Although some NBA teams have allowed fans back into the stadiums, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the few that have not. However, that is all changing as the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. The Lakers will have some fans in attendance at Staple Center for the first time since the pandemic. When asked about it, Alex Caruso couldn't contain his excitement at the idea of having Laker fans back watch the team live, per Mike Trudell.

With the vaccines trickling down to the public, more and more live events will become open. The NBA has reportedly planned to have full attendance throughout the league by the 2021-22 season, per Hype Beast. However, for Los Angeles to finally have some fans to watch them play live, it should give the team a new life this late in the season.

Just as Caruso has said, “They've introduced us every time as the defending world champions, and we haven't had anybody there to really celebrate.” Having those fans back in the arena will remind this team of how much support they have from the fanbase. It could be just what they need to elevate their game to a new level.

This is an underrated advantage that will help the Lakers advance in the postseason. It's too bad they're likely not going to obtain homecourt advantage. However, no matter how many fans are in attendance, the Lakers are sure to put on a show. Look for the Lakers to play with new confidence, as on Thursday, they'll finally hear some cheers from the crowd when they're introduced as the “defending champions.”