It’s weird because I never see Minneapolis Lakers memorabilia but people are still attached to the North Stars, but not Dallas Stars fans. I think most people that remember the teams leaving feel betrayed by those franchises more than anything.

the Lakers moved out to LA under very different circumstances than the North Stars did… people are still really salty about what Norm Green did. most people expected the Lakers to leave with Mikan…

Fuck Norm Green!

the lakers left in 1960 so id imagine a lot of those fans of both teams are probably pushing daisies

Even if it had happened more recently, pushing daisies is almost more likeable than rooting for a Dallas team. Lol

Stars have been in Dallas now longer than they were in Minnesota... which is depressing...

There weren’t a lot of Laker fans (partly due to era), there were a ton of North Star fans.

I can understand it, I’ve been hearing about it non stop the last few years with the Rams coming back and Chargers moving in

We also don't live in the "State of Basketball".

1 weird phenomenon is how so many Lakers fans here in MSP disappeared from 2013-2018. Still can't figure it out.

I don’t think it was just in MSP

That’s one thing I love about being a Lakers/Vikings fan. Opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of success, both rich in history though, but two of the most loyal fan bases in ALL of sports.

Lakers Vikings fan checking in from socal! First time I ever seen i Vikings game was against the chargers at sofi and we won!

I was also there! Great game!

Was that when AP ran for 296?

SoFi stadium wasn't born yet I believe

Oh I just saw the team was the chargers. Derp

Fair weather fans is the reason why

I grew up in MN and though I wasn’t alive when the Lakers were here I grew up hating them due to: 1. Generational hatred for the team moving 2. Their penchant for putting together superteams 3. The continued use of the name Lakers along with the colors, when Minnesota is the land of 10k lakes, and LA has no fresh water. It’s fraudulent

AND GIVE US OUR FUCKING TITLES BACK

Like Bill Burr says, the titles belong to the city

Nope, I’m loyal to Minnesota. No matter how bad Minnesota sports is. Lifetime of torture but I’m not a traitor.

Wouldn’t consider it being a traitor if someone’s grandpa loved the Minneapolis Lakers, continued to follow them when they moved and passed along the fandom to kids. Stories like that are out their, that’s what I’m asking about.

Right, I get it. I was born in Northern California, but if the Vikings (or any of my teams) left Minnesota, it would not be the same for me. I didn’t give a flying fuck about the Stars when they left Minnesota in my childhood. I pulled for the Sharks, my hometown team, for a little while - but once we got the Wild, that’s where my heart was. The 2002 playoff run was one of the most exciting sports memories of my childhood. It’s sad that winning in the 2nd round is one of my best sports memories but it is what it is.

That was my situation. My dad grew up in Minnesota rooting for the MPLS Lakers. When they moved he kept following them. When I came along, there was no team here so he raised me to be a Lakers fan which I am still to this day. Interestingly he was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan too and his favorite player of all time is Jackie Robinson. I live in the Twin Cities now and root for the MN teams, but love the Lakers and Dodgers too. I also attended USC so I have that LA allegiance to add too!

That’s awesome! What an eclectic following your pops had. Again, this is what I was looking for! Thanks for the reply

SoCal Vikings fan here too. It's hard for people who are from one state - or spent the majority of their life in one state - to realize not everyone has the same connections. I grew up moving every three or four years around Europe in the 90s/early 2000s and there were SIX channels on AFN (Armed Forces Network). There was one sports channel and it would show only popular teams. At the time, that was the Bulls and Vikings. I became a Bulls, Blackhawks, and Vikings (don't enjoy baseball) fan because that's what I grew up watching. I'm also a die-hard USC fan for college sports for similar reasons (despite graduating from two other PAC12 schools too...USC is expensive AF). Sports fandom has some weird gatekeepers.

That’s not a traitor. Minnesota born lakers/non Vikings fans are tho!

"When they moved"... you mean when they were stolen away from our state

Fuck the Lakers.

Honestly

Vikings/Celtics fan here... Fuck the Lakers, KG is, and will always be HIM. Edit Downvote my Celtics love, but I'm an East Coast dude, Boston everything and the group of white dudes that discovered the East Coast. Fun fact, I was a North Stars fan as a kid, so Vikings, Stars, Celtics, Red Sox. Then when the North Stars were stolen, I became a Whalers fan. Lol, then they left, and I'm a Bruins fan.

Vikes and Cs fans represent!

I'm all Boston all the way, but my dad loves the Vikes so they have always been my 2nd favorite team.

There aren't many NBA fans here in Minnesota as we've never had a professional team...

WNBA on the other hand…

Only team in Minnesota with any balls...

Well we did have the Lakers


False

Lmaooooo emotional damage. You’re not wrong!

dont think i've ever run into one, tbh.

Brother!!!! I am here for you!!!! LA/Hollywood born and raised. Grew up going to Lakers and Dodgers. I'm a huge fan of both. As you said, No football team. I ended up going to the U for college (04-08). Went to my first Vikes game back then and I've been hooked ever since. I live in LA but root like hell for my Vikes. I married a Minnesotan so I frequently go back and try to catch a game each and every time! Skol, my man.

