Maria Menounos: Jack Nicholson got me booted from Lakers game
Maria Menounos’ sports affiliations keep getting her into trouble.
The “Extra” host is a self-proclaimed “die-hard” Boston Celtics fan and has no problems trash-talking and taunting players.
And on Wednesday, the 35-year-old explained on “Conan” that “the ultimate” Lakers fan Jack Nicholson had her booted from Game 6 of the Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals game in 2010.
“Dane Cook and I were sitting courtside, we made it our business, our like second job to go to all these games and really rally for our team,” she said. “And all of a sudden — we’re courtside. I’m wearing my Celtics gear, I’m screaming, going crazy — and I get booted! These guys come and pull us out of courtside! I’m like, ‘What is going on?’”
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“So we end up in the chairman’s lounge at halftime and I’m like hiding in this hallway and all of a sudden Jack Nicholson comes out of the bathroom and he’s like ‘Heh, heh, heh ... I see they moved your seat,’” she said. “He got me kicked out! I heard later he called [late Lakers owner] Jerry Buss and had me removed!”
“I just got mafia-ed! This is not right!”
Menounos also mentioned that Lakers star Kobe Bryant gave her a hard time (but also respect) at an All-Star game for wearing a Celtics green-inspired shirt to the game.
The lifelong penchant for Boston sports teams stems from her being a Beantown native. She told Conan O’Brien that she even sold sausages outside the Red Sox’s Fenway Park and at New England Patriots games. The stunning brunet also charmed customers with a cute little jingle to get them to buy her product.
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Menounos has been photographed shouting at players during games, including an incident at one particular Orlando Magic basketball game that O’Brien was sure to ask her about.
(Watch the video below to hear her rather complicated taunt.)
Her fanaticism has garnered her quite a bit of publicity, too. In early 2012, the host lost a bet to AJ Calloway, an “Extra” correspondent, that resulted in her having to host the show in freezing Times Square while wearing a New York Giants-themed bikini. She mistakenly thought the New England Patriots would beat the Giants at the Super Bowl that year.
We imagine she’ll never live down -- or warm up from -- that moment.
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