The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers may share an arena, but they have two very different fan bases.
When it comes to Clippers wings Terance Mann and Paul George, they can certainly feel the difference.
“They might say something, they treat you a little weird. They take that shit way too serious.”
“It’s funny to me if I’m somewhere, they’re like, ‘You should be a Laker,’ or, ‘Come to LA.’”
Paul George and Terance Mann on interactions with Lakers fans.
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Mann has spent his entire career in Los Angeles after being drafted by the Clippers in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He has played four seasons at Crypto.com Arena, so he has undoubtedly crossed paths with Lakers fans on many occasions. George has spent the same amount of time with the Clips.
The Lakers-Clippers rivalry is a fascinating one. The Lakers are universally seen as the big brother in the relationship due to their rich history. They’ve won 17 titles, and the Clippers haven’t won any.
However, the Clippers have been a thorn in the Lakers’ side lately, winning 11 in a row against their in-town rivals. The winning streak has given the Clippers something to be proud of despite being 85-150 in the all-time series.
Currently, the Lakers and Clippers are two of the most talented teams in the Western Conference.
The Purple and Gold made the Western Conference Finals in the 2022-23 campaign and have had a productive offseason to stay in the title conversation.
The Clippers, meanwhile, remain a team with endless amounts of potential. They’ll head into the 2023-24 season with players like George, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook and maybe even James Harden (depending on how his future unfolds). The goal for the Clippers is to actually realize their potential as a group once and for all.
Mann has never lost a game to the Lakers. Moreover, on an individual level, he has played well against them in his career, shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from deep in 11 games.
The upcoming NBA season will likely feature some exciting games between the Lakers and Clippers, and there’s even a chance the teams will meet in the playoffs. If George and Mann keep beating the Lakers, it’s going to get harder for folks in L.A. to give them any flak about the team they play for.
