Today’s game, the Cleveland Cavaliers v. the Lakers here in Los Angeles, was one of the most expensive games this year, because of Shaq’s return to L.A. courtside seats which has a face value of $2600 were selling at $7500 to $10,000. Who has that kind of money in this recession? Lots of Angelenos – natives and transplants. Let’s take a closer look:
First let’s start calling courtside seats by their proper name: you can either say your seats are ”on the wood” or you can say you sat “on the wood”. Either way, you’re ”on the wood.” There is only one row of seats on the wood that has padded black comfy chairs. The next two are called Row A and Row B are have good chairs too. These chairs are all padded and black and comfy. Then the regular rows start with ”Row 1″, “Row 2″, “Row 3″, etc. The only way to get season tickets is by an upgrade. Ticket holders have to renew their seats every year or they give them up and the seat behind them gets offered the position. This process was made famous by people like Jack Nicholson who renews his court side seat every year and Dyan Cannon who famously won Cary Grant’s seat in their divorce. For someone to start raw they would probably get stuck with nosebleeds for a couple years, less if we were in a recession, before moving down. Keep this in mind when you look at this list of seat holders on the floor. Some do get leapfrogged because of politics but some are just that dedicated.
I got interested in this subject when I started looking around the court at a Lakers game last Christmas. My dad and brother co-own four season seats in Row 10, Section 113 every year. My brother invited me and our uncle who was in town from Honolulu, to come along with him and his girlfriend. When I got there instead of my brother and future sister, there was our long time friend, Sotheby’s expat-turned-screenplay-writer, David Jurmaine, who went to Harvard Westlake with us, and who’s wife, Lilla Zuckerman, also a family friend is a writer on Fringe – yay! He was with director David Robertson who got semi well known last year for directing a black and white, subtitled, silent version of The Call of Cthulhua, spooky-ass H.P. Lovecraft film. (we later went on two dates – he was DAMN sexy). David (Jurmaine) told me my brother invited them at the last minute because one of his clients offered him court side seats, on the Lakers bench. On? Really. We sit across from the Lakers bench and my brother and his girlfriend were just sitting next Kobe Bryant on the the LEFT side of the Lakers bench. I demanded to know how he got the seats and who he got them from. He wouldn’t tell me because he was afraid I would post it on my blog (duh). Little does he know I can get any information I want in three bbms. But I began to look at the other seats and besides Justin Timberlake, the coaches and Jack, I wondered who everyone else was sitting there, who they were, how they got there, if it was money, a connection, a friend, maybe it was through a company, maybe they were unrecognizable but famous, etc. I HAD to know! I set about making a map which will continue to grow. If you have a legitimate seat holder on the wood – email me at lakers@dailytruffle.net.
Clockwise starting with the Lakers bench, here are the courtside, and other interesting, season seat holders:
Producer Joel Silver, Actor Denzel Washington, and Agent Ari Emanuel speak with one another during a break in the action of a game between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center
Starting with the Lakers bench, there are 6 players who sit here while the rest are on the court, and 5 coaches. When Vanessa Bryant attends, she sits right behind Kobe in section 119. There are actually four seats to before the Lakers players. This is where (L.A. native) Adam Levine, front man for Maroon 5, is usually spotted all the way at the end of the row.
Next to the coaches and the Laker bench, Ari Emanuel (partner at the former Endeavor agency, now William-Morris-Endeavor since it’s merger) hold season seats on the wood to entertain and publicize current, and potential, clients. He sits directly next to the Laker bench, in front of section 119, and holds 4 seats in total. He goes to many game with Endeavor partner, Patrick Whitesell and clients which recently have included Jessica Alba and Jonah Hill.
Behind the WME seats, Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has season seats in Row 1, Section 119. The original vampire blockbuster star from ”The Lost Boys”, actress Jami Gertz, has season tickets in Row 7, Section 119, surprise surprise.
Norm Pattiz hugs Kobe Bryant, Endeavor partner Patrick Whitesell off to the left in back
Next to the William Morris Endeavor seats, at mid-court on the wood in Section 101, you will find the most recognized non-celebrity Laker fan on the planet, season ticket holder Norm Pattiz. You may think you don’t know who this person is, but if you have ever watched or been to a Lakers game, he is the one who stands up and turns to the audience, clapping his program over his head. Norman Pattiz, 65, is the founder and former chairman of Westwood One, the radio programming empire with annual sales of $500++ million.
Holding four season seats, behind Norm, in Row 1, Section 101, is Guy Oseary, my old boss! (L.A. native) Guy went to Beverly High (class of ’91) who’s friendship with Madonna precipitated their launch of Maverick Records and it’s sister company after its’ success, Maverick Films.
Guy is known to bring celebrity friends like Anthony Kiedis and Chris Rock, or his friend and A-list promoter, Josh Richman, who makes up 1/2 of the celebrity marketing team “The Alliance” (his partner Hartwell often attends the games court side as well with his friend Navin who holds 4 courtside season seats in Section 112).
Dustin Hoffman and wife Lisa watch Lakers play the Utah Jazz, April 21, 2009.
Lou Adler with Jack Nicholson and his daughter Lorraine Nicholson at the Lakers v. Utah Jazz playoff game on May 14, 2008 - Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
In front of section 102, on the wood, comes the most famous Lakers fan and season ticket holder of all times Jack Nicholson, who often brings his daughter Lorraine, or whomever he is dating at the time. Next to Jack is Lou Adler, owner of The Roxy on Sunset which he has turned over to his son (L.A. native) Nic Adler to run. His other son, Cisco Adler is a musician in the band Swayze and was once known for dating (L.A. native) Kim Stewart, sister of Sean Stewart, both children of Rod Stewart.
