Season-Ticket Holders Still Supplying Demand

OKLAHOMA CITY — If season-ticket sales are fair indicators, fan interest in the Lakers has fallen -- a whopping 1%.

Season-ticket holders have renewed at a 97% rate, down from 98% last season but more than acceptable to Laker officials who feared the worst after Shaquille O’Neal was traded.

“We were a little nervous,” said Tim Harris, senior vice president of Laker business operations. “July was kind of a busy month on the player front. After we traded Shaq and before Kobe [Bryant] signed, there was some nervous time. We are pleased with what has happened. The demand is still there.”

Ticket sales were only part of the unpredictability in the busiest off-season in team history.

Season-ticket renewal forms were sent June 28, and payment was due July 30. In between, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Bryant signed a seven-year contract with the Lakers, although Bryant faced sexual-assault charges until they were dropped Sept. 1.

The high renewal rate came in addition to a 6% increase in ticket prices.

“It’s a testament to this organization that even in a summer with a lot of changes, our fans are committed to this team,” said executive vice president Jeanie Buss. “I think our season-seat holders are confident they’re not going to have to go through a rebuilding process similar to what other teams had to go through, like the Boston Celtic and Detroit Piston teams of the mid- to late ‘80s. That’s exactly why every move was made this summer, to remove the possibility of a five-year drought of not making the playoffs.”

There were a few early cancellations in the lower bowl of Staples Center that came with reasons unrelated to the Lakers, Harris said.

“We weren’t getting, ‘You traded Shaq’ or anything like that,” Harris said. “We were getting, ‘I’m retiring and can’t write this off any more as a business expense,’ or ‘My business is closing.’ It was normal economic reasons that went beyond the Lakers.”

On the other hand, there seemed to be one driving reason for fans to keep their tickets.

“There’s [still] Kobe,” Harris said. “People don’t want to let go of their seats. If they let go, they’re fearful they’ll have to get back in line again.”

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Center Vlade Divac continues to miss time because of a herniated disk in his back, and is “not even close” to returning, a team spokesman said.

Divac will sit out at least the first two weeks of the regular season, which begins Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets.

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Bryant scored 19 points, and the Lakers concluded their exhibition season Thursday with a 97-87 victory over the Washington Wizards at Ford Center in Oklahoma City. Point guard Tierre Brown all but nailed down the final roster spot with 12 points and six assists.... Forward Brian Cook did not play because of a sprained right ankle, but he should be ready Tuesday.... The Lakers finished 6-2 in exhibition play for their first winning preseason since 1998.... Laker owner Jerry Buss was selected the 12th-most influential person in pro basketball by Sports Business Journal. NBA Commissioner David Stern was selected No. 1, and ABC Sports/ESPN President George Bodenheimer was No. 2.