Sometimes being a fan just isn't enough, even when your team kicked butt in the NBA Finals. If you think you've got the right stuff to sink them like the best of them, consider registering to play in the Inaugural Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament which takes place on August 14-16 on multiple city blocks around LA (at about 70 outdoor basketball courts).

Lakers 3 on 3 is open to the general public and free for all fans. The event is set to feature a slam dunk contest, other basketball themed activities and competitions, food and drink, live music, and of course the best part: appearances by members of your favorite winning team, The Lakers.

You've got until July 31 to register your team through the event's website. Do it for Kobe!

Photo: Elsa/ Staff/ Getty Images

I just experienced the Michael Jackson memorial firsthand for four hours on-air as a guest on NBC LA's digital cable channel News Raw. Host Mekahlo Medina and I commented, play-by-play on the mammoth event at The Staples Center. It was quite the incredible star-studded spectacle culminating in an unforgettable group performance of "We Are the World." Mayor Villaraigosa is now asking for donations for the memorial whose price tag was upwards of $1 million.

Also, it has been brought to my attention that there is no email (or bio) for me on this site. Rest assured, About.com's tech folks are working on fixing this. In the meantime, please note my email address: losangeles.guide@about.com.

Michael Jackson's public memorial service takes places at the Staples Center tomorrow, July 7. More than 1 million people have put their names in a lottery to get the chance to attend. But only 17,500 will actually be allowed in. Public officials are warning the rest to stay home. I heard the police department has a budget for the event but the city's broke and will have trouble getting enough employees to clean up after it.

Realistically, most Angelinos will not be able to attend the gathering for the King of Pop. But there is another homage to the performer in LA, that's a lot more accessible to the public. Artist Jeff Koons' ceramic sculpture "Michael Jackson and Bubbles" (1988) sits at the LACMA as part of Eli Broad's collection.

LACMA's Unframed blog is calling it a "monument to the king of pop." the LA Times' Culture Monster blog chimed in with a more general post on Jackson's influence on artists, throwing Andy Warhol into the mix too.

Personally I prefer the Koons piece (pictured above). I think he and Jackson shared a whimsical, childlike energy. I remember interviewing the artist a while back. He posed for photographer Terry Richardson peek-a-booing behind one of his art pieces, sticking his tongue out and waving his hands like a little kid.

The Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica / © Jeff Koons

As is the usual tradition in LA, everyone complains that there's nothing to do on the 4th of July. Of course that's not true; it's just part of the ritual.

Beyond the loads of private barbecues taking place all over town, Jason Bentley, Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW (89.9 FM) will be spinning at The Wet Pool Party. Other talent on the line-up are Colette, Zack Hill, Adam Auburn, Eduardo Castillo and Franky Boissy.

The big splash takes place from 1 p.m. on the 4th until who knows when, at the Custom Hotel (8639 Lincoln Blvd.). Tickets are available online but sales stop at 11 a.m. on Saturday. You can also buy tickets at the door but there is limited capacity so your best bet is to buy them online tonight.

Photo © KCRW

It's about that time again: time for the tears, triumph and off-key vocals. American Idol season 9 auditions launched yesterday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The LA Times' ace Idol tracker Richard Rushfield reported on the sights and sounds of 11,000 people with dreams of stardom, and also includes video of tomorrow's celebrities (or karaoke addicts, depending on the outcome).

Among the faces in the crowd, he recounts: the legendary 'Crying Girl' (Ashley Ferl) who wept for poor Sanjaya way back when. The next round is off-air, followed by a round with Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara. Then comes 'Hollywood Week' and 'the Green Mile.'

Photo: David Banks/ Getty Images

I just learned from LA Observed (which reblogged a story from the Daily News) that, starting Wednesday LA county residents' sales taxes will increase to a "yikes-worthy" 9.75%. We, of course, voted on this under its ballot name Measure R--but the reality hits our retail outlets this week.

The tax hike was imposed to help generate $40 billion for local transportation projects over the next 30 years. These include building a $4.2 billion subway link from the Westside to Downtown, an $800 million rail line from Pasadena to Montclair and a $200 million extension of the Green Line to LAX, according to the Daily News.

From Twitter to Facebook to TMZ, everyone has been aflutter with the back-to-back triple punches of "Black Thursday in LA": the deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and, let's not forget Ed McMahon (about a day prior).

And no one can figure out why someone started the rumor that Jeff Goldblum died on a film set in New Zealand (and that Harrison Ford had also died or gone missing). I just heard that Kevin Spacey, of all people, took it upon himself to call Goldblum's manager who confirmed the actor was alive and in LA. The New York Daily News has the full story on the Snopes.

Anyone who was out and about in LA last night remarked on the bounty of Michael Jackson tunes wafting from the DJ speakers. I myself was at a media event at Halo in Hollywood and the mood was strangely upbeat as songs from the King of Pop were on heavy rotation. Just down the street on Hollywood Blvd., the Bruno movie was premiering. I heard on CNN that the Walk of Fame star for Michael Jackson (the talk show host) lay beneath a red carpet for the event, but that that didn't stop Michael Jackson (the King of Pop) fans from putting candles and flowers on top of it.

Today, Us is reporting that Jackson told former wife Lisa-Marie Presley that he was afraid of ending up like Elvis. Spooky.

Just a quick follow-up on the last post. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made the official announcement on CNN that he will not be running for the coveted (but stressful) California governorship in 2010, after much speculation by the media. According to the LA Times blog, he says he "can't leave this city in the middle of a crisis," meaning our $530-million deficit, massive job losses and home foreclosures.

There's a lot of buzz this week about Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's potential run for governor. We're less than a couple of hours away from his appearance on CNN's Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer, where he is expected to make the rumors official.

The San Francisco Chronicle's website has the basic story, while the Los Angeles Times is editorializing on the Mayor's performance in his current office. In a recent LA Times poll, many residents described feeling disgruntled by the effects of the recession and are hardly optimistic about how the government is handling this economic crisis. Villaraigosa's favorable job approval rating was 55%.

Other potential candidates for the governor's job are San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Jerry Brown, former Rep. Tom Campbell, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman, according to the Chronicle.

It's about that season again, when loads of people pack up a picnic basket, blankets and chairs, and head out to Hollywood Forever Cemetery to catch screenings of old films, under and above the stars, courtesy of Cinespia. This weekend promises to be a really fun one, as they'll be screening the Dustin Hoffman classic, The Graduate.

As always, it's a good idea to arrive early and plot out your seats. The sound can be virtually inaudible if you're too far back. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. The film starts at 9 p.m. There is also a $10 donation request for the event.

Photo © Cinespia