Los Angeles Sports
Americans love their sports, and LA is well represented. The most successful local professional sports team currently are the Los Angeles Lakers. The city’s premier basketball team won the NBA title last year and have the most valuable player in the league in Kobe Bryant.
Baseball
Los Angeles Dodgers
The city’s much loved baseball team. Though lacking much success in recent years, the fan base and interest level remains high. With the addition of former New York Yankees coach Joe Torres, and superstar Manny Ramirez donning Dodger blue, the team has made the play-offs for the past two seasons, which is an improvement over preceding years.
Manny Ramirez
Anaheim Angels
The Anaheim Angels, while not in LA itself, have been the area’s most successful baseball team in recent seaons, winning the World Series several years ago, and just losing out on another World Series this year at the hands of the New York Yankees.
Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers
The reigning NBA champions and winners of 15 NBA titles, second only to the Boston Celtics. Home games are played at Staples Center in Downtown LA. Kobe Bryant is the teams most high profile player having been part of the successful Laker team along with Shaqille O’Neal that won three championships earlier in the decade.
Kobe Bryant
They acquired Ron Artest in the off-season from the Houston Rockets, to bolster their chances of a repeat, though may miss the energetic Trevor Ariza who himself went to Houston.
If you attend a home game expect to see celebrities in the crowd, including regular Jack Nicholson, as these tend to be star studded events.
Buy tickets for games here…
Los Angeles Clippers
Currently playing second fiddle to the dominant Lakers, the Clippers nonetheless have some excellent players, and a solid following. They share the same home court as the Lakers at The Staples Center.
Football
Los Angeles currently does not have an NFL team since the departure of The Raiders back to the city of Oakland. There are moves afoot though to try to bring a franchise to the city and there have been various proposals to either build a new stadium, or remodel the aging LA Coliseum to house a team.
USC Tojans
Local college football though is hugely popular, drawing massive audiences to home
games. The USC Trojans (The University of Southern California), a Los Angeles college, are generally regarded as one of the top teams in the nation.
Ice Hockey
Los Angeles Kings
The city’s hockey team, also based at the Staples Center. It’s fast, furious, and great fun! Extremely physical. “The Great One”, Wayne Gretsky, played for the Kings.
Soccer
The most popular sport in the world, soccer (or football / futbol as it is also known), is way down the popularity stakes here in the USA. The standard of play here
(The MLS – Major League Soccer, is the top league) is still far below that of its European & South American counterparts, though the national team has done surprisingly well at the top level, having qualified again for the next World Cup in South Africa.
With younger generations playing the sport more and more, and players such as David Beckham helping to raise the profile here, it may be just a matter of time before standards rise, leading to greater credibility on the world stage.
LA Galaxy
The city’s soccer team actually plays in Carson, just a hop down the 405 freeway. The arrival of English superstar David Beckham, who joined the team in 2007, brought much interest locally and nationally.
The team made the MLS cup final this past season, a huge improvement over their last place finish the previous season, thanks partly to the consistent play of Beckham, and US international Landon Donovan.
David Beckham
Though he has taken some criticism for what some see as his on again, off again, commitment to the team, given his departure to Italian club AC Milan on loan for part of the past season, he remains a vital and inspirational player when on the field. His uncanny ability to send long passes and crosses directly at the feet of team mates to open up play, and his legendary bending free kicks, have earned him the admiration of fans the world over.
Chivas USA
Club Deportivo Chivas USA also share the Home Depot Center with the Galaxy for home games, and there is a definite rivalry between the two. Its inspiration and roots stem from the Mexican club C.D. Guadalajara, who wear the same color of team jerseys.
