Lakers' ceremony has a familiar ring to it

One by one they marched to the center of the Staples Center floor Tuesday, a parade of Lakers champions, gathered for the most unusual of championship ring ceremonies.These weren't the Lakers wearing the new diamonds.These were the Lakers who cut them.Jerry West, Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes . . .In the finest of this town's greatest sports traditions, an opening night intended to honor last season's Lakers' NBA champions first recognized the nine previous ones.Before celebrating what they won, the Lakers' organization celebrated why they win.James Worthy, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson . . .Nine former players, one for each title, not just photos on a wall, but live, large, as only the Lakers can do it.On their backs this organization was built, and at their feet the fans now roared.A.C. Green, Rick Fox, Robert Horry . . .Outside, the winds had turned their glitzy corner of downtown into a howling dust bowl.Outside, the Michael Jackson movie premiere had packed their neighborhood streets with fans who care more about moonwalks than skywalks.But inside it was a night seemingly like any other night in the Lakers' 50 years in Los Angeles.Inside, amazingly, wonderfully, little had changed.New season, same Lakers, thank goodness.There was the NBA's most famous player, its most famous cheerleaders, its most visible celebrities.There were corny promotions on the scoreboard, funky old music on the sound system, and that brass band in the rafters playing the theme from "Rocky."For the 27th consecutive opener, Jeffrey Osborne sang the national anthem.For the 27th consecutive season, public address icon Lawrence Tanter announced him.A couple of the current players are new, the championship ring is bigger -- think dinner plate -- but the Lakers' experience seemingly never changes, the world's most trendy fan base once again happily stuck in time.
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