In the 15 years that Kobe Bryant has been in the NBA, the Lakers have never missed the playoffs while capturing five rings along the way. Because of the success of the Lakers during his time in Los Angeles, you almost forget about the Clippers who have only made the playoffs twice since Kobe has been in the League. Even though the Clippers have made it to the playoffs twice in this timeframe, many people don’t even remember those. When a city has two teams who play the same sport, it’s natural for one to be “big brother” and the other always struggling to catch up. It’s no different here.
But, has that all changed now that Chris Paul has been dealt to the Clippers? Last season, I wondered out loud if the Clippers were becoming a bigger draw than the Lakers. Not a better team, but bigger draw – more exciting. With the Lakers’ loss of Lamar Odom and the Clipps gaining Chris Paul, it makes that claim even more likely. With a potential starting lineup of Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups (unless they can acquire an actual 2-guard before the season starts), Caron Butler, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordon, they should be able to compete in the West for years to come. Not to mention the fact that now they’ll be able to acquire free agents because they will be more willing to play there. Too bad they had to lose Eric Gordon, though.
Kobe was recently asked what he thought about the potential of a new Staples Center rivalry. Sounds like he’s ready for it:
“It’s about damn time” sums it up. Also, check out Chris’ arrival in L.A. yesterday:
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
