The Los Angeles Lakers became the prime targets of the 29 other teams the second Anthony Davis packed his bags and moved to Hollywood to join LeBron James.
After all, it was the beginning of yet another LeBron-led superteam, which immediately elevated the Lakers back from mediocrity to title contention.
Prior to the league-wide suspension of games, the Purple and Gold did figure in some intense battles that tested their mettle. Some games, however, had more on the line than others.
Let’s have a look at the Lakers’ five most despised rivals in the 2019-2020 regular season campaign.
These two teams simply don’t like each other. The fact that Clippers had long been the “other” team in LA, living in shadows of the Lakers’ 16 championship banners only makes it worse.
Both teams entered the season as title favorites after emerging as the biggest winners of the free agency bonanza over the summer. The Lakers brought plenty of tested vets to surround the AD-LeBron pairing, bringing in Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard, among others.
The Clips, meanwhile, succeeded with quite the heist, managing to lure both two-way superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the franchise. They have since lived up to the billing as the two frontrunners to emerge out of the crowded Western Conference.
The Clippers got the better of the Lakers on opening night and Christmas Day and appeared to have their number early. The Lakers, however, managed to take the W in their last game.
It remains to be seen if there will even be a fourth “Battle of LA” this year. One thing’s for sure, it may get downright ugly.
There doesn’t seem to be any and blood between the Lakers and Bucks, other than the fact that they hold the best record in their respective conferences.
Despite their hot start, the Lakers were questioned if they have what it takes to match-up against fellow title contenders. Losing to the Bucks in their first encounter of the season did not help either. The Lakers did get their revenge, posting back-to-back wins against the Clippers and the Bucks prior to the hiatus.
The Lakers and Bucks might not have some beef going on between them just yet, but their respective best players seem to already have one.
Fans are conflicted in terms of who deserves the MVP plum this season. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo does seem deserving of getting his second straight nod, while others argue that LeBron James should be due for his fifth overall MVP award.
The Lakers-Celtics rivalry will always be considered the biggest one in all of professional sports.
We’re far removed from the Magic vs Bird era in the ‘80s or even the Kobe vs Big 3 phase.
Still, it’s always a sight to behold when the boys from Beantown take on the Purple and Gold, regardless of whoever the personnel may be.
The current Celtics ensemble does have a bit of history with LeBron, considering they faced the James-led Cleveland Cavaliers team in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who was a rookie at the time, even famously posterized James in that series. The team’s other budding star Jaylen Brown also bodied The King earlier in the season. James would certainly want to get back at these two.
This supposed “rivalry” is pretty much a one-sided affair, considering the Lakers are miles ahead of the young and inexperienced Pelicans in terms of talent. However, there’s already a lot of history between the two squads.
NOLA pretty much returned to rebuilding mode once they granted Anthony Davis’ trade demand to Los Angeles. Ex-Lakers Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart, meanwhile, now all play with a chip on their shoulders every time they face their former team.
Both teams did benefit from the trade, as Ingram finally lived up to his ceiling and blossomed into an All-Star after a change of scenery. Ball is enjoying his best season shooting from the field, while Hart has settled in as a vital cog off the bench. The Lakers, meanwhile, became a whole different animal with AD.
The Lakers did sweep the Pels, 4-0, in their regular season encounters.
To be fair, the Lakers actually stomped the Mavs thrice in their four encounters this season. However, it is worth noting that it was Dallas who snapped the Lakers’ 10-game winning streak back on December 1.
Adding salt to the wound, the Mavs defeated a full force LA team minus their best player Luka Doncic who was injured at the time. That loss was somehow a wake-up call for the Lakers and they went to outclass Dallas in their next two encounters.
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