The Lakers Still Run Los Angeles

Recently, questions have surfaced about whether Los Angeles has switched over from a Laker town to a Clipper town. I, for one, find this idea ridiculous and a product of ‘in the moment’ successes. Since the fatal Chris Paul trade to the Clippers in December of 2011, the Clippers, to nobody’s surprise, have taken off from their once pathetic losing ways. I would like to remind everyone that Chris Paul actually was traded to the Lakers and without David Stern’s “basketball reasons” excuse, Paul would be a Laker and the Clippers would probably not be a top team in the Western Conference. Despite the ‘rigged trade,’ the Lakers have still found a way to stay relevant.

Last season, the Lakers finished ahead of the Clippers in the standings and even lasted longer than them in the playoffs.. The Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games while the Clippers were swept out of the second round by the San Antonio Spurs.

This season, the Clippers have started hot, sporting one of the best records in the Western Conference, while the Lakers look like the bottom-dweller of the two, despite trading for and signing all stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason. This has caused the media to raise the question of Los Angeles being a Clipper town now. I am sick of hearing this.

The answer to that question is one of the simplest to answer, it’s all in the proof, something the Lakers have a lot of. When you walk into Staples Center, what do you see? You see statues all over the outside of the arena, statues of former Lakers players and purple and gold banners everywhere.

Here is a look at the history of the two franchises that play in the Staples Center:

Los Angeles Lakers:

17 NBA Championships

32 Conference Titles

23 Division Titles

8 Retired Numbers

24 Hall-of-Famers

Los Angeles Clippers:

0 NBA Championships

0 Conference Titles

0 Division Titles

0 Retired Numbers

3 Hall-of-Famers

Los Angeles Sparks:

2 WNBA Championships

3 Conference Championships

2 Retired Numbers

Los Angeles Kings:

1 Stanley Cup

2 Conference Championships

1 Division Championship

5 Retired Numbers

15 Hall-of-Famers

The numbers speak for themselves, and yes, the Sparks have more titles and retired numbers than the Clippers. Taking nothing away from the Sparks, because they are a great organization and I love watching their games, but the Clippers have been the joke of Los Angeles since they were moved there from San Diego in 1984.

Until the Clippers have close to as many NBA titles, conference titles, division titles, and hall-of-famers, they have no right to be even mentioned in the same sentence as the Lakers. If the Clippers were to accomplish something close to what the Lakers have, then they would be eligible to be in the conversation. The Clippers haven’t even won their division. Ever. Not once.

All signs point to them finally breaking through this season and winning their first division title, and I give them praise for the great season so far, but talk shouldn’t surface about whether the Clippers have taken the Lakers place as “LA’s” favorite team.

Many people say that Lakers fans are arrogant or “bandwagoners,” but where were all these Clipper fans before, that now have decided to come out of their shell and support their team when the Clippers were the bottom feeders of the NBA for so long?

Los Angeles is still and always will be a Laker town, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.