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»CA.PROFESSIONAL SPORTS Basketball When you visit Los Angeles, try to get a ticket to a Lakers' basketball game. Befitting the movie star culture here, one of the NBA's top talents, Kobe Bryant, holds court 40-some times a year at the Staples Center in downtown LA. Film icons such as rabid fan Jack Nicholson have courtside seats and peoplewatching can be almost as enjoyable as the action on hardwood. The Lakers won the NBA title in 2009 and 2010. Also playing at the Staples Center is another NBA franchise, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's NBA. Among the state's other NBA teams are the Golden State Warriors, who play in Oakland, and the Sacramento Kings, whose arrival in 1991 brought a major sports franchise to the state capital. Start the Tailgate Party Then there's football, the smashmouth game that can be rousing to watch in person. Excluding playoff games (if they happen) and exhibitions, each team has only eight home games each year so tickets can be hard to find when teams are doing well. Astonishingly, Los Angeles doesn't have a National Football League team—they once did, but the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995. 74 2 013 travel guide to c al ifo r n i a BRAD PITT starred in Moneyball, left, a film based on the nonfiction book about the Oakland A's by Michael Lewis. » FIND GAME YOUR But there is football in Southern California. The San Diego Chargers, who play at Qualcomm Stadium, are known for an aggressive offense and frequent scores. In Northern California, the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers play across the bay from one another. Both have storied histories, and the 49ers are again living up to past glories with a near miss for a Super Bowl berth in 2012. If you attend a football game, be sure to arrive at least two hours early. That will not only make getting into the parking lot easier, it will give you time to join the pre-game tailgating activities. It's an American tradition to get there early, maybe grill some hot dogs or burgers on a portable hibachi, crack open a beer or two, and get the party started. Hockey And let's not forget hockey, which has taken on an international flavor in recent years, with players from all over Europe and Russia joining the Canadians on American ice. California's hockey teams are the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. All three franchises have talented players and the pace of hockey is faster than ever. If you can follow the puck, you'll have the time of your life at a hockey game. Get Your Tickets If any pro sports event is sold out, don't despair. You can usually find tickets online at stubhub.com or through the concierge at your hotel. You might have to pay more if you go this route, but when you're at a game, a beer in one hand and high-fiving your new best friends with the other, it will all seem worth it. CA BASEBALL San Francisco Giants sfgiants.com Los Angeles Dodgers dodgers.com Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim angels.com San Diego Padres padres.com Oakland Athletics oaklandathletics.com BASKETBALL Los Angeles Lakers nba.com/lakers Los Angeles Clippers nba.com/clippers Golden State Warriors nba.com/warriors Sacramento Kings nba.com/kings Los Angeles Sparks wnba.com/sparks FOOTBALL San Francisco 49ers 49ers.com Oakland Raiders raiders.com San Diego Chargers chargers.com HOCKEY San Jose Sharks sharks.nhl.com Los Angeles Kings kings.nhl.com Anaheim Ducks ducks.nhl.com ONLINE TICKET BROKER stubhub.com © COLUMBIA PICTURES baseball's color barrier when they fielded a team with Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play in the Major Leagues, in 1947. Today the Dodgers are known for their sunny stadium and Dodger dogs (frankfurters). Pile on the sauerkraut and mustard, grab an overpriced beer (gouging fans for beer is a ballpark tradition) and settle in to a Dodger-blue seat. Just down the freeway are the Anaheim Angels, whose ballpark looks like a Southern California theme park, with faux boulders behind the outfield fences. Their official name, which few use, is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Other California baseball teams include the Oakland Athletics, a scrappy young club that plays in an oversized stadium, and the San Diego Padres, who moved into Petco Park in 2004 near San Diego's famed Gaslamp Quarter. The ballpark incorporates local history by preserving the façade of the historic Western Metals Company building.