Davis Factor and Brent Bolthouse at Brent's 40th birthday on December 17, 2009
Directly behind Jack and Lou, in Section 102, Row 6, sits (L.A. native) Davis Factor, heir to the Max Factor empire, along with his brother (L.A. native) Dean Factor. These two made a name for themselves with the invention of Smashbox make-up their partnership with Mercedes Benz for now-defunct L.A. Fashion Week. Davis is usually in attendance with a date or his friend Mike Baruch, a man about town who was best known for owning Fred Segal Beauty in Santa Monica.
Next to Jack and Lou, is the visitor’s team bench, and after that, we have the entrance and exit from which the visiting team appears and retreats.
Inside that tunnel – few realize there is also an entrance to a private bar and lounge called the Chairman’s Room, this is where Hollywood heads during half time. Well, everyone with a golden ticket. Literally. A pass comes with each courtside seat; but there are extra golden tickets (that look like yellow index cards). Publicists for the Lakers, who you see walking around the court in heels and badges, spot guest that have made prior arrangements and hand off the cards that must be returned.
Khloe Kardashian, wife to player Lamar Odom, sits just next to the tunnel to the Chairmans Room in section 105, perhaps for all the fun people watching. During the half time, she may also wander to the Family Room.
Khloe & Kim Kardashian
In front of Khloe, movie maker Penny Marshall (famous for her role in Laverne & Shirely, she began directing films like “Big” and ”A League of Their Own” later in her career) holds season seats on the wood in front of section 106, on the baseline, near the visitor bench.
Coming around the corner after the baseline, is the strip often called “Celebrity Row.”
Jimmy Iovine & Jay-Z at Lakers game on Nov 22 between Oklahoma City Thunder and L.A. Lakers
Jimmy Iovine (chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M) holds 4 courtside seasons seats in front of section 109/110 (directly opposing the visiting team’s bench). This is where you always see urban musicians like Beyonce and Jay Z, Usher, TI, Dr. Dre, Pharrell Williams, Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige. Also seen in these seats often is “Polo”, one of Jimmy’s producers.
The Lakers holds the next four courtside seats. The Lakers publicity team give these seats to VIPS, usually celebrities. This is where you have seen Leo diCaprio, Zac Efron, Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon when they were dating or Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz, and then Jessica Biel, when they were dating.
Celebrity Row - where the players literally trip over celebrities. Houston Rockets guard John Barry (#17) jumps over producer Joel Silver, Leonardo diCaprio, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedwick on May 13, 2009
After celebrity row, which takes up the front of all of Section 110, we get to Section 111, at the half court, where Jeffrey Katzenberg holds 4 season seats on the wood; he brings his son, (L.A. native) David Katzenberg, who often brings his girlfriend, (L.A. native) Nicky Hilton.
Sylvester Stallone, Robert Downey Jr, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Marilyn Katzenberg and David Katzenberg at the 2008 NBA finals
Next to the Katzebergs, film producer Joel Silver also holds season tickets.
Jeanie Buss always sits in front of Section 112, Row B. Jeanie is the daughter of Laker’s owner Jerry Buss and also the face of the Lakers (as far as business goes) and also is the vice president of operations for the Lakers. She always sits with her bff, Stacy or else Linda Rambis, who is the wife of former Laker’s coach Kurt Rambis – who now coaches for the Timberwolves. Her dad sits directly above her in a B Level Suite. He has been letting her and her brother take over more and more responsibilities for the team and he pretty much just watches from afar these days.
Andy Garcia with his daughter at Staples Center in 2007Behind Jeanie, Andy Garcia, who always brings his daughter, sits in Row 6, Section 112. Denzel Washington with the late DJ AM - May 2008
Denzel Washtington has 2 season tickets on the wood in front of section 112/113.
Moving around the baseline, beneath the net Lou Gosset Jr has season ticket in section 115.
On the wood in section 116, sits part-owner Magic Johnnson, Dyan Cannon and
George Lopez, who has been known to bring along friend and musician (L.A. native) Slash, formerly of Guns n Roses.
Per the NBA.com website, the top 10 celebrity Lakers fans of all time are: 10: Doris Day 9: Arsenio Hall 8: Leonardo DiCaprio 7: Penny Marshall 6: Denzel Washington 5: Andy Garcia 4: Ice Cube 3: Flea/Anthony Kiedis 2: Dyan Cannon 1: Jack Nicholson
Photos from Getty Imagezs, USA and L.A. Times
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do you happen to know who the asian lady is that sits a couple of seats down from jack nicholson?
Funny I get asked that question A LOT!! Here name is Yori and she is just a fan, no connection to Jack or the Lakers as far as I know.
Yori, Ok, but who is the silverhaired lady who is always with Yori?
She seems to applaud for the oppossing team at times.
Ladies, Girls, Forgive me, but,It occurs to me, pre E-Bay:
Is anyone interested in a vintage, 1930′s Louis Viton steamer trunk?
Like Cher sat on and sang on in their show, many,years ago?
Expensive, but Authentic and rare: Pictures provided on request. So. Cal.
Caroline, if I may call you Caroline, I have remembered that my LV trunks
came from Beverly Hills. An elderly German lady gave them to me about 35 to 40 years ago: A Mrs. Kurt Moyer, and the tag reads “90 No. Crescent Dr.”.
It comes up on Google earth, but not familiar in my memory the event. It seems like her residence was right across the street from the/a hotel, but I think that was not the above address. She may have had the name “Sheldon”, or “Shelton”, oh, so long ago. “The” Mr. Blackwell, drink in hand, was looking to buy her house when my wife and I were there to pick up the trunks.
Kinda interesting, at least to us, and you are our only contact in B.H.. Phil