>> That's because KCAL (Disney) and Fox Sports Prime Time have paid serious >> money to the Lakers (and Clippers) for the rights to that region. They
It's actually a league-wide rule with the NBA. You'll find the same thing in every market. They draw a circle a certain number of miles around the transmitter for the local broadcaster who has rights for the home team, and blackout the games within that circle (even if the game is sold out!). If your carrier (cable company) doesn't have the technology right, as ours did some years ago, they may black out an entire ZIP code if part of that ZIP code is in the circle (which meant they blocked me out when they shouldn't have, until I switched to a dish -- then later they upgraded their system).
