Los Angeles, the “City of Angels,” is heavily drenched in the world of basketball, with not one, but two iconic teams: the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. Following today’s showdown, in which the Lakers emerged victorious by just 3 points, the debate reignites – who reigns supreme in the “City of Angels”? Despite sharing their home court, the Crypto.com Arena, the two teams haven’t faced each other in the playoffs, leaving the question unanswered. Their shared history, however, paints a picture of a rivalry stuck in time.

The seeds of this rivalry were sown in the electric 1980s. The Lakers, already established in Los Angeles since the 1960s (having relocated from Minneapolis), already possessed a rich legacy of five championships. Meanwhile, the Clippers, then known as the Buffalo Braves, entered the league in 1970. After several years of nomadic existence (San Diego), they finally landed in Los Angeles in 1984, sharing the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena with the Lakers. This marked the beginning of the “Hallway Series,” a fitting nickname as the teams were in close proximity to each other in the same building.

Their inaugural meeting in Los Angeles drew a record-breaking crowd. While the Lakers secured the victory, the Associated Press declared the birth of a “crosstown rivalry”. Since then, the teams have shared a home court, but now the Clippers are currently gearing up to move to their own $2 billion arena in 2024 at Inglewood, LA.

Star power vs championship pedigree

The 2019 off-season promised a Los Angeles showdown for the ages. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George snubbed the Lakers and joined the Clippers, making them instant title contenders. But the Clippers’ dreams came down crashing when they lost a 3-1 playoff lead to the Nuggets, which would be the same team the Lakers would conquer on their way to the 2020 championship. Injuries plagued both sides in the aftermath. Despite hyped-up regular-season clashes, the Lakers and Clippers still haven’t faced off in a truly high-stakes game where everything is on the line.

While the star-studded Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard and supported by James Harden, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook (all LA ‘boys’), have immense potential, they are up against the former championship-team Lakers, led by the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis alongside D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. The Clippers (37-20) hold the 4th seed in the Western Conference while the Lakers find themselves far behind sitting in 9th place with a record of 32 wins over 28 losses.

Even though the Lakers held the upper hand in the early years of their rivalry, with a winning percentage of 74.5%, the arrival of Chris Paul in 2011 marked a turning point for the Clippers. Since 2012, they have dominated their LA counterparts, winning a staggering 82% of head-to-head matchups. Although, it hasn’t progressed into the playoffs, as their paths haven’t crossed despite both teams making the postseason multiple times as “co-tenants”.

The 2023-24 season offers renewed hope for a “Hallway Series” in the playoffs. With both teams in the playoff hunt, this highly anticipated playoff showdown could rewrite the narrative of the rivalry and finally crown the undisputed champion of Los Angeles. As both teams battle on the familiar court of Crypto.com Arena, fans wait for the next chapter in this rivalry.

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