The rivalry between the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. We’ve already seen one battle this season as the Clippers came out on top with a 111-104 win in their first game, and we’re set to see another good contest Saturday night. Even if it’s just the bruising dominance of DeMarcus Cousins in the paint that’s the problem, the Kings are still a notable opponent.
Now, with the increased hatred of Cousins towards the Clippers, this matchup is even more notable.
After their season opener against one another, the word of Boogie’s post-game comments soon flew around the web. Without beating around the bush even slightly, he said “I hate them , honestly, I do. I hate them”.
As is often the case with Cousins, he got straight to the point. He carries himself with attitude both on and off the court, so fuelling a rivalry against the Clippers is what we’ve come to expect from him. Once more, we can guarantee that the same attitude will be on display Saturday night as he tries to earn his Kings a revenge win.
An interesting point in this brewing rivalry has now been made by Lance Stephenson, who believes that the hatred for the Clippers is more noticeable in the Western conference than the Eastern conference. Which Stephenson experienced first hand last season, as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
Per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, things are a little different in the West:
Lance Stephenson said there wasn't widespread hatred for the Clippers in the East: "Now that I’m in the West, it seems a little different."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 31, 2015
It’s a fair statement, and it makes perfect sense. The Clippers will finish near the top of the West this season, so it’s only understandable that their conference opponents will be more against them than those in the East.
Stephenson also added the following:
Lance Stephenson on DeMarcus Cousins' hatred for Clippers: "Probably because we win a lot of games against them and he’s very competitive."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 31, 2015
Lance isn’t the only Clippers player who’s commented on this supposed rivalry, though. Josh Smith also talked about the dislike of his new team around the league, and believes that they should embrace it entirely to give others even more reasons not to like them.
After all, the Clippers aren’t trying to be liked. They’re trying to win a championship.
Josh Smith on teams' dislike for Clippers: "I think we should come out and keep giving them reasons not to like us."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 31, 2015
Next: Blake Griffin: Can't stop, won't stop
While any team, player, or fan may dislike their opponents for whatever reason, it really shouldn’t matter to the Clippers. With their new depth and second unit talent, they are one of the top contenders in the league this season. As a result of the new threat they pose, they’re bound to create enemies around the NBA as competition intensifies as the season goes on.
If anything, it should make games more entertaining. The only time when it becomes a problem is if we see too much trivial smack talk or whiny comments off the court from players and coaches.
As long as that doesn’t become an issue, though, who cares if the Clippers give more teams plenty of reasons to dislike them? They need to win, so as long as that’s happening, that’s all that matters for Doc Rivers and his talented roster.
Furthermore, it looks like their games against the Kings this season are going to be instant entertainment.