“We’re Right There”: Living in the “Shadow” of LeBron James and the Lakers, Clippers’ $45,000,000 Rich Guard Feels Confident Future Domination

The city of Los Angeles has sparkled brightly for decades now. The celebrity den that exists in LA has a storied history of its own. Apart from that, the city has been hosting NBA games since the beginning of the 1960s. This happened when the Minneapolis Lakers became the Los Angeles Lakers, to mark the beginning of another dominant era. The Franchise from there on won over ten titles and saw some of the best players to ever play the game.

In contrast, the Los Angeles Clippers ever since relocating in 1984 are yet to win a title. They are yet to make an NBA Finals. However, one of their current players has a belief that a championship is coming soon.

In the shadow of LeBron James and the Lakers

After Kobe Bryant’s incredible runs till 2013, the Lakers remained dormant for half a decade. This changed when LeBron James arrived at the scene. And when AD joined him, the Lakers captured their first championship in 2020. That championship came in the bubble where the conditions were extreme for the players. 

On the other hand, fortunes haven’t favored the Clippers since their inception. They saw a renaissance in the early 2010s. After Chris Paul joined Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the “lob city” era kick-started.

After acquiring a talent like JJ Redick, the team looked primed for a title run. But this team never made it past the Conference Semi-Finals. In the current era, the team paired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, two of the best defensive players. 

The Conference Finals drought ended in 2021. Despite playing without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers turned on the heat, thanks to Paul George and Reggie Jackson. The team somehow made it to the West Finals but lost to the Suns in six games. But in the past two seasons, the Clippers have grappled with too many injuries, and with PG-13 also not in the fray many times, they have been out early. Despite these failures, the Clippers’ scoring machine Norman Powell, who is worth $45 million remains optimistic.

Norman Powell believes in his squad

Talking to Fix Media Network, as per Kansas City Post, the scoring talent revealed, “I’m glad that I came when I came into the [Clippers]. “Because I kinda skipped the building blocks to get from underneath the shadow of the Lakers. Like we’re still there, right? Because they got championships… So you’re always gonna be underneath the Lakers because you don’t have a championship yet. So I think once we get a championship, we’ll be able to poke our chest out a little bit more“.

He added, “Even though a lot of people see us as the team right below, we’re not. We’re right there. We’re primed for a championship, we just need everything to come together the right way”.

READ MORE: 4 Years After Beating Stephen Curry’s Warriors in the NBA Finals, Kawhi Leonard Teammate Shares Hysterical Dap-Snub Story 

While his optimism can kindle a lot of the Clippers’ fanbase. It remains unclear what is the blueprint for next season. How long will the duo of Leonard and George last?

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