As long-time readers know, I am a Spurs fan living in Los Angeles, and a former Laker fan myself. As a result, I have had a first hand view of the evolution of the Spurs – Lakers rivalry. In the 2000-2010 decade, while I was a fan of both teams, it was the best of times. One or the other of my teams was in the Finals nearly every year and often won it all.
Things changed in about 2012, when the Lakers shifted gears and became a team of one-year mercenaries. After I attended opening night, I wrote the following:
During the first quarter, one Laker guy in a Laker jersey passed to another Laker guy in a Laker jersey, who dunked.