Lakers, Kings honor victims in NBA exhibition game
Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson had a simple request for the crowd at T-Mobile Arena before the team’s preseason NBA game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.
“This is very important,” he said through a microphone at center court. “If you could just lock arms with somebody. … And what I need you to do right now is show that evil and hate will never win.”
So for 30 seconds, players, coaches, fans, ushers and other arena staffers did just that.
And the 12,594 in attendance stood still.
Los Angeles staved off a late rally to secure a 75-69 victory over Sacramento in front of a decidedly pro-Lakers crowd. Proceeds from the game went directly to relief efforts for families of the 58 victims of the mass shooting one week earlier on the Strip.
First responders and family victims were honored, like Joe Robbins, whose son, Quinton, a 2015 Basic High School graduate, was killed at the Route 91 music festival at Mandalay Bay — just 1.1 miles away from T-Mobile Arena.
“Tonight was absolutely bigger than basketball,” Robbins said. “It’s for us to move on. And to heal.”
Robbins and his family were guests of the Lakers on Sunday night, and sat courtside during the game. He was welcomed back to the team’s locker room after the game, where players signed autographs and posed for pictures with his elementary school-aged son.
Los Angeles coach Luke Walton hugged every member of the family, and told Robbins after the game to reach out if he ever wanted to come to Los Angeles.
“I feel the support of the community,” Robbins said. “It’s not just the money. It’s the love and support. I have people coming up to me who have no idea who I am. But they’re absolutely supporting me and my family.”
Johnson, Lakers controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka sat courtside and interacted with fans during the game. Kings general manager Vlade Divac and director of player personnel Peja Stojakovic were a couple seats away, and also mingled with spectators, as if they were there to alleviate the city’s pain.
Players from both teams wore black T-shirts emblazoned with #VegasStrong and the Las Vegas Skyline, just like the droves of fans throughout the arena.
“This is the second home to the Lakers,” Buss said. “We won summer league here for the first time this summer. I wish we could fix what happened.”
Both teams did their very best.
“It’s important that we’re here to show everybody that we love them and how much we appreciate the people that live here and come here for visits,” Buss said. “We’re just proud to be a part of it.”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter. Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow @af_ferguson on Twitter.
