NBA: 30 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 season
2. The battle for Los Angeles
The supposed rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers is one that’s never really gotten off the ground.
The greatest stretch in Clippers’ history coincided with the worst for the Lakers. Only three times this century have the two made the same postseason — the most recent in 2013 — and just six times since the Clippers came over from San Diego in the summer of 1984.
Do you think #Lakers and #Clippers should have more fun with this LA rivalry? pic.twitter.com/07HIYVZ5pQ
— Nikki Kay (@NikkiKaySN1) October 2, 2019
In one of the most shocking developments of the summer, the Clippers didn’t just sign Kawhi Leonard. Steve Ballmer and company stifled whatever chances the Lakers had at signing the reigning Finals MVP by simultaneously pairing Leonard with Paul George.
The Lakers, of course, had a fine offseason of their own by finally trading for Anthony Davis, but the improvements made by their inner-city rival clutter what was previously a much easier path to the Finals.
The theatrics of Davis and LeBron James squaring up against Leonard and PG would be a spectacle unto itself. To watch an inner-city rivalry blossom with four regular-season games — and quite realistically a playoff battle — is a gift the NBA world doesn’t deserve.