Lakers vs. Suns: Kurt Rambis Bobblehead Night

Bobblehead nights at Crypto.com Arena have a way of drawing out fans who might not show up for a random Tuesday game in February. The March 17, 2027 matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns comes with a giveaway that actual Lakers history buffs will appreciate: a Kurt Rambis bobblehead. Rambis spent the best years of his career in purple and gold, winning four championships with the Showtime Lakers and later returning as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson. Getting his likeness on a bobblehead is overdue.

This is one of the more compelling LA sports events on the spring schedule. The Lakers and Suns have a long, often prickly rivalry that goes back to the days when both franchises were title contenders every few years. By mid-March, playoff seeding is usually close enough that a game between them actually means something in the standings, which adds a real edge to what could otherwise be a routine regular-season matchup.

Crypto.com Arena sits in the heart of Downtown LA at 1111 S. Figueroa, which makes it easy to build an evening around the game. The Figueroa corridor has a solid run of restaurants and bars within walking distance, and LA Live next door is the obvious spot for a pre-game meal or a post-game drink whether the final score goes your way or not. Metro Blue Line and Expo Line both stop at Pico Station, two blocks away, making this one of the more transit-friendly sporting events Los Angeles has to offer on the calendar.

Doors open well before tipoff, so arriving early gives you time to pick up your bobblehead before supplies run out. Giveaways at Lakers games tend to go fast because the arena holds about 19,000 and the team draws well even in down seasons. The bobblehead will be limited to the first X fans through the gates, so check closer to the date for the specific distribution number.

Kurt Rambis played an unglamorous but essential role on those championship teams: he set hard screens, grabbed rebounds in traffic, and did the kind of work that made everyone around him better. The glasses, the headband, the perpetual determination, all of that is part of Lakers lore. A bobblehead capturing that recognizable look is the sort of collectible that ends up on a desk for decades, not in a box in the garage.

Tickets are available through the Ticketmaster link below. Prices shift as the game approaches, so buying earlier rather than later typically saves money on los angeles games at this venue. Parking in the surrounding lots is expensive and can take a while to clear out; driving in from outside downtown tends to go smoother if you get there 90 minutes before tip and leave the surface lots to people with fewer options.

Check Downtown LA events for other things happening in the area that week, or browse the sports events page for more Things Happening In Los Angeles on the basketball calendar this season.