The "Showtime" Lakers Lost One Of Their Biggest Fans, My Grandma June

Most of my summers were spent in Los Angeles with my Grandma June.

Every day began with breakfast at the table and a copy of the Los Angeles Times sports section. The city was home to powerful teams like USC, UCLA, the Raiders, the Rams and the Dodgers. I can't recall many times of us discussing them.

It was always Showtime.

Even though it was the summer, we only cared about the pages involving the Lakers. Magic Johnson. James Worthy. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And, yes, Pat Riley.

I'm reminded of this the day after my Grandma June passed away Friday night. She was 96.

A Chicago native, she instantly became a Lakers fan after migrating west. Her face lit up when telling stories of running into Michael Cooper at the local Thrifty's. She argued Kareem was better than Michael Jordan.

It was so fitting she eventually moved to Inglewood. Her house was within walking distance of The Forum, where Showtime began in the `80s. In a time before online ordering, I was the envy of every kid in Bloomington, Ill., because I had an `87 and `88 "Back To Back" hat that she bought me when the Lakers won championships.

It was more than just basketball with my Grandma June. I knew about Arthur Ashe before most people my age because of her. One day, we were channel surfing. I really just wanted to watch Die Hard, but we came across The Wilma Rudolph Story. I told her I had no idea who she was and Grandma June glared at me like Pat Riley. She made me watch it with her. If not for that moment, I probably would not have known about one of the greatest stories in sports history.

I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks last summer with my Grandma June. I got to watch my first John Wayne movie. Saw a lot of Steve Harvey on Family Feud. Snuck her a hot dog against her caregiver's wishes.

But mostly, it was the Olympics. Despite "Raygun" getting all the attention, we actually enjoyed the Breakdancing competition. While watching men's basketball team, she asked out of nowhere, `Are you ever gonna get married?' Thankfully, Bam Adebayo had a big block to change the subject.

These were my last moments with my Grandma June even though I had plenty of chances to return. I was afraid to see her in a deteriorating state. She was no longer the woman who would take a trip to Las Vegas on a whim or have a 12 percent beer with me while having pizza at BJ's Brewhouse.

It really hit home earlier this week when Kyrie Irving said it took a few years for him to visit Kobe Bryant's statue in front of Crypto Arena. He wanted to avoid an emotional situation. I knew exactly what he meant.

But I will never refer to Feb. 28, 2025 as the day my Grandma June died.

She just crossed the finish line like Wilma Rudolph.