Rihanna joins crowd for NBA finals

FROM SUPERSTAR RIHANNA to the biggest local Lakers and Celtics fans to the average guy who was just out for a lime, Bubba’s Sports Bar in Christ Church provided standing room only as the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to take the NBA Finals in Game 7 on Thursday night.Some fans assembled from 6:30 p.m. to grab a meal and wait for friends to take in the game. Those who turned up at 8:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. start of the game were disappointed to find security manning the doors as there was no more room inside. While some left to find other spots to take in the game, many patrons waited for some of those inside to leave to make room for the real basketball fans.When at 8:55 p.m. all of the television screens switched to the game, glasses and forks were paused in mid-flight as everyone’s attention snapped to the show coming out of Los Angeles. With very few team jerseys on display, it was hard to determine the loyalties.However, after a loud applause for Christine Aguilera who sang the Star Spangled Banner, greater cheers went up as the Boston Celtics were introduced. The loudest cheers, however, erupted as the Lakers came out, particularly for Kobe Bryant.As the game progressed with the Lakers trailing right up to early in the fourth quarter, it did not take the skills of pollster Peter Wickham to determine which of Bubba’s constituents were there for the basketball: 70 per cent were backing the Lakers, while 30 per cent were either Celtics fans or just did not want Kobe to win another ring.Somewhere during all of that drama, superstar Rihanna entered the venue to take up a choice table with a group of friends. That meant that cameras could not be used by anyone. One guy in particulay stood all night with a menacing look on his face doing his job of protecting Rihanna as she chatted with people at her table or on her phone, while showing her patriotism by keeping bottles of the local brew on her table.The Lakers fans were delirious as their team surged from 13 down to lock the scores at 61. Another tie at 64 was broken with two Kobe free throws, and an indifferent night by Bryant was forgotten when he warmed almost everyone’s heart with a jumper to push the Lakers ahead, 68-64.At that stage, the noise level increased significantly as the Lakers fans began to respond to the taunts which they had endured all night.  Spaniard Pau Gasol kept everyone on edge as he pleased or frustrated the Lakers fans from the free throw line. A clutch of  “threes” by both teams and a five-point cushion by the Lakers finally put the game out of reach of the Celtics who lost the battle when it really mattered.When the final whistle blew, cellphones were whipped out as ecstatic Lakers fans called their absent opponents to use some choice words to describe the Celtics’ capitulation.  As those fans streamed out of Bubba’s greater drama was promised as the Bajan paparazzi were spotted waiting in the shrubbery to capture photos of Rihanna.