Game Seven of the NBA Finals was an ugly mess. The celebration afterward was far worse.
What started as a gathering of Laker fans basking in the glow of their teams' 16th title quickly turned turned into a senseless mess, complete with all the trappings of a full-blown riot.
First it was small fires in the middle of intersections, then it progressed to tossing traffic cones across streets, and finally the mob devolved into jumping on top of moving cars and brutally attacking other fans in the crowd.
Several people were loaded into ambulances on stretchers. One was beaten unconscious.
Remember, the world was watching tonight. This was the final game, the championship matchup in a storied rivalry between historically great franchises. International stars played crucial roles in this deciding moment.
Millions of eyes were on us. And the best we could show them was a great game, followed by a pitiful group of drunks, degenerates, and low-lifes.
What's worse is that this type of behavior is expected of, even accepted by, the people of Los Angeles.
The police presence outside Staples Center in downtown L.A. was said to be five times what it was during last year's NBA Finals, when the Lakers faced the Orlando Magic.
Something tells me it wasn't to match Kobe Bryant's pursuit of a fifth championship ring.
People on the streets who were interviewed for local news broadcasts gave nearly identical answers when asked to comment on the disturbing behavior of their fellow Laker fans.
They shrugged. They said, “It's the Lakers.” They waited for the next question without a second thought.
They were too wrapped up in the joy of hard-fought victory to appear concerned or embarrassed by what was going on around them. And they should have been.
