The LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are primed to be two of the toughest teams in the NBA this year, and according to rumors, they’ll play on Christmas.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are both going to be good at the same time. Lately, the Clippers have been the team running the show in LA, with the Lakers trailing far behind. But after both teams made superstar additions this summer, chances are they’ll each finish among the top teams in the Western Conference. Fans will be looking forward to watching these squads go head-to-head, and according to the latest rumors, they’ll get to do so on Christmas Day.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a Clippers-Lakers matchup will be among those played during this year’s Christmas Day slate. Wojnarowski also noted that the New Orleans Pelicans will be facing off with the Denver Nuggets that day, and that the Boston Celtics will travel up North to take on the Toronto Raptors.
Of all the head-to-head matchups we’ll see in the NBA next season, Clippers-Lakers seems to be the most “must-see” of them all. Four of the league’s top stars will be featured in the series, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George suiting up for the Clippers and Anthony Davis and LeBron James doing the same for the Lakers.
Because fans will be antsy to see these two teams face off, I would expect the Clippers to play the Lakers on one of the NBA’s Opening Day games as well, once the season kicks off in October.
Despite the lopsidedness of the Clippers-Lakers matchups over the course of the past few seasons, the series is always a high-stakes, emotional battle. After all, the teams are the only two in the league to share an arena. Now that both teams will be competing for a title, the series will be more important than ever before for all parties involved.
Not long after Wojnarowski’s tweet, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reported on some of the league’s more notable superstar return games for the upcoming season. Among those listed was Leonard’s return to Toronto, which will reportedly take place on December 11.
If nothing else, it’s looking like the Clippers’ month of December is going to be a difficult one, between facing off with the defending champions and the Lakers.
If you celebrate, it’s never too early to start looking for Christmas gifts. Why not take yourself or your family to go see the best show in basketball that night?