Well goll damn.. I’m from North Dakota but life long lakers and Vikings fan here

Same here. NoDak, lakers and vikes for life!

Vikings and Knicks fan. I'm a glutton for pain.

I.. I.. I’m sorry

🥲

Is that really any worse than being a Vikings and Wolves fan?

Hey they have Stephen A. backing them up 🤣😂

Everyone here are Timberwolves fans for the most part. Everyone here just like everyone everywhere were Kobe fans though.

Vikings/lakers fan down in Iowa! Purple and gold run through my veins!

So Cal Lakers and Vikings fan here, also in my mid-thirties. There are tens of us!

Cali native, lakers/Vikings fan.

🙋‍♂️ Nebraska-raised Vikings/Lakers fan. With no pro teams nearby and parents that weren’t much into sports, I just gravitated to the coolest athletes around when I started paying attention in the late 90s – Randy Moss and Kobe Bryant.

Love that!!

Wow that's super similar to me, I never grew up in Nebraska but my family did, so I never had any passed down teams from my dad when we were moving and I was younger. Same vibes where Moss and Kobe brought me to like both teams, or maybe 8 year old me just liked purple.

Great answer!

I’m a socal Lakers/Vikings fan lol

Let’s go!!

Hey same. I liked purple and Randy Moss so it was a natural fit.

Same here. Angels fan too

So Cal born and raised. My sports loyalties are with the Lakers/Vikings/Kings (NHL)

Same. I don't think I'm legally allowed to hate the lakers cause I was born in Inglewood, at the hospital right by the forum the day they won the 84/85 championship.

I’m a lakers and Vikings fan living in Virginia. Everyone always thinks I just like them for the colors lol

When people ask why I use either “I like the colors” or I give them my real reason/story. Depends how much the person asking has earned my attention, ya know!? 😂

woah, I'm also a Lakers/Vikings fan in VA! and I've heard the colors thing often too lol. I started really getting into sports when Kobe and Randy Moss were becoming established. Probably explains why I'm also a Mariners fan (Ken Griffey Jr)...

I'm a Vikings/Lakers fan... from Italy lmao Started following the NBA in the Shaq/Kobe years so I became a Lakers fan, then started with the NFL and chose the team with the same colors. Purple and gold are just too good together.

It really is the perfect combination

I’m a fan of all minnesota sports teams. Not some bandwagon weirdo

Happy for ya!

Weird

I’m a socal Vikings/lakers fan about to be 30. Same as you I just picked a team because we didn’t have one

A wise decision in my eyes!

Vikings / Celtics fan I’m watching you OP

I think we might be on a collision course.. don’t understand how Pelinka pulled highway robbery at the deadline, my body is ready 👀 Also, 🤮🤢

It’s actually insane how things have turned out My spicy nba take right now is lakers in the finals Healthy lebron and AD can carry this team I think

Not to mention Reeves playing like a man possessed and DLo bringing what he does. And Vanderbilt… wow

Ya it’s wild how y’all got here but LA has a good front office. Will never understand the move to get Russ but the move to get rid of him was insanely good.

I remember what I said to my friends when we got Russ.. “This either works out and we win chips or a complete and utter failure, no in between”

Nba is making sure of it. Lakers have shot 300 more free throws than the second team since February 1st. It’s been rigged for them all season and it’s blatantly obvious. They won’t stop when the playoffs start.

Collision course with the Celtics? As in you think the Lakers are making the finals? Yikes lol.

Disgusting

Look at my post history and you’ll see 😂 was at the game last night and i swear my whole section was lakers first wolves second and all die hard vikes fans. Everyone was cheering for JJ when they showed him. Theres plenty of vikes lakers guys out there

Im a lakers aswell lol Im from texas. I chose colors for both NFL & NBA I love purple and gold

Vikings/ lakers fan here in AZ. I must say I’m loving this new look lakers!

It’s insane how good we look. Just need to be healthy entering the playoffs, that’s literally the only thing that can stop us. We match up well vs the West and the odd seeding will have some good teams eliminated early. We can do this

For sure health will be our biggest concern. But man, the synergy this team is finding this close to the end of the season is scary.

🤮

Lakers are able to cheat the system because players want to go to hang with the celebrities. One of the many many terrible things about the NBA. Fuck the Lakers and Fuck the NBA

Lakers have 498 more FTA than any other team this season. People downvoting you for pointing out the obvious cooking of the books is wild.

I'm not in Minneapolis, but upstate MN, but I am a Lakers & Vikings fan too. I think it's the colors.

Fellow SoCal Vikings and Lakers fan! RIP Kobe.

Didn’t know there were more out there. Im a life long Vikings and lakers fan….. from the Pacific Northwest. Was raised a lakers fan and kept the color’s consistent when football came on.

Vikings/Suns/Mets fan here Not one of you but still relate to having met no one that aligns yet

Vikings & Knicks for me (pain). Still looking for a match too

Same here!

did we just become best friends!?

