The Boston Celtics are currently the team to beat in the NBA, and they have the record to prove it. Heading into the All-Star break, the C's boast a league-leading 43-12 record, and they are the only team to surpass 40 wins so far this season. But, when asked which team was the best outside of Boston, Celtics star Jaylen Brown gave the Los Angeles Clippers props, via Forbes Sports reporter Shane Young:

In the tight Western Conference, the Clippers are in third place with a respectable 36-17 record. Like the Celtics, they've benefitted from new additions, as they brought in former MVP James Harden in early November thanks to a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Although the Clippers went on a five-game losing streak immediately after acquiring Harden, they eventually found their rhythm, going a stellar 13-3 in their next 16 contests.

However, in Harden's first outing against the Celtics this season, his new team was thoroughly blown out 145-108. Brown scored 24 points in 29 minutes to help the C's run away with the victory against a Los Angeles squad that didn't have Kawhi Leonard on the floor.

When Leonard, Harden, and fellow star Paul George were healthy in late January, the Clippers exacted revenge on the Celtics. Los Angeles prevailed 115-96 in Beantown, holding Boston to just 36 percent shooting on the night.

The Celtics and Clippers have had a bit of an underrated rivalry in the 21st century. They've split the season series two years in a row, and neither team has won more than four straight games in the head-to-head matchup since the Celtics did all the way back in 2002.

During the 2023-24 season, both teams have loads of talent on their rosters. The Celtics had every one of their starters finish top-10 in fan voting for the All-Star Game, with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum actually making the final roster. Los Angeles has two 2024 All-Stars too, with George and Leonard both joining the Western Conference reserves.

The only way these star-studded squads meet again would have to be in the 2024 NBA Finals. Yet, perhaps Tatum and Brown clash with Leonard and George during Sunday night's All-Star Game since the format is back to being Eastern Conference versus Western Conference.