Nelson Rodriguez has rooted for the Clippers his total life, however the fandom of the Santa Ana resident was out of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
The 37-year-old by no means owned an article of the workforce’s clothes rising up, and even as an grownup. He can solely sustain with them on social media since Nelson doesn’t subscribe to Bally Sports activities or the NBA’s streaming service. The monetary planner works in an workplace of Lakers followers. His spouse, Cynthia, solely cares for the Dodgers in terms of sports activities.
And till I took my expensive buddy to the Clippers residence sport Monday night time towards the Miami Warmth, Nelson had by no means seen his workforce in individual.
“I don’t know anyone besides you who’d want to go,” he stated as we drove as much as the Intuit Dome from Orange County round 4 that afternoon. We left early so we may seize a chunk to eat at Con’i Seafood, then wander across the new enviornment. “If it was Lakers, you’d have 20 hands go up. If I said, ‘Let’s go to an Angels game,’ people would want to go.
“But,” he concluded with a pained smile, “it’s the Clippers.”
His dad, a Salvadoran immigrant, taught him to like the workforce whereas Nelson was rising up in Buena Park. He caught with them by the Clippers’ misplaced years of the Nineties and 2000s as a result of “I love going for the underdog. When you’re an Angels fan, it’s easy. The Lakers were always the cool option. They get enough praise. They get the famous fans. We get Billy Crystal.”
Nelson’s devotion paid off with the Lob Metropolis years, whose trademark dunking and slashing with gamers like Blake Griffith, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul “is how the NBA should be played.” He was additional drawn in with the 2019 signing of his favourite basketball participant, Kawhi Leonard.
“He beat the [Golden State] Warriors with the [Toronto] Raptors single-handedly and shut up those bandwagon fans,” he cracked as we loved aguachile and fish chicharrones at Con’i. After I requested what he appreciated about Leonard, Nelson replied, “He’s super quiet, but laser-focused and lets his actions speak for him.”
Very very similar to Nelson, come to consider it.
I requested how the Clippers’ season was going as we made the five-minute drive from Con’i to Intuit Dome.
“Good, considering Kawhi has been out for so long. The fact the rest of the team was able to hold it down, that makes the rest of the season promising.”
We lastly received to the sector, which we each agreed seemed just like the ARTIC prepare and bus station in Anaheim. Music was blasting. Individuals shot baskets at two courts close to the doorway. A dance crew wearing grey jogging fits did their factor. Nelson stared at all of it and simply grinned.
“Look at how clean everything is,” he stated, referring to the design scheme. “That’s one of the reasons I never really wanted to go to a game, either. I once went to a concert at Staples Center. It was ugly.”
Nelson made his technique to a spot the place we may look down on the Clippers observe facility, the place a solitary participant was working towards. “Amir Coffey!” Nelson exclaimed. “He’s a hustler.”
Our seats, which have been a Christmas shock from Cynthia to her husband, have been the nosebleeds of the nosebleeds.
“That’s where the real fans are, anyways,” he stated with amusing. Nelson then pointed to a bit of seats behind one finish of the court docket far beneath us.
A Clippers fan holds up an “L.A. Strong” shirt in the course of the first half of the Clippers’ 109-98 win Monday on the Intuit Dome. It was the Clippers’ first residence sport because the begin of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
“That’s called ‘the Wall.’ You have to go through this process and you really have to be a Clippers fan to sit there. They ask you things like who’s your favorite player, how many years have you rooted for them — it’s like a quiz. [Clippers owner] Steve Ballmer wanted a space for the real ones.”
Cynthia tried to purchase tickets for the Wall however didn’t move muster in time.
Nelson nursed a margarita and held on to a Clippers sweatshirt I purchased him; I downed my double Jack Daniels. It was Korean Heritage Day, so the sector performed Psy, BTS and Blackpink whereas flashing all kinds of lights.
It was sport time.
The Clippers got here onto the court docket carrying black-and-white T-shirts that learn “LA Strong.” It was their first residence sport because the devastating Pacific Palisades and Eaton hearth that introduced break to tens of 1000’s of Southern Californians. Public tackle announcer Eric Smith talked about the disasters and their “unfathomable devastation” in a brief speech, however the few followers who confirmed up — attendance was introduced at a beneficiant 13,119 — wished to deal with one thing else for a couple of hours, at the least.
Nelson booed the Warmth as they have been launched, and applauded when it was the flip of his squad. Leonard was nowhere to be seen. “He doesn’t seem to be playing today,” Nelson stated with disappointment.
Then Leonard ran onto the court docket.
“He’s playing!” Nelson shouted.
That will be as joyful as he’d be for the primary half.
Leonard seemed rusty. The Warmth have been raining down three-pointers. Nelson groaned when the Clippers turned over the ball and shook his head once they missed straightforward photographs. Principally, he stayed quiet. He was enraptured. He by no means checked his telephone as soon as.
At halftime, with the Clippers down 48-43, I requested how he appreciated watching a sport in individual.
“It’s really nice,” he replied. “Live, you really get into the flow of things. And it’s such an amazing view.”
I used to be joyful he was joyful, however was afraid my compa’s first sport can be a blowout loss. Then the Clippers got here alive.
Heart Ivica Zubac saved grabbing rebounds and muscling his approach towards dunks to followers growling “Zuuuuub.” James Harden scored 13 factors within the third quarter because the Clippers clawed again from a 17-point deficit. Nelson started to clap louder. His head bobbed with the music. When small ahead Norman Powell did a shake-and-bake earlier than hitting a 3 to present the Clippers a lead they by no means relinquished, Nelson yelled “Ohhhh!”
Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard controls the ball in entrance of Miami Warmth guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the course of the first half of the Clippers’ 109-98 win Monday on the Intuit Dome.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
We cheered and booed all through the fourth quarter, and even mooed as a part of a Chik-fil-A promotion that guarantees free hen sandwiches to all attendees if an opposing participant misses back-to-back free throws within the fourth quarter. When the sport ended with the Clippers on prime, 109-98, Nelson sat again for a bit and basked within the second.
“Beautiful,” he lastly proclaimed. He placed on his sweatshirt so I may take a photograph with the Clippers court docket behind him, then we left Intuit.
“That was really good,” Nelson stated as we walked by the chilly Inglewood night time. “All I can think of right now is, ‘When am I gonna come back?’”
He defined how tonight was a typical Clippers victory this season: “They’ll be up, then they start to get behind, then they hustle back to win but give their fans freaking anxiety. But Kawhi is going to get better. The Clippers are going to get better. It’s going to be good this year.”
We drove again to Orange County, and agreed to attend one other sport this season. The next day, I frolicked with Cynthia and he or she informed me how ecstatic Nelson was.
“He even wore his sweatshirt to work,” she stated with realizing eyes. “And I said, ‘Is that appropriate?’ And he said, ‘Of course it is!’”
We’ve received the Wall subsequent time, Compa Nelson. Zuuuuub.
