I definitely hate the Lakers more than the Clippers. It's weird to me that even with Kawhi and Paul George I still don't feel like they're all that relevant. I just don't.
For Kawhi Leonard, this is like a gift for him to have all these months off and play again. He better play all the games now. Same for Paul George. Kawhi Leonard is the most Lucky player I have ever seen. Getting those easy 2 Championships. James Harden the Most Villained Player and Targeted in Referees and Media.
We played them 4 times a year. Kobe and Tmac had a personal rivalry but it was never team vs team. Yes we played them in 2 series but that wasn’t my point. The main point of my post was to say lakers were never our rival and that the other 4 teams were
Too bad the Clippers haven't accomplished anything to give me a reason to hate them. Really it's just some of their players I haven't liked. I'll never stop hating the Lakers, though.
As far as a fan base, i really don't think the Clippers have a large fan base at all. In Los Angeles, people go to the Clippers games cause they are much cheaper than the going to a Lakers games. Even when the Clippers were better than the Lakers, the Lakers brand is too big. Steve Balmer knows this and actually wanted to rebrand the team. He might still do that. The Clippers now have an owner with the money and power to completely change the franchise.
right now they are relocating to the site of the former home of the Showtime Lakers, they can't get out of the shadow no matter what they do to change their logo, brand, culture, or anything else. for me, I don't hate an opponent until they beat us in the playoffs. Clippers aren't there and we embarrassed them in 2015. That being said, as far as Rockets rivalries go, I think the order of most hated should go like this, backed by Science. Jazz Lakers Mavs Spurs
Rockets should hate every team they play. Only 8 teams until postseason. Don't just beat them - bloody them, humiliate them, desecrate them. Every last one of them.
One take one could make is that the Clippers fear us more than the Lakers. You dont usually bother making a fuss about a team you dont think can challenge you.