LOS ANGELES — Dressed in the signature colors of the basketball team he loves — loves even when the team pains him as it has over the last few months — Flea comes roaring into the parking lot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Van Nuys rehearsal space astride a glittering Harley-Davidson that matches his purple sweatpants and gold sneakers.
"It's the best way to get around this town," he says of the motorcycle, which the bassist's wife, streetwear designer Melody Ehsani, recently had painted Los Angeles Lakers-style for his 59th birthday. Flea has been a Lakers season ticketholder for 22 years, and he reckons that this latest go-'round, in which the iconic NBA club is struggling to find a spot in the playoffs, "is the single most disappointing season in the history of the team."
"It's hard, because I really like all the guys," he says. "Love Malik Monk. Love Talen Horton-Tucker. Really love Austin Reaves — you know, 'Hillbilly Kobe.' When they boo Russell Westbrook, it breaks my heart. But basketball, like music, is such an energetic, spiritual thing. You can put a bunch of great players together, and it doesn't mean they'll create magic."
