LOS ANGELES — The world converged on the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors on NBA opening night.
Or so it felt.
Singapore. Germany. China. Puerto Rico. Australia. Amsterdam.
They came from far and wide, a global flavor spicing up the crowd at Crypto.com Arena.
“If you live here, you get 41 (home) games a year,’’ said Igor Fotinovski, a 34-year-old digital marketer from Amsterdam. “For me, it’s a special occasion.’’
So they boarded planes from different continents and racked up the miles on their way here for the special ocasion: Luka Doncic leading the Lakers against Steph Curry and the Warriors as the 2025-26 season commences. (LeBron James sat out with a sciatica injury.)
Matthew Chin and Helen Kee, 25-year-olds who said they work in Singapore, held up signs that across the top read, “Fly 13,500.’’
That was distance (in kilometers) they said they covered with their favorite jerseys in tow. Chin wore a No. 23 LeBron James jersey and Kee wore a No. 30 Steph Curry jersey. Chin said he was disappointed that James would miss the game because of an injury – and that the ticket prices fell about 50% after the news came out. Chin already bought tickets for $700 apiece.
Others were coping with the disappointment of James missing the game.
“We want to see Luka (Doncic), we want to see Curry,’’ said Ariannliz Torres, a law student in Puerto Rico, explaining that she grew up watching the NBA. But that was on TV compared to this night, which she said would be her first NBA game in person.
“I’m telling you, people are crazy,’’ said Craig Cajda, upon hearing about the long-distance travelers. Never mind his 13-year-old son was holding a sign that at the top read, “2,093 Miles One Destination.’’
Cajda, his wife and two children had traveled from their home in Westfield, Indiana, to be here. And their 13-year-old son Randall was wearing three jerseys – two Currys and one Jimmy Butler.
‘Yeah, I’m trying to get them all signed,” he said.
T-shirt signals shift
James Smith of San Diego said he was sporting LeBron James merch. But on Tuesday, Smith showed up wearing a T-shirt that on the front read “Luka Magic’’ and on the back Doncic’s No. 77.
Out with the old in with the new?
James already has handed the torch to Doncic, according to Smith, who said, “I believe in the evolution of the next man up.’’
He was less enthusiastic about the evolution of younger basketball players. He said they all wanted to shoot because of the influence of Curry.
“People scared to play hard,’’ he said. “They’re scared to bump.’’
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
