Any two teams, located in the same city, would inevitably have a rivalry from the day they were relocated. Before the LA Clippers shared Los Angeles with the Lakers, they were trying to win championships and establish themselves in San Diego, which is not far from where they currently reside, and Buffalo, New York, on the other side of the country.
Furthermore, the Clippers’ first season in Los Angeles was in 1984-85, and the rest is history. Ever since, they have always competed with the Lakers. Fans on each side have their preferred topics to discuss in debates, and this has evolved into a conflict that will likely never completely fade away.
When both sides entered their superstar era, fans and the NBA community reached peak entertainment, and the league knew what to do: having the Clippers and Lakers face off on one of the most-watched days of the year, Christmas.
However, following the Battle of LA on December 25th, 2019, the two teams have yet to see each other on the day of giving. This did not signal the end of the rivalry between the Clippers and Lakers, but it meant the league may have noticed increased engagement in other head-to-head matchups.
Thus, the Clippers have yet to be rewarded with a Christmas Day game, even through the upcoming season, as adding Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, John Collins, and Brook Lopez did not change anything.
Nonetheless, the NBA Cup games were recently revealed, and the suspense regarding the current Battle of LA could increase if the Clippers perform well at the end of November and make memories in their old arena.
The LA Clippers should maximize their NBA Cup game with the Los Angeles Lakers
With the regular season schedule release coming soon, the NBA has announced the cup games, and the LA Clippers will face the Los Angeles Lakers on November 25th, 2025. This is an opportunity not only to try and win the tournament, but also to add excitement with their new additions to the still-existing rivalry with the Lakers.
Given the Lakers have a superstar duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Clippers’ new additions, along with James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac, will have to be at their A-game to win one of their most important road games.
If a blowout win is favored for the Clippers, or an overtime thriller is gifted to fans as one of the best of the season, the league office will be forced to provide fans with what they want and televise as many duels as possible, indicating something more on Christmas of 2026.