Ticket frenzy in Finals

LOS ANGELES – The hottest thing in Tinseltown is a ticket to the Finals at the Staples Center.

The seating capacity is 18,997 and every spot is sold out for Game 3 this morning (Manila time). The cost for a courtside seat is $56,000 compared to $30,000 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

In Philippine terms, a courtside ticket will set you back P2.4 million–the price of a luxury car and a high-class studio condo. You cough up the dough for a few hours of basketball entertainment.

That’s not all. You can’t buy a courtside seat, one at a time. The seats come in pairs so if you’re thinking of joining Jack Nicholson’s row, you’ve got to be prepared to plunk down $112,000.

The cheapest ticket is going for $400 at the top of the arena. A midcourt seat has a $7,000 price tag. A skybox with 44 seats sells for $50,000.

Scalping is outlawed but in dark corners within the Staples’ immediate vicinity, there are hawkers buying and selling tickets with little regard for face value prices.

“I’ve seen nothing like this in the nine years that we’ve opened,” said Staples general manager Lee Zeidman, quoted by Dana Batholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News. “Because of the history of these two teams, the demand is phenomenal.”

Since Minneapolis moved the Lakers to California in 1960, there have been nine Finals between Boston and Los Angeles. The rivalry is clearly the fiercest in NBA history, featuring Bill Russell against Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek against Jerry West and Magic Johnson against Larry Bird.

The last faceoff came in 1987 when the Lakers beat the Celtics in six. After 21 years, Boston and LA are back in the Finals, stirring a fan frenzy that has driven TV ratings way over what San Antonio and Cleveland delivered last season.

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The Celtics’ unlikely hero in Game 2 was sophomore pro Leon Powe who was Denver’s second round pick in 2006. He compiled 21 points and two rebounds with no turnover in 15 minutes. Powe shot 9-of-13 free throws. As a team, the Lakers were 10-of-10 from the line.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson threw a sharp jab at the referees when he said it was “ridiculous” for Powe to shoot more foul shots than the entire Los Angeles team in only 15 minutes. Jackson also showed a bit of disrespect for Powe by calling him “Pow” like he didn’t figure in the Lakers scouting report.

“What did he call me, Pow?” said the 6-8 Powe. “That’s what my teachers call me sometimes and I let them get away with it.”

Powe, 24, survived a tough childhood and basketball was his way out of poverty. As a boy, he was homeless for several years when the house his family lived in burned down in an Oakland ghetto. Then, he was taken from his mother and placed into foster care in middle school. Bernard Ward became his guardian in the sixth grade. His mother died a few days before Powe played in a high school state title game in 2003.

Ward continues to look after Powe. Last Sunday, he was in a special section 25 rows from the court to watch his “son” play the game of his life.

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New England Patriots football star Tedy Lacap Bruschi was in the TD Banknorth Garden cheering for the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last Thursday.

Bruschi’s mother Juanita Lacap is pure Filipina. His parents divorced when he was five. His father Anthony is an American of Italian descent. Bruschi said he uses Lacap as his middle name to show respect for his Filipina mother’s family. His sister Natalia and brother Tony also use Lacap which some American writers said was a “unique” middle name.

Bruschi’s mother married professional tennis player Ron Sandys after her divorce. Bruschi was raised by his mother and stepfather. He is married to his campus sweetheart Heidi and they have three sons. Three years ago, Bruschi suffered a mild stroke that led to partial paralysis but recovered to continue playing in the National Football League in an inspiring comeback. He turned 35 yesterday.