Is Jack Nicholson good luck? Lakers remain undefeated this season with him courtside
Jack Nicholson returned to his courtside seat at Crypto.com Arena for the second time this season for Monday evening’s Game 4 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers won, 104-101.
The team’s record since the Oscar winner’s return to courtside: 2-0.
Nicholson made a rare public appearance on April 29, attending his first Laker game since the opening game of the 2021 season. His beloved team went on to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
“Jack is the lucky charm,” declared @OKMrLifestyle on Twitter.
“Build him a statue,” wrote @ShawnWard33.
“I need him to make the trip to San Francisco,” said @Dfactor23, referring to Game 5 of the series, which will be held Wednesday at the Warriors’ Chase Center where the Lakers have a chance to advance to the next round.
Oscar winner Jack Nicholson, 86, made a rare public appearance to cheer the L.A. Lakers to a Game 6 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
A season ticketholder since 1970, Nicholson, 86, has witnessed some of the franchise’s largest moments, from the Showtime era to the Shaq-Kobe three-peat and Kobe Bryant‘s back-to-back rings. He famously adjusted his shooting schedules and personal meetings so he could be free to catch every big Laker game.
Although Nicholson continued attending games as LeBron James joined the team in 2018, the pandemic stymied his attendance in recent years.
Nicholson’s April 29 return arrived during another big moment for the Lakers. The team defeated the higher-seeded Memphis Grizzlies to clinch the Lakers’ first playoff series victory since 2020.
Lonnie Walker IV scores 15 fourth-quarter points to help the Lakers defeat Golden State in Game 4 and move within one win of conference finals.
On Monday, the Lakers beat the favored Warriors, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead against the defending NBA champions. And though it’s unconfirmed if luck was a factor, the victory came in a strange fashion as Laker superstars James and Anthony Davis deferred to a forgotten bench player, Lonnie Walker IV, to carry them in the fourth quarter.
Prior to Monday’s game, the team flashed its usual montage on the jumbotron of Nicholson delivering his iconic lines in films “A Few Good Men,” “The Shinning” and “Batman.” After his Joker flashed on the screen, his gravelly voice oozing through the arena’s speakers, “Wait ‘til they get a load of me,” the image dissolved into a live shot of Nicholson sitting courtside, flashing two thumbs up as the crowd erupted into cheers.
“The Departed” actor sat alongside his actor son, Ray, who had joined him during his first-round appearance in April, and record producer Lou Adler, also a longtime courtside regular.
A look back at the actor’s courtside affiliation with the team.
Other celebrities in attendance for Game 4 included Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, also a longtime Lakers fan; Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; and “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor Chris Pratt who dapped it up with James before the match. Kim Kardashian was also there for a second straight game. She recently shared a courtside photo of Lakers center Tristan Thompson on her Instagram Story following their Game 3 victory.
Kim’s sister Khloe Kardashian welcomed her second child with Thompson in August, via a surrogate. The couple officially split in June 2021 but continue to raise their young children together.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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