Getty Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers attend a mural unveiling.
There is a bit of animosity between the Lakers and their Staples Center roommates, the Clippers, these days after the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes. The Lakers lost out on a number of their free agency targets due to Leonard’s prolonged decision and with the trade for Paul George factored in, the Clippers have a superstar duo capable of rivaling the LeBron James–Anthony Davis pairing the Lakers have.
Despite the recent success of the Clippers franchise alongside the lackluster play from the Lakers, Los Angeles remains a Lakers town and the Clippers will need to not only win, but dominate in order to earn their respect in Los Angeles. Without a title to their name, the Clippers franchise has a long ways to go in order to even make a dent towards the Lakers’ 16 NBA titles.
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Lakers Fan Crashes Kawhi Leonard & Paul George Mural Reveal, Trolls Clippers [Video]
The renewed rivalry between building-mates was on full display at the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George mural reveal after their introductory press conference. Not only was one fan relentlessly trolling the Clippers from the crowd but his jeers seemed to draw some surprisingly decent support – as well as some expected criticism – from bystanders.
The fan made a point to relentlessly call out the fact that the Clippers have long been rumored to be on the move to Seattle – a rumor that is largely unfounded and rooted primarily in the fact that Ballmer has been a vocal supporter of bringing basketball back to Seattle. To that point, Ballmer has also been vocal that he has no intentions of moving the Clippers and that his support of Seattle is more contingent on the league adding an expansion franchise rather than relocation.
Lakers & Clippers Season Outlooks
Both the Lakers and Clippers are projected by most analysts to be the frontrunners in the Western Conference. The star-studded duos of James/Davis and Leonard/George offer unmatched firepower in a wide-open Western Conference and both teams seem to have a competent supporting cast in place. While the Clippers’ cast is battle (and playoff) tested, the Lakers are attempting to put together nearly an entirely new bench unit via free agency.
While the Clippers should gel a bit quicker and could get off to the faster start, expect the Lakers to eventually catch up to their fellow LA team as the two should enter the playoffs incredibly evenly matched. With both teams expected to be at the forefront of the West, don’t be surprised to see an all-LA showdown in either the second round or Conference Finals depending on the final seeding of the two teams.
Assuming both teams stay healthy, it seems like the road to the Western Conference Finals next season will run through Staples Center.