“When They Go Against the Lakers, They Own Them”: Stephen A. Smith Claims Clippers are the Better Team in LA

Stephen A. Smith has not shied away from being brutally honest about the LA Clippers and the LA Lakers. Talking about the ‘Battle of the LA’ on ‘First Take’ earlier today, the ESPN analyst announced emphatically that he was picking the smaller team in Los Angeles over the Purple and Gold. He explained this, saying that the Clippers had defeated the Lakers every time in the last few years, when fully healthy.

Smith even went on to say that while the Lakers may have made the Western Conference Finals last year, if the Clippers were healthy, that would not have been the case. All it came down to was Paul George and Kawhi Leonard being healthy. The following is what he said, much to the dismay of LeBron James and his crew.

“Me personally, I’m going to tell you the Clippers. Even though the Los Angeles Lakers are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Clippers have essentially owned the Los Angeles Lakers over the last several years, especially when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were on the court. That’s just the way that it’s been. And until the Lakers find a way to beat them, I’m going to maintain that position. The Clippers have had the Lakers’ number for years.”

“The Clippers have essentially owned the Lakers over the last several years.”

Stephen A. Smith says the Clippers are the best team in Los Angeles 👀

(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/yKF3zRCs3H

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 1, 2023

As per usual, Stephen A. Smith had no problem being almost too brutal in honesty. That said, how true are his words really?

LA Clippers vs LA Lakers: Recent History

Since 2019, the Lakers and the Clippers have faced off against one another 15 times. Out of those 15 games, the Clippers have indeed dominated the Purple and Gold, having won 13 of these games. So, it does seem like Stephen A. Smith may have a point.

That said, while the Lakers have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride in the last five seasons, they do have something to show for it. The franchise has made the Western Conference Finals twice since 2019 and even won an NBA championship in that time. On the other hand, the Clippers only made the Conference Finals once.

While a lot of the Clippers’ failures can be credited to health, the postseason success of the Lakers can’t be ignored. So, admittedly, it is a bit unfair to count out the LeBron James-led side already.