Hey Everyone, as expected it’s been a bit hard to consistently post all my LA trip content, but I am slowly getting there! One of the things I did during this trip that I wasn’t too sure but always wanted to was going to a Lakers game, especially before the arena changes it’s name. Don’t be alarmed, Toronto Raptors will always be my team but if you know me, before I was a Raps fan I was a Lakers fan and that was because of Shaq. Therefore, I did want to go one day to a Lakers game but during this trip I felt like it might be a nice excuse to check that out on my bucket list. In this blog post, I will talk about what to expect if you ever go to a Lakers game (see below for a brief recap) plus provide an outfit break down as well! Stay tuned to the blog and on social media (Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook) for more LA Content!
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Venue & Protocols
I am not sure how things are when you are reading this blog post but the game I went to the game on November 28, 2021. They asked for a few things including advising fans to come early to get parking, leave your bags at home, and for COVID protocol you need to present a digital or physical proof of full vaccination (I brought both just in case) prior to entering the arena or a you can show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the game (at home tests are not allowed). I don’t recall the security being that serious about the bags but they did do some checking, especially for the vaccination documents.
Giveaways and Merchandise
Fortunately for me, the game I attended was honouring the legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn. He is beloved by the lakers organization and to celebrate fans attending the game each got a special cooler bag in reference to one his iconic lines “The game’s in the refrigerator!”. It was nice to see clips of former Lakers talk about him and scholarship recipients in honour of him. Of course, not each game will feature a giveaway but there are mini booths inside to pick up merchandise as well as a decently sized team store. I was on the hunt for a Shaq 99′-00 jersey but didn’t have any luck, but fortunately I picked up another item I saw a few years ago that I really liked and you will see that below.
Tickets & Game Experience
So the first thing I want to talk about is the tickets, so I did buy via Ticketmaster but it was resale pricing. I was debating on what kind of tickets to get as I did see some tickets for as low as $33 USD! That is super cheap but since I know this is my first ever time in LA and I don’t know when the next time I will be at a Lakers game, I decided to get closer seats (Sec 115, Row J) for under $200 each. The videos and pictures don’t do it justice but it is approximately 10 rows away from the court. Sure the arena is smaller than Scotiabank Arena / Air Canada Centre but were sitting beside the media team and can clearly see the Lakers bench and well known attendees such as Jeanie Buss, Floyd Mayweather, and Halsey to name a few. I personally enjoyed the seats and recommend it if you can. Also, there is a cool mural in the arena (curious to know if it will still be there) and after the game you can get a bit closer for a nice picture.
In terms of the game, fortunately the Lakers did win so it was nice to experience at the end with the confetti. However, their intro was really cool to see and I have uploaded the full version above. Even though the Lakers won, it was a bit rough at times and I didn’t get that incredible alley-oop from James to AD but you can see some clips from the TikTok above. There was some in-game entertainment including performances from the iconic Laker Girls. See below for some pics.
Food
So it did mention in the email that there would be certain food designated areas to eat but we didn’t see any, so like everyone else we ended up eating in our seats. There are a few options to get food inside and only a few showed up on the app but I remember my sister saying that since LeBron is an investor of Blaze Pizza there had to be one in the arena, and sure enough we found one. Unfortunately, the service was pretty bad and only one person was willing to help get my order ready (one staff member didn’t even want to give the pizza even though I ordered so long ago). We had to miss an entire quarter just to get the pizza which was terrible. Despite the service, this pizza is one of the best pizza’s I’ve ever had (Mushroom & Pesto).
Outside The Arena
It looked like I wasn’t the only one who attended their first Lakers game as I saw a lot of people take pictures outside with statues and it’s not only just Lakers, there are also some Kings statues (Wayne Gretzky & Luc Robitaille). I already did a tiktok of which you can see below along with the pics or here.
The Fit Break Down
Hat
I love wearing this cap for many reasons. Firstly, it is a beautifully designed hat that not only pays tribute to Kobe’s life and legacy, but also his impact as a Lakers Legend! Secondly, this cap is designed and sold by the black-owned brand, Live it Wear it. Mark Stoddart is an incredible artist and was fortunate enough to work with him when I briefly volunteered at RISE. I featured his work before on the blog when I wrote a blog post of Black Owned businesses to support.
Place of Purchase: liwi68.com
Price: $40 USD (including tax & shipping)
Shorts
Speaking of Kobe’s life and legacy, I came across these shorts and loved it. Obviously they are not actually Lakers or Just Don shorts but they are a Scarborough / Toronto based brand and the quality is great! I actually ended up getting them because I finally purchased from them and Errol was so dope and professional, I was happy to buy it again even though if I waited a bit longer I could have gotten it for a bit cheaper. Regardless, for the price the quality is amazing! True to size is usually your best bet with this brand!
Place of Purchase: lifeandwisdom.net
Price: $50 CAD (including tax & shipping)
Socks
Since I was going to a Lakers game, it was only right I wear socks that had the player that made me start watching basketball and making me a fan of the Lakers before the Raptors. Shaq is definitely one of my favourite basketball players ever and one of the greatest to do it, especially for the Lakers. I featured these socks in a prior outfit for the special NBA Winners Corner Pop-Up.
Place of Purchase: At Eaze
Price: I believe it was $15 to $20.
Top
As mentioned before I was on a hunt for a ’99-00 Shaq jersey, I went to a few different stores even the night before my flight however I couldn’t find one in my size. I eventually went to check out the official team store where I wasn’t able to find one either, however I was able to come across this gem. You don’t see renowned artist Takashi Murakami (you will see some of his work behind me in future videos) collaborate with NBA teams & Mitchell & Ness, let alone a collaboration of his sitting. I remember seeing this item when it first released back in 2019 for ComplexCon LA but felt weird since I didn’t attend it nor was in LA so when I saw this in my preferred sizing, I knew I had to get it!
Place of Purchase: LA Lakers Store
Price: $220 USD (Definitely pricey and was hoping it would be on sale…)
Sneakers
In terms of sneakers I was going back and forth between which of the sneakers I packed to wear. However, I ended up going with the one that connected the most with the other pieces in the fit. I went with these incredible pair of Kids of Immigrants x Vans Old Skool 36 DX! Why I went with these is because a) Kids of Immigrants is an awesome brand that do amazing things for various communities in LA plus since some of the other pieces are from brands started by people who are also kids of immigrants it would be a nice touch. Plus given the sneaker with the special laces is white and yellow, it definitely part of the Lakers colour palette. I am hoping to do a proper review on these soon because there is so much going on!
Place of Purchase: kidsofimmigrants.us
Price: $140 USD (for sneakers, laces, and shipping)
Hoodie
Last but not least, we have the hoodie I was wearing underneath. Ties into the other pieces because this lifestyle blog does emerge from Scarborough as well but with hopes to connect with people worldwide with content, which I hope my LA posts do. This was actually a last minute order as I got this 1/1 printed from someone I went to highschool with to support her small business. She came in clutch because I actually did this for a school assignment.
Place of Purchase: Made By K Designs
Price: I believe it was $30 – $40 CAD
Conclusion
So there you have it, here is more info about what the Staples Center was like and hopefully what you can expect at future Lakers games as well as more about my fit and if you were interested in purchasing or learning more about the brands. I hope you enjoy and let me know if you liked anything in particular about this blog post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or by giving a follow to message or comment on Instagram, Facebook, & TikTok!
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