Eric Kageyama and his four-year-old son Jarrett from Torrance, California aren’t strangers to the Lakers nation. Remember that YouTube video of a little boy reciting all the Lakers players and their jersey numbers? That’s Jarrett! I was very excited to finally get the chance to interview Eric and ask him a few questions about his fandom and how Jarrett became the ultimate Lakers fan.

Being a fan for over 25 years, Eric Kageyama was fortunate enough to watch the Lakers during the Showtime Era with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Chick Hearn, etc. But when I asked how long he was a Sasha fan, Eric said, “[I] Became a Sasha fan during his second season in the league. I’ve always favored the Laker jump shooters over the years–Byron Scott, Anthony Peeler, Sedale Threatt, and Nick Van Exel. Those guys that can pull up in the face of the opposition and hit the J. Sasha is that player for this Lakers team. I still envision him growing into the John Paxon or Steve Kerr role for this Phil Jackson team. With one difference: Sasha plays incredible defense!”

As any die-hard Lakers fan would feel, Eric was very happy to watch his favorite basketball team win the NBA Championship for the fifteenth time. “I was very happy for all of the players. To see grown men celebrating with such pure joy after reaching the pinnacle of their profession was wonderful to see,” Eric said. Also, while observing the image of Kobe Bryant holding up the MVP Trophy, Jarrett said, “He’s so happy!”

Then I finally got to ask about his adorable son, Jarrett. I was surprised to learn that at just three months old, Jarrett was diagnosed with eczema, an auto-immune disorder which causes his skin to rash, dry and crack. Because of this, Jarrett spent time focusing on scratching his skin so much that it would begin to bleed. Since that time, doctors have advised them to find alternate activities for Jarrett to do to keep his mind off of scratching.

By the time Jarrett was about two years old, he began to show interest in the Lakers. Eric told me, “Jarrett began going up to the television, pointing to the players and asking, “Who’s that?…Who’s that?” And it just blossomed from there. I had a couple of game programs that he would go through everyday; he would pretend to be Sasha, Lamar, Jordan Farmar, or D-Fish while shooting hoops on his sure-shot basket; and he began to sit and watch long stretches of games with me.”

But of course, being so young, Jarrett has been spending time trying to learn the entire game of basketball. According to Eric, Jarrett understands the basic rules such as fouls, free-throws (he loves saying “and one!”), three-pointers, and dunks. He knows who’s playing on the floor and who’s on the bench. But one thing is for sure, “he has yet to grasp the score. He thinks Lakers win every game.”

While attending one of the Lakers’ home games one night last season, Jarrett finally got to meet Sasha Vujacic, Lamar Odom, and Josh Powell. Eric claims that those three players now have a special place in both his and Jarrett’s hearts. Eric even mentioned, “Sasha was incredible. The friendly, smiling, kind person you see in television interviews is the exact same person he is in person. Even at Jarrett’s age, those three players stopping and taking pictures with him left an indelible impression.”

But what was it that convinced Eric to share his adorable son’s fandom with the rest of the world on YouTube? Eric says that the credit goes to Kevin Doi because he was the one who convinced him to try it.

Want to know more about Jarrett’s fandom? Eric shared this interesting fact with me: “Like all fans, we watch the games, we buy the merchandise, etc. But for Jarrett and our family, the Lakers mean so much more. The Lakers help us get through every day by providing much needed distractions, and have greatly improved Jarrett’s quality of life. Jarrett brushes his teeth to players’ jersey number–for instance, I call out “Sasha,” and Jarrett takes 18 brush strokes and then stops. The lotions we use on his skin have been dubbed, “Kobe Cream,” “Magic,” and “Lamar Lotion.” The “Laker Movie,” which is the Championship DVD, is watched everyday to keep his mind off of scratching. The list goes on and on. Thank goodness the season is starting because we must have watched the Championship DVD over a thousand times.”

Eric’s message for Sasha:
First, thank you for cutting the hair! Off the floor you looked great. The hair was neat and flowing: You definitely looked Hollywood. On the court though, gotta be honest, it was looking kind of itchy and unsavory. The new look is fantastic. Back to the basics.

Sasha, it’s apparent you put in the time to be one of the best conditioned and well-prepared athletes in the world. Age and experience will do wonders for your continuously evolving and improved floor game. Your prime basketball years are still ahead, and I look forward to seeing what exciting things the future holds for you.

Thank you for remaining so genuine and kind to the fans. In all the interviews I’ve seen and heard, you are consistently upbeat, happy, and positive. Your smile is electric…don’t every lose that. The few moments that you took for Jarrett meant so much to him, and to me. It’s clear you know how much you mean to your fans. Thank you so much, and good luck this year!

(Jarrett’s message for Sasha can be found on the right side of the page!)