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By Moin Salahuddin

Daily Bruin Staff

It took a long 12 years for Los Angeles to bring a major professional sports title back to the City of Angels.

But it took seemingly only 12 milliseconds for the fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, including many UCLA students, to erupt in a fervor that hadn’t been seen in Southern California for a long time.

As the Lakers grabbed the lead late in the fourth quarter on June 19th against the Indiana Pacers in game six of the NBA Finals at the Staples Center, nearly 20,000 fans standing just outside the arena and millions of others citywide held their breath before breaking out into celebration.

“Three ... two ... one. The Lakers are the World Champions!” exclaimed Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn as the Lakers prevailed, 116-111.

As superstars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant toasted their dramatic victory with champagne inside the lockeroom, bonfires erupted just 50 feet from the walls of Staples Center.

A peaceful celebration once characterized by the sound of honking horns soon turned into a lawless mess epitomized by the sirens of police and firefighters.

And while the streets surrounding the Staples Center grew more insane as the excitement of winning grew, the bars, restaurants, apartments and dormitories of Westwood also felt much of that same fervor.

Screams of joy could be heard throughout campus as students, having just finished final exams, became even more relieved as their men in purple and gold won.

“I love L.A.!” yelled the large Bruin crowd as they emptied out of the Westwood bars and restaurants and into the streets just seconds after the Lakers’ win.

An estimated 200 revelers roamed the streets of Westwood late into the night, tossing garbage cans and bottles out into the street, nearly hitting several vehicles. Many students taunted police, who were placed on a tactical alert as a melee broke out on Gayley Avenue. The activity, however, paled in comparison to that of downtown Los Angeles.

But the focus of the night was celebration and UCLA students were a large part of that. With the likes of Magic Johnson showing up on campus regularly throughout the year and Bryant enrolled in UCLA Italian classes, many Bruins typically sway their affection toward the “Showtime” Lakers – both of the 1980s and of the present.

“Even though (Pacer guard) Reggie Miller is from UCLA, I still love my Lakers!” said junior Rebecca Jones.

Not since 1995, when UCLA defeated Arkansas in men’s basketball for the NCAA Championship, had Westwood seen the crazy fanfare that occurred just moments after the Lakers won their seventh NBA title.

“It was unbelievable,” graduate Stephanie Leonard said of the celebration back in 1995. “This (party) isn’t even close to back then.”

But despite the jubilation of many, there were a few Bruins who weren’t happy with the outcome – mainly Pacers fans.

“The Pacers should have won,” said senior Jake Cooper, an Indiana fan for over 10 years. “It’s all part of a conspiracy.”

Still, the overwhelming sentiment of UCLA and the city of Los Angeles, favored the Lakers.

“I knew the Lakers were going to win the title,” Leonard said. “It was just a question of when.”

Others merely worried about how much to celebrate the NBA World Championship.

“I’ve been partying all week long,” graduate Danny Ben-Moshe said.

While it seemed as though the Lakers were going to capture the title entering the playoffs, the squad was pushed to the limit by the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trailblazers. In the decisive game seven against the Blazers, the Lakers overcame a 15-point fourth quarter deficit to make it to the NBA Finals.

“The Lakers are incredible,” Ben-Moshe said. “I wish our school could create such excitement.”

While UCLA garnered five national titles last year, it seems the Bruins need to win a football or basketball title to have another excuse to party in the streets of Westwood.

But that shouldn’t be a problem, according to current Bruin Jesse Smith.

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about stuff to celebrate. With Kobe and Shaq, the Lakers will keep on winning and we’ll keep on cheering.”