LOS ANGELES — The art of multitasking has never been more important to Los Angeles native Victor Duenas than it was last week.
For the first time in history, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers began their journey to the World Series and the NBA Championship on the very same day, at the same time.
It's something L.A. sports fans like Duenas never imagined would ever happen.
"Not [on] the same day and almost at the same time, just an hour difference," he said. "It's not something I imagined, but definitely something I've been wanting."
On Wednesday night, the Lakers tipped off against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at 6 p.m. The Dodgers kicked off Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Milwaukee Brewers just one hour later.
Fans had to get creative about what jersey they were sporting and how they would take in the doubleheader.
"Even though I'm at home, I can't go to the games, I can't watch from a sports bar," Duenas said, donning a Dodger blue Lakers cap and a Kobe Bryant jersey. "I still gotta represent."
Although he would have rather been there in person or alongside his friends and family to cheer his favorite teams on, Duenas said he'll take what he can get after four months of no sports.
"To me, just bringing it home means a lot to us here in L.A.," he said. "Whether it's 60 games, 80 games, a win is a win, and hopefully, we bring it home."
He's been a Lakers fan since the early 80s, a Dodgers fan for more than a decade. Watching both teams was something he enjoyed doing with his son, Victor Jr.
Victor Jr. was shot and killed four years ago, and although Victor Sr. won't be able to take in this historic run with his son, having him in spirit has made this week even more special.
"He was a big Lakers and Dodgers fan. His favorite player was Kobe Bryant as well," Victor Sr. said. "I know that today they'll both be watching from up above and making sure that we win both games, not just one."
And that's what unfolded. The Dodgers swept the series to advance to the National League Divisional Series, and the Lakers put on a dominant performance to the series lead into Game 2.
While it wasn't the typical start to the playoffs, Duenas said he is excited to take in more of his two favorite teams.
"If you cut one of my veins you're gonna see blue coming out of one and purple and gold coming out of the other one," he said smiling. "I'm a huge fan of both the teams. I wish them both the best."