The Staples Center stands 28 miles away from Pepperdine and is home of various professional athletic teams: the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the WNBA’s Sparks and the NHL’s Kings.
The long awaited NBA season finally began 26 days ago, with the Lakers falling victim to a late comeback by the Chicago Bulls and the Clippers rising above the Golden State Warriors in a grueling match-up.
Besides the fact that it was the first game of the season, it seemed to be a fairly normal Christmas Day for the NBA.
But in Los Angeles, it really wasn’t.
Prior to the start of the season, the Clippers gained the game-changing point guard Chris Paul. And they didn’t stop there. They also managed to snag Mo Williams, as well as a nice array of veterans: Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler and Brian Cook.
On the other hand, the Lakers office also moved pieces around, giving up Lamar Odom for a first-round draft pick. They also picked up ex-Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as head coach to replace Phil Jackson.
“We felt Mike Brown was the best coach available and we’ve been very impressed with him and his staff thus far,” Lakers Public Relations Vice President John Black stated in an email. “We feel good about his ability to lead our team into the challenges ahead.”
Following the trades, rumor swirled around the League that the Lakers would start vying for Dwight Howard to match the Clippers’ gain of Paul.
To that, Black replied: “As opposed to seeking a trade to match any one individual player on opposing teams, our philosophy is more in line with trying to improve our team in general, with the ultimate goal of beating all teams and hopefully winning a championship.”
Having two championship contending teams in Los Angeles has generated excitement for the fans, the organizations and the city as a whole.
The Clippers’ assistant director of communications declined to comment.
“I think the renewed rivalry is healthy for the city,” Special Assistant to the President Dr. John Watson said. “The Clippers have always been the second team of the city, and it’s encouraging to see them progress.
“People tend to like the underdogs. I don’t think people are going to abandon the Lakers, but it’s going to be interesting to watch the players develop for the future.”
Some other Pepperdine students, however, do not see the rise of the Clippers as a positive move for the NBA. For instance, junior Audrey Miller, a Portland native and a guard on the women’s basketball team, strongly disagrees with the trade moves the Clippers made.
“David Stern vetoing the Chris Paul trade was simply wrong on many levels,” Miller said. “Stern unfairly used his powers as commissioner to influence the landscape of the league.”
Although, Miller does have to admit that her interest to watch the Clippers play has peaked, since they have vastly improved over the past few seasons.
The Clippers have undoubtedly grabbed the attention of NBA fans, particularly in Los Angeles. On Saturday, the two LA teams battled it out on the hardwood, and the Clippers even emerged victorious in a 102-94 victory.
But even with the instant success and amazing improvements, Miller, a long-time Kobe fan who grew to favor the Lakers once she started attending Pepperdine, has not yet given in to the sporadic hype that the Clippers will completely take over LA.
“The Clippers have already shown that they are one of the best teams in the league,” Miller said. “But I just can’t go against Kobe and the Lakers. The Lakers are always title contenders and are generally at their best at the end of the season when it really counts.”
Expect to see them both the Clippers and the Lakers in the playoffs. Though the 2012 NBA season was shortened, it will still be an exciting one to watch.
