Battle Of Los Angeles Could Soon Become Hollywood Blockbuster

For fans of the Association, Los Angeles may the perfect place to live in the upcoming campaign; as the “City Of Angels” will have two teams that at least on paper, have a legitimate shot of winning the 2013 NBA Finals. The Lakers introduced their newest member of the roster Friday night, as the club held a press conference to welcome the best center of his generation, Dwight Howard to the franchise. After being knocked out of the Playoffs in the last two seasons far earlier than they liked, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak made them a threat again this summer with the addition of Howard and veteran point guard Steve Nash.

Their co-tenants at the Staples Center have also been pro-active during the off-season, getting big man Lamar Odom in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks and signed Free Agents Jamal Crawford and Grant Hill. Those moves will give the Clippers a very strong bench, plus a lot of depth in case of injury and with the addition Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler as well as former Rookie Of The Year Blake Griffin, the team should battle the Lakers for the Pacific Division Title next season. It also has the potential to become a rivalry that has not been seen in pro sports in 55-years, when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants left New York after the 1957 baseball season concluded.

The Dodgers and the Giants, were usually right at the top of the National League pennant race throughout the fifties and they most times faced the New York Yankees if they made it to the World Series. The rivalry not only was strong between the teams, it extended to the fans; a Dodgers fan despised the Giants and the Bronx Bombers as much as they loved their own team. However the matchups lost their mystique, when the Giants went to San Francisco and the Dodgers headed to Los Angeles.

With the Clippers going from perennial bottom-feeder to a team that could reach the Finals and the Lakers vastly improved since the end of this past season; the competition between the two building-mates has the potential to become the modern version of the old New York rivalry. Los Angeles in the upcoming campaign has the potential to be the hottest city in the Association when the 2012-2013 campaign gets underway.