Courtesy of AP Photos
The NBA is one of the most exciting professional sports leagues in the world. With 30 teams playing approximately 80 games every regular season, the NBA provides countless games for sports fanatics to enjoy.
For those who don’t like the NBA, don’t understand it or are pleasantly apathetic to the sport, reconsideration is in order. One of the unique aspects of the NBA is the one-on-one match-ups between veteran athletes and league newcomers. It’s fun to see 35-year-old players like Paul Pierce give young players a run for their money on the court or a 34-year-old legend like Kobe get nominated for his 15th NBA All-Star Game, which also set an NBA record. But although watching veteran players show up younger players is exciting, don’t discount the young’uns. Players like Kevin Durant, who is 24, have made waves of their own during the season. Durant achieved the second longest streak of scoring 25 points or more in consecutive NBA games.
Even though Durant is one of the few players in contention for league MVP, the entire league is full of strong performances so far. Current standings have the Eastern Conference led by the Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets and the Western Conference led by the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and LA Clippers.
Aside from awesome one-on-one match-ups, spectators experience some of the most exciting games in professional sports. Three of the nine games on Jan. 18. went into overtime, and in six of the games, the winning team scored more than 100 points — pretty exciting to come across in the HAWC or the gym.
Interested in discovering a place to fit in to the NBA fan landscape? Check out this list of the different types of fans at Pepperdine:
1. The Peer Pressure Fan
This fan is best characterized as the one who watches sports because everyone else does.
“I watch basketball because my friends watch it, and I try to like the things that my friends like,” said senior Jae Kim. “I consider watching sports very boring. But of all the boring sports to watch, I would prefer to watch basketball.”
2. The Snapback Fan
This fan is a dude or dudette who rocks a “snapback” (flat-brimmed baseball-like cap) for an NBA team. Sometimes the embroidery on a snapback has a cool logo or bright color that makes the hat more of a fashion accessory than a representation of fan pride. Snapback fans are all about rocking the logo and showing the world what team they rep, rather than really supporting the team.
3. The Loco-for-Lakers Fan
These fans are characterized by their extreme love for the Lakers — and extreme means an all-consuming obsession with the Purple and Gold.
“I love watching the Lakers win championships,” said freshman Lydia Kiros. “Even though the team isn’t doing so hot [this season], there’s so much pride in just being a fan.”
4. The Flip-Flop or Phantom Fan
Flip-flop or phantom fans are fans who can’t seem to make a commitment to a particular team or are apathetic to the sport in general. Similar to peer pressure fans, flip-flop fans are not intrinsically passionate about the sport. However, they differ in that these fans tend to jump on bandwagons rather than support a single team that their friends like.
Pepperdine NBA fans cover the wide spectrum of fan types. While some Pepperdine students watch the NBA out of sheer fascination, others pass through the HAWC to order a brownie sundae and only offer a game a sideways glance. Whatever their type, one thing is for sure, Pepperdine fans are unique.
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