We have been waiting for two years. The hype has been huge for two years. But still nothing. The long-awaited Battle of Los Angeles since the summer of 2019 did not take place last year because of the Clippers’ choke, nor will it take place this year following the elimination in the first round of the Lakers, which could also be followed by that of Clips this Friday. So when is it guys?
“The Staples Center is the big winner this summer. ” Here is what LeBron James said during Media Day 2019 after the big hits made by the two franchises in Los Angeles. On the one hand, the King’s Lakers, reinforced by the arrival of Anthony Davis. On the other, the Clippers, boosted by the XXL recruitment of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Two star duos, two duets destined to dominate, two duets destined to meet again and again, and in particular on the big stage of the Playoffs. We know the money machine that is the NBA, so we were never surprised to see the Great League put up this poster with all the sauces: Opening Night, Christmas Day, all this on the national air of course, in short everything has been done from the start to maximize the hype. When you have in the same city, moreover in the city of entertainment and stars, four of the best players on the planet including the King and the MVP of the 2019 Finals, the opportunity is too good not to take full advantage of it. For the first time, the Lakers and Clippers – two franchises with radically different histories despite their geographic proximity – began to share the same goal, the ultimate goal: the NBA title. Rivalry is then inevitable, especially when you have big mouths on either side but also advertising campaigns that spice it up. We remember this New Balance ad from Kawhi Leonard, with the little crown on the Los Angeles native’s keyring and the message « This is his city ». We remember the little spades sent by the Clippers to the Lakers on the city’s billboards: « Streetlights over spotlights », « Driven over given », « L.A. Our Way », so many slogans that raised the temperature.
All that for… not much in the end. Because we are still waiting for this famous battle of Los Angeles, this series of potentially epic Playoffs on the floor of the Staples Center. And we’re gonna have to wait at least another year. In the Orlando bubble, confrontation seemed inevitable when the Clippers led 3-1 against the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. But the Clips preferred to respect the tradition of losing that characterizes this franchise so much by performing an all-time choke, while the Lakers advanced to the NBA title. This year ? These are the defending champions who have not lived up to their end of the contract, they who have just become the seventh defending champion to be eliminated in the first round of the Playoffs. The Clippers could very well join them tomorrow on the side of Venice Beach in the event of another defeat this Friday in Dallas, and they will then be able to fight this battle on the local playground. We will still wait before burying them but in the end that does not change the story since “The Battle of LA” is already postponed. When? Next year ? Maybe yes, maybe no. Rested and recharged, the Lakers of LeBron James and Anthony Davis will probably come back with a knife between their teeth in 2021-22, but we don’t really know what will happen with the Clippers if they crash in the first round of the Playoffs. We just remember in passing that Kawhi Leonard will be a free agent this summer. Now, Kawhi is in his town, we still doubt he will leave, and Paul George extended his contract a few months ago. We should therefore also find this duo, it remains to define who there will be around. While waiting to see the rest of the events, we can only have some regrets when seeing this battle of Los Angeles has passed us right under our noses for the second year in a row. We love the new faces of the 2021 Playoffs, we love the Utah, Phoenix and Denver collectives, but we want this Lakers – Clippers confrontation at all costs, at least once in our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first round, the Western Conference semifinals, or the conf ‘final, it has to happen. Point bar.
The Battle of Los Angeles isn’t for this year either. Will we be entitled to it one day? Only the future can answer this question. To calm our frustration, we only know one way: to redo all the episodes of Ch’tis in Hollywood. No, we’re kidding.
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