I still remember the moment like it was yesterday. The date is June 8th, 2004. It’s a balmy California evening and I stand frozen outside the window of the UCLA Hilltop computer center. Behind the thin glass glows a flatscreen where the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Detroit Pistons in Game Two of the ‘04 NBA Finals.

The air is tense. No – it is electric. The count is 89-86 Detroit and with ten seconds left the Lakers inbound the ball. By now even the computer techs have dropped their projects and are all watching the screen. The ball goes to Shaq, Walton, and then it is in the hands of Kobe Bryant curling along the three-point arc, hounded closely by Rip Hamilton’s blue jersey. That’s when time goes still. I hate to sound cliche but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit feeling like my heart is in my mouth. I swear my entire body threatens to explode with every violent beat.

Less than five seconds on the clock. He hesitates at the top, feigns a cross over, floats left and then rises up with Hamilton’s palm in his face. Splash. The sound that erupts around me is like nothing I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s as if the entire campus and surrounding apartments have been tuned into this game judging from the stadium-esque roar that exploded as Kobe nailed the three-ball, forcing the game into overtime. He pounds his chest with a single clenched fist, bounding towards exuberant teammates who are already pouring onto the court. Los Angeles smiles on its representatives, its heroes in gold. And in that moment it feels damn good. It is damn good to be an Angeleno.

Sports culture, fashion trends, exotic cuisines, and celebrity drama; there is so much that creates the richness of cities like LA or New York. Welcome to the Local Boy, a highlight of the special things that make up the vibrant life we experience from a bicoastal perspective. Expect film reviews, fashion spotting, event coverage, social commentary, and more. Local Boy is a window into my world, the media capitol of the global community–what some of us like to call the city of angels. It’s a city where cultures collide, interact, and create new environments. Some say stars are born here; to others it’s barely a dream. But for me it’s home. Call me the denizen; call me the commoner. I’ll be your liaison. I’m the Local Boy.

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To see more from Caleb Lin, visit http://evilmonito.com/author/caleb/

Published on 2 November 2009 | 5 |