L.A. Daily News: Print   Email   Font Resize Lakers, Dodgers are best friends forever

Matt Kemp will make his trot from center field to the Dodger Stadium dugout today and every inning he will have a question for a grounds-crew member. He doesn’t even have to ask.

They know what he wants:

The Lakers’ score.

Kemp doesn’t want to wait for the final score to be displayed on the JumboTron to learn if the Lakers or Orlando Magic won Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Kemp is a diehard Lakers fan and good friend of Trevor Ariza.

Kemp went to two games during the Western Conference finals - Game 2 at Staples Center and Game 4 at the Pepsi Center in Denver - and the Lakers lost both. Second baseman Orlando Hudson went to those games, too.

Kemp is bummed he can’t make any games of the NBA Finals
since he’ll be roaming center field for the Dodgers, but he’s sure thrilled for Ariza and the Lakers.

“Three years ago Trevor and I met and since then it’s been all love,” Kemp said. “We text as much as we can. When I do something good, he’ll text me, and when he does something good, I’ll text him. I like to see him do good. This is his breakout year. He’s an athlete.

“He can do everything. He plays defense. He’s good on offense. He’s growing this year, and I’m growing this year. I’m growing in baseball, and he’s growing in basketball.”

Kemp has an Ariza jersey, and Ariza has a Kemp jersey. Ariza has yet to attend a Dodgers game this year, but he said he will when the Finals are done.