Just in case anyone wondered about this guy;
He was sitting 3 rows in front of me on the last Lakers game I attended and we all were like wtf? who is this guy? He was court side next to Penny Marshall.
I keep on seeing him in different playoff games and here's why;
"James F. Goldstein, (born in 1943) is a multi-millionaire "NBA superfan" who attends over one hundred NBA games each season (typically in courtside seats), including approximately 95 percent of home games for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. He also travels from city to city to catch games, especially during the NBA Playoffs (and not necessarily Lakers and Clippers playoff games). He also frequently attends post-game press conferences. His unique and flamboyant clothing makes him fairly easy to spot on television. His passion for the NBA has been featured in USA Today, the Detroit Free Press, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and ESPN the Magazine.
"He has so much invested in our sport," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "He probably has the largest investment of any fan in America, so we get a kick out of him. He has got quite a flair, and we love him as a sort of a superfan."
The son of a Milwaukee department store owner, Goldstein said he began watching NBA games as a 10-year-old. [1] At the age of 15 he was hired to keep game statistics by the Milwaukee Hawks.[2] "Once I did that and sat courtside for the games, I was totally hooked," he said. "My entire life has been devoted to professional basketball since then. I have such a passion for the game. I think there's more athleticism displayed in basketball than in any other sport."[3] He has also befriended several current and former NBA players, including Wilt Chamberlain, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Sam Cassell, and Dennis Rodman.
Unlike some other "super fans," however, Goldstein is content to simply observe the games and enjoy them, without yelling at referees or taunting players. He claims to have no favorite team, in spite of his Lakers and Clippers season tickets. He describes himself as a fan of the NBA in general.[4]
Goldstein refuses to disclose how he made his fortune or his net worth, although the Wall Street Journal speculated that Goldstein made billions in real estate (notably Century City in Los Angeles). [5] When asked, he typically responds, “Let’s just say I had some investments that worked out pretty well." He reportedly spends in excess of six figures on travelling to and attending NBA games. "I try not to think about the cost," he said. "It's worth it to me."