I WANT TO DIE


Vikings and Suns for me so 2/3. Purple pain all the way. Definitely a rare trio you have tho

It’s great that you can keep balance in The Force by rooting for a team with deep championship roots and deep soul-crushing heartache.

Opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of success, but two of the most dedicated and loyal fanbases in America 💜💛

Lifelong Vikings/Lakers fan checking in

I lived in LA for 2 years between 07-09. I had always hated the Lakers because I'm a hater at heart, but I got swept up in the hype because of how supportive the city was towards them. I was bummed when kg and the Celtics prevailed over the Lakers that year. I wouldn't call myself a Lakers fan but I've cheered their success because I met some great people in LA and I know how much they care. Good luck!

>because I'm a hater at heart lol i admire your self-awareness

I'm in Fresno, CA and I'm a Vikings/Giants/Lakers fan

raised in Minnesota. When I was a kid they'd show Laker games on at 10:00 at night.. became hooked way back then mid-70s..

I'm a Celtics fan... Glad we see eye to eye on the Vikings at least lol

No. A lot of us are still pissed the lakers left. Are there many lakes in LA?

Give us our titles back!

24 I grew up in mpls, loved purple and gold and Kobe so being a lakers fan was easy.

you should've seen how many Lakers fans there were at the Timberwolves game last night..

This is obviously an aprils fools joke, there aren’t any Lakers fans in Minnesota

I'm a Vikings and Lakers fan, from South Dakota just across the border from Minnesota. My dad was a Minneapolis Lakers fan and I inherited all of my fandom from him.

Viking, Lakers 👊🏽

Did I make this post from a burner account that I didn't know I had?

Not lakers but raptors, oilers, Viking fan checking in!! Letsss skoaaaallll

I am both! But I'm from ND and moved to FL, so I've never really been MSP per se.

Same color! Same fandom. That’s how my 7 year old brain worked it out when picking teams

My grandpa was a huge lakers fan his whole life, but liked Minnesota teams for every other sport. I think it’s because he just stayed a lakers fan when they moved out of MN

Honestly, the connection is little more than a trivia question these days. Love the color scheme though.

I was a lifelong Viking and Laker fan in Minnesota. My mother was born and raised in Minnesota. Her father was a Minneapolis Lakers fan who maintained his fandom when they moved to LA. She got her fandom from him. I got my fandom from her. I say I was a lifelong fan because my Laker fandom is on pause until this LeBron era is done. I can not stand the way teams are built around LeBron. He has ruined the league. I became a fan watching Magic in the early 80s on the couch with my mom. I cried when I woke up to the headline in the paper when Magic announced his first retirement. Just a few years later and the Lakers draft Kobe. We get 20 years of Kobe in a Laker uniform. The last couple of seasons were rough. He just wasn't the same after the Achilles, but that was ok. He was the Lakers, and I happily watched every game no matter how bleak it seemed. To go from 12 years and a lifelong link to the Lakers with Magic to 20 years of Kobe to LeBron walking in and trading the whole team away for a Mickey Mouse ring was just too much. I want to care about the players on the court. The moment LeBron signed, everyone knew exactly what would happen. They sacrificed a decade, at least, for LeBron's shrinking window. They got their BS title, but that will always have an asterisk. I gave LeBron a shot. I was on board for that first year. Anyone who calls that guy a leader is just full of shit. I've never seen such garbage theatrics from what is supposed to be an all-time great. I lost all respect for him that season. I expect I'll be a Laker fan again when LeBron is gone. I just can't help but root against that dude. I enjoyed watching the 17-win team way more than any of the teams after he arrived. I followed the young core down to NOLA. I went from watching every Laker game on league pass to watching every Pelican game.

Wow. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for when I posted this. I’ve always bled Lakers, but the last couple seasons have been the least enjoyable, I still love them, but the Lebron effect you’re talking about is real. Kobe was great because of his drive, Lebron is naturally gifted and they’re both great in their own way, but I feel what you said. Awesome knowing that their are family’s like yours out there, the passing down of fandom through generations is a beautiful thing! Lebron can win a lot of people over who we’re spoiled with Kobe by winning a chip this year.. it would be impressive given the current landscape

Big time 30s something Lakers x Vikings fan, my dad was from st paul and I grew up in south oc. Best of both worlds.

Southwest Lakers! Anyone else go to Southwest HS in Minneapolis? No? Fine. Our mascot was dumb (⚓️) and our football team never did anything.

yessir! started off as a Laker fan because i live in LA then became a viking fan in 2002

I'm a Vikings/Kings fan. My dad is from Minnesota, but I grew up in Sacramento. I'm 48, so we got the kings before there was a Timberwolves team. Nice to know God has a sense of humor.

Minnesotan here. I was a Lakers fan when I was a young boy before the Wolves arrived and because Magic Johnson was my favorite player. I switched to the Wolves when they got here because I should support the local team, right? Biggest fan mistake I ever made...