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There are usually plenty of notable fans in the stands when the Lakers are playing at home, and RJ Barrett seemed to be pretty starstruck after spotting a former Game of Thrones cast member near the court when the Raptors came to town on Sunday night.
Madison Square Garden is probably the only building that’s home to an NBA team that can come close to rivaling Crypto.com Arena on the star power front, as you’d be hard-pressed to find any other venue that consistently boasts as many celebrities as the one located less than 10 miles away from Hollywood.
Jack Nicholson was a courtside staple for decades after securing season tickets in the 1970s, and fellow A-listers including Leonardo DiCaprio and Dustin Hoffman have also been a constant presence in an arena where the entertainment industry tends to be very well-represented.
On Sunday night, the Raptors took to the court in Los Angeles hoping to snap a three-game losing streak and secure a much-needed win after getting off to a 2-8 start on the season. Unfortunately, the skid was extended to four in a showdown where Los Angeles walked away with the 123-103 victory on the back of a game-high 27-point performance from Austin Reaves.
RJ Barrett did what he could to lead the charge for Toronto in a contest where he led the team’s starters with 18 points—three of which he racked up midway through the first quarter after getting fouled by Cam Reddish and successfully converting the and-one.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau—the actor best known for playing Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones—was sitting in the vicinity when Barrett made the difficult shot, and the Raptors guard did a hilarious double-take after recognizing the man who was pretty impressed by his ability to sink the lay-up based on his reaction.
RJ Barrett x Jamie Lannister pic.twitter.com/mGsDtMtzXt
— OpenCourt-Basketball (@OpenCourtFB) November 11, 2024
Something tells me this is far from the first time Coster-Waldau has experienced that kind of interaction, although I have to assume it is the first time it’s involved a player in the middle of an NBA game.