By Collin Kimball-McKavish

Photo credit: Colten Berson.

On Sunday, December 4, the Washington Wizards faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers in a regular season NBA matchup in the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, and I was fortunate to be there and have a front row seat.

I went with fellow Cougars Abdullah Karabatek (’23) and Colten Berson (’23). We drove up the same day and got to the game an hour early to see the players warm up. We immediately were shocked with how tall the players were in person. We were most surprised by 7 foot, 3 inch Kristaps Porzingis, as he towered over everyone in the arena. Karabatek said, “I was in shock and awe of the players’ talent and humor.” We were surprised with how elite you have to be to be able to perform at that high of a level.

The Wizards are led by star guard Bradley Beal, who is nicely paired with forward Kyle Kuzma and big man Porzingis. The Lakers are led by the king, LeBron James, forward Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, who came off the bench. Together, the three of them make up the leadership for the Lakers.

The Lakers were clear favorites on that Sunday, as they went into the game with an 8-2 record in the last 10 games, while the Wizards had been struggling to stay at the .500 mark this season. Davis had been playing well for the Lakers, dropping 44 points the game before against the Bucks. He did not disappoint in this game, as he dropped a season-high 55, shooting 22-30 from the floor. He also had 17 rebounds to complete his double-double for the night. He even got MVP chants at an away game, which shows how many Lakers fans came to a home Wizards game.

This game was action-packed, as there were many dunks and highlight plays throughout the night. Unfortunately, Beal got injured in the first four minutes. However, the game was still entertaining to watch, as we got to witness the season-high from Davis. Players who impressed me at the game included Davis, James, Porzingis, and Kuzma. They all scored over 20 points while commanding the game and seeing the floor well.

Photo credit: Collin Kimball-McKavish.

James really controlled the rhythm of the game, scoring with ease and taking over whenever he wanted to. Porzingis had a steady night, scoring 27 points and keeping the Wizards within fighting distance for most of the game. Although Kuzma struggled for the first three quarters, he turned it on in the 4th by dropping 15 points in that quarter alone. Had he done that the whole game, the Wizards would have kept the scores much closer, yet they lost in the end, 119-130.

The experience of the game courtside was unmatched, as we got to see players up close. My favorite part of all was hearing the players talk to each other. At previous NBA games that I have been to, I sat in seats higher in the arena, which still brought a great atmosphere and experience overall. But there is a difference between courtside and arena seats. Courtside, I got to hear player interactions, coach interactions, and even players talking to fans. We overheard Lakers guard Patrick Beverly say to bench player Taj Gibson, “Dang, you really get paid a quarter million to watch NBA games now.” The chirping and all-out banter that goes on during an NBA game was really are entertaining to watch. 

With our tickets, we had access to a lounge that was back in the tunnel by both locker rooms. We got to see a few players walk by, including Laker Lonnie Walker, who greeted us. During the game, we were on TV for most of the plays on our side of the court, and my parents sent at least 20 pictures of me in the background of the plays, as they were watching the game back home in Richmond. I got to see many special plays that ultimately led to the broadening of my understanding of the game.