The Lakers has always been the only team in Los Angeles that basketball fans worldwide care about. The “other” LA team—the Clippers—has always been an afterthought, providing a stark comparison for everyone living in Tinsel Town.

After all, the Lakers are one of the winningest franchises in NBA history with 17 titles and home to legendary players like George Mikan, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, and Shaquille O’Neal, just to name a few. Meanwhile, the Clippers are considered “the worst franchise” in professional sports history never having won even a division title in over 40 years since the team was born. Their “Big Brother” in LA has always overshadowed the Clippers.

All that started to change when the Clippers acquired All-Star point guard Chris Paul in late 2011. Paul is easily the top point guard in the league and his exciting play has made him a major crowd draw. Paul was teamed up with young and athletic big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and the Clippers started to get noticed. The team was nicknamed “Lob City” with Paul’s propensity to pass alley-oops to either Jordan or Griffin.

In their first season together, the new-look Clippers reached the playoffs getting past the 1st round before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2nd round. Paul and Griffin were even named starters in the Western Conference Team during the 2012 All-Stars that was a first in franchise history.

This season, the Clippers are looking to have a breakout year. While failed expectations and drama continue to plague the Lakers early in the season, the Clippers are now on top of the Pacific Division with a 6-2 record. The Clippers’ starting unit is one of the most potent in the league which features Paul, Griffin, Jordan, Willie Green, and Caron Butler. More importantly, the Clippers bench is very deep perhaps the deepest in the league. They can call on the likes of Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, Eric Bledsoe, and Matt Barnes. The bench is so deep that sixth man Crawford is actually leading the team in scoring.

The Clips are currently riding a 4-game winning streak including a win over the defending champions Miami Heat. The team’s surge is allegedly one of the reasons why the Lakers fired Coach Mike Brown early in the season. Lakers management is anxious that the Clippers may actually end the season with a better record—something that has never happened in recent history. In a city as fickle as Los Angeles, the Clips may soon dethrone the Lakers.

Barring major injuries, the Clippers are on the cusp of being one of the league’s elite. There is no question that the Lakers have the pedigree and the history but the Clippers are obviously the better team. The Clippers’ core are quite young and have the potential to dominate the league for many years to come. The Lakers, meanwhile, are pinning their hopes on the 34-year old Kobe Bryant who are flanked by Steve Nash (38), Pau Gasol (32), and Metta World Peace (33). Dwight Howard is the youngest in the Lakers’ starting unit at 26.

If the Clippers keep this up they may soon find themselves in a position to hang their own banner at the Staples Center—across the 17 banners of the Lakers.

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