You never know who you’ll see sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game. That is true not only for fans and viewers but also for the players.
That was evident on Friday night, as the Lakers hosted the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. At one point in the game, a stray ball made its way off the court, only to be picked up by none other than Bruce Springsteen.
That, in and of itself, would have been enough for the moment to go viral, with one of the world’s most legendary singer/songwriters happening to catch a ball while sitting courtside at a Lakers game. It may not have quite been Larry David accidentally tripping Shaquille O’Neal. But it was a highlight-worthy occasion nonetheless.
The Boss’s out-of-bounds play, however, was only made more memorable by the reaction it elicited from Lakers forward Rui Hachimura. Moments after Springsteen’s catch, the Spectrum SportsNet LA broadcast aired footage showing the Japan native displaying a look of both amazement and excitement.
Rui Hachimura: BIG Bruce Springsteen fan. pic.twitter.com/6wnxfDLxD3
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 12, 2025
While Springsteen’s career and legacy have obviously spanned generations, it’s admittedly somewhat surprising that a 27-year-old NBA player would be such a massive fan of the Jungleland singer. And, surprisingly, a player would be so starstruck in Los Angeles, where Lakers players are accustomed to celebrities sitting courtside on a nightly basis (Jessica Alba and John Legend were also among those in attendance on Friday night, according to the Asbury Park Press).
In any event, this made for a sweet moment, and it’s a credit to Spectrum SportsNet LA that it had its cameras in the right place at the right time to catch the reaction from Hachimura, who wasn’t in the game at the time. As it turns out, Springsteen’s appeal in the sports world isn’t just limited to those sitting in the press box.
