When it comes to professional sports in Los Angeles, no one would deny that the Lakers have the biggest brand across probably all sports. Even LA Clippers fans can acknowledge this. But there seems to be a misconception among many concerning the Clippers' fanbase in Southern California.
Some think that just because the Lakers also play in Los Angeles, it must mean there are no real Clippers fans. But if you live in the 213, you know just how far from the truth this statement is. Even before the recent era of success the Clippers have enjoyed, they have boasted one of the NBA's largest fanbases.
The Clippers had the 13th-most followers of any team in the league on social media in 2023. Their new arena in Inglewood was built because of the number of passionate fans they have all over Los Angeles. And yet, some still want to stir the pot and bring up the same old narratives year after year.
We can take to X to see that NBA champion and former Laker/former Clipper Nick Young is the latest offender of this trend. Nick wrote on social media on Sunday criticizing the Clippers' fanbase. "Is there real Clippers fans in LA our is that new arena to big for they fan base?" he wrote.
Is there real clippers fans in LA our is that new arena to big for they fan base?
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) September 22, 2024
Nick Young wrote a grammar-mistake filled post criticizing the Clippers
We could break down just how many egregious grammar mistakes are in this post all day, but that is not even the main point here. It seemed like Young was trying to go viral or bait Clippers fans into replying, but his post has just 41 likes as of this writing.
On top of that, this is really not the own Nick thinks it is. The Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer decided to build Intuit Dome because of the passion of the Clippers' fanbase. They will now have a new place for their fans to thrive and the community to grow without the interference of sharing a home court with the Lakers.
This is also a strange call-out coming from a former Clippers player. Nick Young played 22 games with LAC during the 2011-12 season. Of course, he ended up playing four full seasons as a Laker after that, but it is strange that he feels the need to call out a group of fans that once cheered for him.
This underscores the importance of Intuit Dome even more. Now that the Clippers have their own space, outsiders can understand just how many real Clippers fans there are, and the reputation of the organization should benefit as a result.