Clippers–Lakers Rivalry
What makes Clippers-Lakers so intense?
Clippers-Lakers is a Los Angeles crosstown rivalry driven less by playoff playoff series than by fortunes, ownership battles, arena fights and headline-making incidents across decades. From the 2011 Chris Paul trade veto that rerouted a franchise to the Clippers' Lob City rise and the 2014 Donald Sterling scandal, the matchup mixes dramatic turning points, star-era clashes and continuing debate about legitimacy — all spanning the franchise origins in 1970 through the Clippers' move to the Intuit Dome in 2024 [11][1][2][3][8].
Quick Facts
How It Started
The Clippers-Lakers rivalry is rooted in geography and divergent histories. The franchise that became the Clippers began play in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves before multiple relocations; the Lakers arrived in Los Angeles with a championship pedigree already attached to the Minneapolis Lakers name [11]. For decades the matchup read as a David-and-Goliath comparison: the Lakers carried multiple championships and household icons while the Clippers were often a secondary tenant in the same building, playing in the Lakers' shadow at Staples Center (later Crypto.com Arena) [6][11]. The rivalry hardened in public view after a single transaction process in December 2011. Commissioner David Stern, acting on the league's control of the New Orleans Hornets, declined to approve a three-team deal that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers, a decision documented on December 8, 2011 and widely cited as a pivot point for both Los Angeles franchises [1]. One week later Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers, sparking the Lob City era with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and changing the Clippers from an also-ran into a national contender [2]. That on-court emergence overlapped with off-court friction stemming from shared-arena logistics and media comparisons; the rivalry’s narrative became a mixture of on-court swings and ownership-era storylines that carried the matchup beyond ordinary regular-season familiarity [6][2].
Key Figures
Chris Paul
Point guard whose blocked-to-Lakers trade in 2011 reshaped Los Angeles franchise trajectories [1]
Blake Griffin
All-star forward; Lob City centerpiece and author of a first-person essay on Sterling-era experiences [2][10]
DeAndre Jordan
Center and lob-finisher during the Lob City era [2]
Doc Rivers
Head coach during the Clippers' peak competitive window in the Lob City era [6]
Donald Sterling
Clippers owner banned for life by the NBA after audio recordings of racist remarks were released in 2014 [3][9]
Steve Ballmer
Purchased the Clippers in 2014 and financed the Intuit Dome, changing the rivalry's arena dynamics [4][8]
Kobe Bryant
Franchise icon and frequent on-court opponent during early 21st-century head-to-heads [6]
LeBron James
Lakers franchise leader in recent rivalry windows and a central public figure in Los Angeles basketball narratives [6]
Jerry West
Lakers executive/advisor involved in roster decisions during early-2010s trade discussions [6]
Jeanie Buss
Lakers controlling owner during the Clippers' ascent and co-tenancy years at Staples Center/Crypto.com Arena [6]
David Stern
Former NBA commissioner who, acting for the league, declined to approve the 2011 three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers [1][7]
Paul George
All-star wing who joined the Clippers in 2019 and factored into late-decade expectations for the franchise [6]
Kawhi Leonard
Two-time Finals MVP whose signing in 2019 raised championship expectations for the Clippers [6]
Key Moments
Related Beefs
Where Things Stand
As of Feb. 19, 2026 the rivalry remains active but asymmetric: the Lakers keep the deeper championship resume while the Clippers operate from their privately financed Intuit Dome in Inglewood, a change confirmed in 2024 that ended long-term co-tenancy at Staples Center/Crypto.com Arena and reframed the rivalry as a contest of franchise identity and front-office resources rather than shared-venue spite [8][4][6]. The teams still had not met in the NBA playoffs through Feb. 19, 2026, which keeps much of the matchup’s intensity in regular-season narratives and media framing rather than postseason elimination games [11][6].