Jack Nicholson returned to the public eye this week by making a surprise appearance at a Lakers game.
LeBron James had a very famous supporter watching Friday’s (28 April) playoff Game 6 game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The iconic actor, 86, did not go unnoticed at the Crypto.com arena by other spectators and fans at home as he sat back at his customary place for the first time since 19 October 2021, according to Showtime’s Rachel Nicholson, when the building was still known by its former name – Staples Center.
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The One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest star was mentioned by other media outlets during the game, including the Lakers pregame and Spectrum SportsNet telecasts.
The Lakers’ official Twitter account also mentioned Nicholson’s attendance, while the NBA Brasil Twitter account shared a video of James and Nicholson greeting each other.
Tee Morant, the father of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, managed to get a picture with Nicholson which was shared on the NBA and ESPN social channels.
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The Oscar-winning actor was joined by his son Ray and his grandson Duke - who is pictured on Lana Del Rey's Norman F--king Rockwell album cover.
Nicholson’s presence was made known on the giant jumbotron at the arena with a short compilation of some of his most iconic roles. Starting with his “Here’s Johnny!’ line from The Shining to a clip of Nicholson as The Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman, the video faded to a close-up shot of Nicholson in real time watching the tribute, which received a huge round of applause from the crowd.
Fans on social media loved seeing Nicholson at another Lakers game, with one account tweeting: "So Great to have THE MOST IMPORTANT Laker Fan back in the Building!"
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Another fan wrote: "Love you Jack!"
A third gushed: "God bless him. Hope he's doing well!"
The Lakers moved on to the Western Conference semifinals with a 125-85 win over the Grizzlies, which surely made Nicholson very happy.
He wasn’t the only famous face spotted at the game, as celebrities Andy Garcia, David Geffen, Flea, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, NBA player Kyrie Irving and Adele – who is dating James’ agent Rich Paul - were all spotted courtside.
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With the Grizzlies now going home earlier than they planned, the Lakers will face the team that wins the Warriors-Kings series in Game 7 on Sunday (30 April) in Sacramento.
Gregory Robinson