The flatbed tow truck hauled a smashed AMC Pacer, with "Loser" written across the back, past an appreciative throng of Laker fans Friday evening waiting to get in to what could be the last home game of the championship series.
They formed a sea of gold and purple jerseys and T-shirts outside Staples Center, with the occasional flamboyant addition, like the pair of young men donning curly yellow wigs and purple makeup. It was all about setting a mood, a goofy enthusiasm to propel their team to victory.
Madelyne Schermer, 32, and Sheri Disney, 36, also accessorized, wearing bright feathery boas in Laker colors to attract attention.
"It's all about being on the big screen," said Schermer, waving the yellow boa that helped her get onto the Jumbotron during Wednesday night's game. "I had three messages on my answering machine when I got home from people who said they had seen me."
Elliot Gorski of Lake Arrowhead hoped the team would see him for the fervent fan he is. The 10-year-old donned a spanking new Laker jersey and shorts and a cardboard sign with hand-drawn basketballs and the team's logo that he had toiled over for hours. "I came up with the idea myself," he announced proudly.
The new clothes came at a price, his father, Dr. Dale Gorski reminded him with a smile: extra chores for a year, including washing the dog and watching his 7-year-old sister, Vanessa.
"It's worth it," Elliot replied, adding that being dressed up certainly beat feeling left out, as he did without props or a jersey during the first game. On Friday, the boy was the center of attention as reporters flocked to talk to him and star players passed by.
"We just saw a whole busload of Pacers," Dale Gorski said. "Larry Bird did not look very happy."
The Hoosiers had good reason to worry, said Paul Hsiao, 65, of Monterey Park, who like Elliot, wore a Laker jersey and shorts. "I've been a fan for 30 years," he said, adding that the championship contest thus far had provided some of the most exciting basketball he'd ever seen.
But the excitement wasn't cheap, a reality driven home by the never-ending stream of limousines that dropped off well-dressed and coiffed occupants. Parking for game fans without special passes cost a whopping $20 to $30. Scalpers stealthily offered tickets for hundreds of dollars apiece.
