Courtside Fans Channel Their Inner NBA Stars
During the Lakers’ final regular-season game against the Jazz last Sunday night in Los Angeles, the cameras caught two unique fans sitting courtside. At first glance, they seemed out of place, yet somehow they felt more at home than anyone else in the arena.
The duo, Brandon Taylor and Tom Biddle, aren’t celebrities—not yet, anyway. They are the only two content creators from Indianapolis who made an appearance dressed as LeBron James and Luka Dončić.
Tom, who goes by tom and popcorn, bears an uncanny resemblance to Dončić. His height, beard, and hair might just make you do a double-take if you spotted him from afar.
Brandon, on the other hand, is known as young praying mantis. His take on LeBron is more about confidence than a true likeness, but hey, it works for him.
Despite not winning a fan contest, they caught the attention of the Lakers’ in-house camera crew, landing in the final two but ultimately losing out to younger Lakers fans.
“Not winning ‘Fan of the Game’ stuck with me,” Tom expressed, reflecting on the experience. “So, we decided to upgrade our seats tonight for a better view.”
This upgrade was quite significant. They ended up sitting next to the Rockets’ bench during Game 1 of the NBA playoffs, even getting close to LeBron and his son, Bronny, during warmups.
Courtside playoff tickets go for over $100,000, yet Brandon and Tom claim they sought this experience not for the prestige but as a sort of retaliation. “The Lakers will win tonight, but more importantly, we win too,” Brandon said, emphasizing how crucial it is to witness greatness while they still can.
At 41, LeBron surely aims to defy age in his matchup against the Rockets. However, missing Doncic (due to a hamstring issue) and Austin Reeves (with an oblique muscle problem) puts the Lakers at a disadvantage against a young and agile Rockets team.
And so, Brandon and Tom went all in. They traveled to Los Angeles, posted a viral clip, and returned for Game 1 of the playoffs. “I just want to meet my son and take a picture,” Tom remarked, hopeful to meet the real Luka Doncic, who was on the Lakers’ bench.
Hopefully, this time, they secure the title of ‘Fan of the Game.’
