players."

Hermosa Beach residents were more eager to express loyalty to the Lakers than an unbridled confidence in their performance. They will wait to see how the final two games of the series unfold. But one thing's for certain: If the Lakers prevail, these fans are ready to celebrate.

"If we win, I will take a day off work and end my streak of three years of perfect attendance to go to that parade," said Smith, who works for Budweiser. "I missed it in 2008, and there's no way I would miss out this time around."