LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who was hired this off-season to lead the once-moribund franchise to the NBA championship, admits that Los Angeles will always belong to the 16-time champions LA Lakers.
"It always will be," Rivers told ESPN Los Angeles during the Clippers' training camp in San Diego, California on October 3.
The new Clipper head coach said that the team will not take away the fans of the Lakers, and acknowledged that the Lakers have forged their own history. Instead, he said the Clippers will write their own history, adding that the city of Los Angeles is big enough to host two teams.
"We're not trying to win L.A. We're trying to win the NBA. If we win L.A. and don't [win a title in the] NBA, we haven't been very successful," Rivers was quoted as saying.
The Clippers and the Lakers are on opposite sides of the poles. When it comes to LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who was hired this off-season to lead the once-moribund franchise to the NBA championship, he admits that Los Angeles will always belong to the 16-time champions LA Lakers.
"It always will be," Rivers told ESPN Los Angeles during the Clippers' training camp in San Diego, California.
The new Clipper head coach said that the team will not take away the fans of the Lakers, and acknowledged that the Lakers have forged their own history. Instead, he said the Clippers will write its own history, adding that the city of Los Angeles is big enough to host two teams.
"We're not trying to win L.A. We're trying to win the NBA. If we win L.A. and don't [win a title in the] NBA, we haven't been very successful," Rivers was quoted as saying.
The Clippers and the Lakers are on opposite sides of the poles when it comes to championships. The Lakers are second only to the Boston Celtics in terms of titles won while the Clippers have yet to win an NBA title. Last year, the Clippers posted a 56-win record and even swept the Lakers in four games during the regular season. It was the first time that the Clippers swept their more fancied cross-town rivals in the regular season. Led by All-NBA pointguard Chris Paul and All-Star Blake Griffin, the Clippers were brimming in confidence in the playoffs, leading the Memphis Grizzlies 2-0 in the first round only to collapse and lose the next four games.
The Clippers then fired coach Vinny del Negro in the offseason and hired Rivers, who led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship.s to championships. The Lakers are second only to the Boston Celtics in terms of titles won while the Clippers have yet to win an NBA title. Last year, the Clippers posted a 56-win record and even swept the Lakers in four games during the regular season. It was the first time that the Clippers swept their more fancied cross-town rivals in the regular season. Led by All-NBA pointguard Chris Paul and All-Star Blake Griffin, the Clippers were brimming in confidence in the playoffs, leading the Memphis Grizzlies 2-0 in the first round only to collapse and lose the next four games.
The Clippers then fired coach Vinny del Negro in the offseason and hired Rivers, who led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship.
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