Anthony on LA: Fans are a welcome sight for the Lakers and Dodgers repeat campaign

Who’s got two thumbs and is ready to finally watch professional sports in person?

This guy — or man, or woman or about every single sports fan from the 818 to the 323 and beyond.

Wow, it feels great to finally see fans in the stands in the City of Angels. 

No more cardboard cutouts, horrid artificial crowd noises and music blasting rudely to replicate fans going crazy. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here.

There has been a dramatic change in the sporting landscape since all of Los Angeles could last attend live games.

The Lakers and Dodgers won the championship, the Clippers blew another 3-1 lead, both the Rams and the Sparks made playoff runs and the Chargers were the Chargers.

Everything seemed like it was back to normal. Except, well, it wasn’t.

There were no fans to shower the Lakers in glory and chant “MVP” for LeBron James during his magnificent playoff run. No fans to yell “MOOOOOOOKIE” after each outrageous catch from the Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. And no fans to go absolutely berserk when both L.A. teams finally ended their respective droughts.

We couldn’t scream at the top of our lungs to Chavez Ravine during the final out of the World Series or count the seconds down as the Lakers clinched the NBA Finals. It was a lost year of L.A. sports glory. As vaccines roll out and cases decrease, Angelenos will hope to make up for the time lost in stadiums. 

Last Friday was just the opening act as the Dodgers received their rings in front of 15,036 fans.

The last time fans filled the stadium, they made noise for the wrong reasons — booing the Dodgers after their heartbreaking defeat in game five to the Washington Nationals in October 2019. 

However, Friday was a perfect way to welcome Dodger lifers who have been waiting 32 years to finally see another jewelry presentation. 

The impact that fans have simply cannot be underestimated, especially after the long year of sports we’ve grown accustomed to. 

No fans come close to L.A. ones. 

They juice you up when you’re playing fantastic and squeeze you dry whenever you’re in a drought. They boo, cheer, chant loudly and boldly, but most importantly, they illuminate the energy of a city bursting with proud sport franchises.

And it’s why they’re coming back at the right time, when both the Dodgers and the Lakers are vying to repeat as champions.

Of course, fans returning now is important for the Clippers too. They still need to prove their worth to the league and get over the hump of advancing past the second round of the playoffs.

But I’m not here to fool anyone, so let’s be honest — this is a Laker and Dodger town.

Both squads need the fans to carry them through the dark times and bumps in their road to repeat titles. 

Especially the Lakers, who will finally welcome fans Thursday night against their bitter rivals, the Boston Celtics. They also announced they’d be unveiling their 17th championship banner in the final game of the season — a magical moment for followers of the team.

The last time there were fans in Staples Center, the Lakers lost a tough one to the Brooklyn Nets, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of fans in attendance and around the world.

They have the chance to redeem themselves and put on a show. But, the Lakers are slipping through the standings with injuries to both James and Anthony Davis, as well as occasional role players.

It’s been a rough couple of months, and with both stars inching closer to a return, fans could not be filling the seats at a better time. 

Even though the last year in L.A. sports was fulfilling, there was always a piece of the celebration missing. And now, with fans finally back, maybe the celebration will feel complete.