The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers did not meet in the Western Conference Finals, but the rivalry is very much alive.
A Lakers executive seemingly took a shot at the Clippers organization after the Purple and Gold captured the NBA title on Sunday (via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN):
Said one senior Lakers executive: “While some of our so-called rivals spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars trying to win media cycles, we kept our heads down and focused on basketball — because the only thing we've ever cared about winning is championships.”
Indeed, the “Who is the best team in Los Angeles?” storyline seemed to dominate the talk in league circles during the preseason.
The Clippers had made their play by orchestrating a huge trade for Paul George and also signing Kawhi Leonard. They seemed equally primed to contend for a title even after the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis.
Additionally, New Balance marketed L.A. as Kawhi's city before he even played a single game for his new franchise.
It would seem the Lakers could have cared less about messaging. They wanted to win, and they achieved that goal.
While the Clippers succumbed to internal turmoil and blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers seemingly chuckled in the face of adversity. They lost Game 1 in each of the first two rounds, but subsequently won four straight. Miami posed a threat and fought hard in the Finals, at least until the Lakers emphatically closed the series on Sunday night.
The Clippers enter an offseason full of questions, while the Lakers will revel in their 17th championship. This senior official would likely say the commitment to the game paid dividends.
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