LOS ANGELES – There’s something to be said about homegrown talent. The Los Angeles Clippers have figured out the appeal of having someone from your own backyard to play for them. Make that times four. Four of the best players in the NBA are on the Clippers’ roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers run supreme in Los Angeles. The franchise has been a dominant force throughout the history of the NBA, making the Clippers an afterthought for much of the teams’ existence. “Laker Land” has always viewed the Clippers as the little brother, and up to this point, hardcore fans have been unwilling to show support for the team that shares the same arena.
It is time for the Los Angeles community to embrace the Clippers as one of their own. The team has made significant strides even since Steve Ballmer purchased the team in 2014, and the franchise is led by four superstar players who all grew up in the Los Angeles area.
The newly acquired James Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood. Russell Westbrook played for Leuzinger High School in Lawndale. Paul George graduated from Knight High School in Palmdale, and Kawhi Leonard starred for Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.
“It’s funny because you do feel like you are in Laker Land. I remember when I first got traded. We went to Universal, and we are walking around. All they were saying was congrats PG for coming to LA. You should be a Laker. Since then, it’s been like 500 other times. When people see me out in public, ‘Oh, what up, Paul George? You should be a Laker.’ Why not go Clippers? We represent LA too,” said Paul George on his podcast. “We can write our own history, and that’s why being with the Clippers was so intriguing. It has never been done, and we can write our history, and that can start with me being a part of that.”
Shortly after signing with the Clippers, Leonard was shown on the Jumbotron at a Los Angeles Rams game. The fans in attendance welcomed the star forward back to Los Angeles with boos. Leonard and the rest of the stars on the Clippers are LA royalty who fail to receive the proper respect from the community they were raised in and now represent.
“It’s media. The Lakers are gonna get the attention. They have been winning championships for a long time, but like I was saying, it’s just a media aspect. If we do win who knows how the coverage would change over. I don’t feel like I am focused on that. I just wanna win,” said Leonard back when he was introduced to the team in 2019. “If we go to the championship and win and don’t get any coverage, that’s fine.”
As the stars of the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are treated as kings in this city despite being from Akron and Chicago. Meanwhile, the hometown’s future Hall of Famers who play in the same city are seen as the enemy rather than being accepted with open arms. It is not like they play for the Celtics.
“We were those kids looking up to guys like Paul Pierce (Inglewood) and Baron Davis (Santa Monica). Those guys are O.G.s that had very successful careers, and we have an opportunity, and I think we have been doing a good job thus far, but we have an even better opportunity to do it and show them, whether it’s in the community or on the court,” said Harden when he was traded to the Clippers on Halloween. “That is definitely a story that we will try to push, trying to help the community because they are next, and we know they are watching us.”
True Los Angeles sports fans should support the Clippers this year. Aspiring athletes in the community can use the Clipper stars as inspiration, just as Harden did before them on his journey to the NBA. Lakers fans need to put their differences aside and recognize how special it is to have a core of all LA native players hooping for their city.
“Being a part of the community is a big part of it for me. Making sure that I continue to do things in our community builds support and shows that we have an impact and are able to continue to inspire people. Especially in Los Angeles, knowing that I am from here, that is important,” said Westbrook on media day.
Fans are understandably passionate about their teams, and it would only be right to show that same energy regarding local talent. The quartet of Clippers stars are valued leaders within the community and should be treated with love and respect in their hometown.
Top Image Caption: Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard during pregame warm-ups on opening night. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.