Baseball -- The Los Angeles Dodgers (tel. 323/224-1-HIT) play at Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park, near Sunset Boulevard. The team's slick, interactive website (www.dodgers.mlb.com) offers everything from game schedules to souvenir merchandise online. The Disney-owned 2002 World Series champion California Angels (tel. 888/796-HALO; www.angels.mlb.com) play at Anaheim Stadium, at 2000 S. State College Blvd. (near Katella Ave.), in Anaheim.
Basketball -- Los Angeles has two NBA franchises, the L.A. Lakers (www.nba.com/lakers), who won their third consecutive NBA Championship in 2002, and the L.A. Clippers (www.nba.com/clippers). Both teams play in STAPLES Center in downtown L.A., 1111 S. Figueroa St. (tel. 213/742-7155; www.staplescenter.com). Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon have the best tickets, but this 20,000-seater should have room for you too.
The L.A. Sparks (tel. 310/330-2434; www.wnba.com/sparks), who at press time were making a run at back-to-back WNBA titles, play at the STAPLES Center May through August. The Sparks are especially proud of star center, 2001 MVP and Olympic gold-medalist Lisa Leslie.
L.A. Lakers: The Best Show in Town--People say that only three phenomena have the power to galvanize the residents of Los Angeles: earthquakes, riots, and the L.A. Lakers. That may not be an overstatement. With 14 franchise championships, including five during the ?80s Showtime era of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, the Lakers are the second most winning team in basketball history, and the kings of the L.A. sports scene. In Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the current squad boasts the league's most dominant big man and its most spectacular perimeter player. While the recent run of three consecutive championships came to an end after a lackluster ?02-?03 season, Laker-haters everywhere may be grinding their teeth again soon, as off-season additions to the team promise to make the ?03-?04 incarnation one of the best of the era.
The Lakers play at the $300-million STAPLES Center, which bears a greater resemblance to an outlet mall than a sports arena, and the laid-back L.A. crowd won't break any decibel records. Still, a Laker game is quintessential L.A., drawing a rare mix of Angelenos from A-list celebs to East L.A. homeboys. On those terms alone, the Lake Show is worth a look -- that is, if you can get tickets. Seats range from $22 (nosebleed) to $200, and prices for anything remotely near the floor increase exponentially the closer you get to courtside. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets (www.ticketmaster.com) or the STAPLES Center box office (tel. 213/742-7304; www.staplescenter.com). The Center is located on 1111 S. Figueroa St., on the corner of 11th St., 1 block south of Olympic Blvd., downtown. Tip: You can also order tickets online at the official Laker website, www.lakers.com, or at a non-affiliated website such as viptickets.com.
Football -- Los Angeles suffers from an absence of major-league football, but it gets by just fine with two popular college teams and an Arena League team. The college season runs February through May; if you're interested in checking out a game, contact UCLA Bruins Football (tel. 310/825-2101; www.uclabruins.com) or USC Trojan Football (tel. 213/740-2311; www.usctrojans.com). Described as "fun, fast, and furious," many fans find Arena League football to be action-packed and exciting, and it sure costs a lot less than its NFL counterpart. The local team is the L.A. Avengers (tel. 310/788-7744; www.laavengers.com); games run from April through July and are played downtown at the STAPLES Center.
Horse Racing -- The scenic Hollywood Park Racetrack, 1050 S. Prairie Ave., in Inglewood (tel. 310/419-1500; www.hollywoodpark.com), with its lakes and flowers, features thoroughbred racing from early April to July, as well as in November and December. The $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup is also run here. Well-placed monitors project views of the backstretch as well as stop-action replays of photo finishes. Races are usually held Wednesday through Sunday. Post times are 1pm in summer (7pm on Fri), and 12:30pm weekends and holidays. General admission is $7; admission to the clubhouse is $10.
One of the most beautiful tracks in the country, Santa Anita Racetrack, 285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia (tel. 626/574-RACE; www.santaanita.com), offers racing from October to mid-November and December to late April. The track was featured in the Marx Brothers' film A Day at the Races and in the 1954 version of A Star Is Born. On weekdays during the season, the public is invited to watch morning workouts from 7:30 to 9:30am. Post time is 12:30 or 1pm. Admission is $5.
Ice Hockey -- The NHL's L.A. Kings (www.lakings.com) also call the STAPLES Center home and down the road in Orange County, the Mighty Ducks (www.mightyducks.com) play at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim (tel. 714/704-2500; www.arrowheadpond.com).
