Lakers vs Clippers

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Lore & Background

The Lakers and Clippers first met on October 30, 1970, when the Lakers beat the Buffalo Braves 104–90 at The Forum. The Braves moved to San Diego in the 1978–79 season and were renamed the Clippers, officially joining the Lakers in the Pacific Division. San Diego won their first game against the Lakers 124–113 on October 24, 1978. "This is a good way to start off a rivalry," said Clippers owner Irv Levin. The Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984, making their home at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Their first meeting drew 14,991 fans, the then-largest home-court attendance in Clippers history. The Lakers won 108–103, and the Associated Press wrote that "a crosstown rivalry was born." Former Lakers guard Norm Nixon, then with the Clippers, said "I think it's going to great every time we play ... When we get some more [wins], our fans won't have to cover their heads with their hats anymore." The Clippers marketed themselves as the "People's Team" with lower ticket prices than the Lakers. Lakers coach Pat Riley commented, "I felt we've done more the last 20 years to be the 'People's Team'".

In Their Own Story

By 1986, the Lakers were still undefeated against the Clippers, and the Associated Press offered that it was "a crosstown rivalry that hasn't been much of one." Lakers fans would outnumber Clippers fans at the Sports Arena during matchups for years until 1992, when the Clippers had their first winning season since 1978–79. The Clippers ended a 27-game Forum losing streak against the Lakers that season and won the season series for the first time since moving to Los Angeles. In 1993–94, both teams missed the playoffs for the first time in the same season, a feat repeated in 2004–05. From the 1994–95 to 1998–99 seasons, the Clippers played limited home games at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, compiling a 1–2 record against the Lakers there. A deal to move the Clippers to Anaheim permanently was declined in 1996, leading to the Clippers joining the Lakers at Staples Center when it opened in 1999. In 2005–06, the Clippers won 47 games and finished two games ahead of the Lakers. During the season, Kobe Bryant said that "rivalries are made in the playoffs, not in the regular season." In the 2006 playoffs, the Lakers built a 3–1 first-round series lead against the Phoenix Suns before losing 4–3, spoiling a potential crosstown matchup with the Clippers in the second round. The Clippers’ second-round series against Phoenix drew higher television ratings in Southern California than the Lakers’ first-round loss to Phoenix. Prior to a 2008 matchup, the Los Angeles Times wrote that "even the involved parties have trouble referring to this thing as a rivalry." Lakers coach Phil Jackson said the two teams were "always going to be a rivalry" yet on many occasions, he picked on the Clippers' often poor record.

Did You Know?

• The Clippers are the oldest franchise in North American professional sports to have never appeared in a championship game.
• The Lakers and Clippers have never met in the playoffs.
• The Lakers lost a 3–1 series lead and failed to advance to the Western Conference semifinals against the Clippers in 2006.
• The Clippers also lost a 3–1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in 2020, nixing a conference finals matchup with the eventual NBA champion Lakers.
• From the opening of Staples Center in 1999 until 2024, the Lakers and Clippers shared the arena, and their matchups were sometimes called the "Hallway Series".

Coaching Turmoil and Historic Leadership

The 2024–25 season began with significant instability in the coaching ranks, marking a stark departure from recent stability. On May 3, 2024, the franchise made the decisive move to dismiss head coach Darvin Ham along with his entire assistant staff, including Phil Handy, who had been instrumental during their 2020 championship run. This vacancy was filled on June 24, 2024, when JJ Redick was appointed as the new head coach. Despite entering the year as the defending NBA Cup champions, the team struggled to replicate that success under new leadership, failing to advance past the group stage of the tournament with a 2–2 record in West Group B. The season also faced external challenges; two games were postponed due to the devastating January 2025 Southern California wildfires, an event that personally impacted Redick when his home was destroyed by the Palisades Fire. These early struggles set a turbulent tone before the team eventually found its rhythm later in the campaign.

Historic Milestones and Family Legacy

This season will be remembered for shattering long-standing historical barriers within the NBA, primarily centered around LeBron James. In the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, James and his son Bronny made history as the first father-son duo to play together in a regular-season game. This milestone was further cemented when James became the first player ever to compete in the league both as a teenager and as a 40-year-old on New Year's Eve. The franchise also honored its past by retiring jersey number 21 for Michael Cooper during a January 13, 2025 game against the San Antonio Spurs, coinciding with his announcement as a Hall of Fame finalist. These moments highlighted a unique convergence of generational achievement and organizational respect, creating a narrative that transcended standard basketball statistics.

The Shocking Trade Blockbuster

In a move widely regarded as one of the most shocking in NBA history, the Lakers executed a massive three-team trade on February 2, 2025. The deal involved the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, resulting in Los Angeles acquiring superstar Luka Dončić alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. This transaction was unprecedented as it marked the first time in league history that two reigning All-NBA players were traded for each other during an active season. The seismic shift altered the team's trajectory immediately, replacing their established star with a new global icon in a high-stakes gamble that redefined the roster's potential and future direction.

Dramatic Finishes and Playoff Heartbreak

The latter half of the season was defined by intense volatility and dramatic finishes. On March 26, 2025, LeBron James secured a buzzer-beating tip-in against the Indiana Pacers for his first game-winner as a Laker, tying him with Michael Jordan in career count shortly after. However, the very next day, the team suffered a crushing loss to the Chicago Bulls on Josh Giddey's half-court shot over James, making them only the fifth team ever to win and lose consecutive games on buzzer-beaters. Despite clinching a playoff berth without needing the play-in tournament and securing their first Pacific Division title since 2020, the season ended in disappointment. As favorites, they were eliminated in the first round by the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, marking their third first-round exit in five seasons.

Clippers Rise and Role Reversal

Starting with the 2010–11 season, Blake Griffin helped draw interest in the Clippers. A turning point occurred before the following season, when the Lakers thought they had acquired Chris Paul in a trade, but commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade and Paul was instead traded to the Clippers. Prior to Paul's arrival, the Clippers had the worst overall winning percentage in the NBA (.349) since they moved to Los Angeles, while the Lakers during that same period had the best (.659). In a game that season won by the Clippers, tempers flared and seven technical fouls were called. Although it was a home game for the Clippers at Staples, Clippers fans were still outnumbered by Lakers fans. In a heated rematch won by the Lakers, ESPN wrote, "If the Staples co-tenants didn't have a rivalry before [the game], they have one now." Paul was upset after the game that Lakers forward Pau Gasol touched him on the head. "...don't touch the top of my head like I'm one of your kids," warned Paul. Some Clippers in 2012 denied that a rivalry existed. Griffin offered that "a rivalry has to be evenly matched, and this one hasn't been over the years." Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said the Lakers "are proven. They have more championships. They have Hall of Famer players. We're still a young team." The Clippers in 2011–12 had a winning record for only the third time since Donald Sterling bought the team in 1981. For the first time in 2012–13, the Clippers, like the Lakers, had reasonable expectations to win an NBA championship. The Clippers signed former Lakers Ronny Turiaf, Matt Barnes, and Lamar Odom. Coach Mike Brown of the 0–2 Lakers called the 1–0 Clippers "a better team" prior to their first meeting. He added, "It's sort of a rivalry now, and so it will probably be a physical game." Lakers fans booed the Clippers during warmups and player introductions, which Griffin did not witness before during his rookie season. He said Lakers fans "didn't really care" about the Clippers before. The Clippers won the game, dropping the Lakers to 0–3 for the first time in 34 years. The game was televised by ESPN and drew a 5.9 rating in Los Angeles, the network's highest-rated regular season game ever in the L.A. market.