Laker Girl

When I was growing up, there was no cable. Just regular TV..showing only one channel - RPN 9. So there was NewsWatch with Harry Gasser, Flor de Luna and those old Sampaguita movies showing in the afternoon.

And then came the Betamax. And movies for rent. Before long, enterprising folks taped the TV shows being shown in GMA (It's where you belong...) and ABS-CBN, then a fledgling channel which dared to show locally produced programs. Even better, our suki managed to get copies of NBA games a week or so after the games are played and rented them out as well. Rumor had it that the games were taped in Subic (back when it was an American base) and then shipped to various parts of the country.

In the 80s, there were only 2 teams worth rooting for: the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. My dad loved Larry Bird and the Celtics. I had no choice but to hate them! And so I became a Laker girl. When we went to the video shop, we rented not just 21 Jump Street and Palibhasa Lalake, but also the games played by the Celtics and the Lakers. I loved Magic Johnson and the Showtime era. Got spoiled too...thinking that the Lakers would win the championship every year. (and they almost did, winning in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988 and being the runner-up in 1983, 1984 and 1989).

I remember this today because the Lakers just acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. I learned the news this morning and I have not stopped smiling since. Well, alright.. I'm exaggerating. Nonetheless, what a great day to be a Laker fan!