Last season was one of triumph for the Los Angeles Lakers as they won the NBA Championship after what was an emotionally exhausting campaign, for a number of reasons. At the start of the year, many thought the Los Angeles Clippers were actually the better team, which led to the "Battle of LA." Players on the Clippers felt like they were the kings of the city and some of the most prominent voices in that movement were guys like Paul George and Patrick Beverley.
Recently, Lakers player Jared Dudley published a book in which he spoke about the rivalry. The book is called Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine and at one point, Dudley rips George for trying to put himself on the same level as Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
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Per Dudley:
"But we think it’s disrespectful for Paul George, who hasn’t won, to put himself on the level of Bron and AD. This motivates us. When we see those guys around the compound, we don’t really kick it with them. The one exception of course is Markieff, whose twin brother, Marcus, is on the Clippers. This probably keeps tensions from boiling over."
This season, the Lakers and Clippers rivalry still lives on as both teams are the obvious favorites to come out of the Western Conference. The Lakers will be in for a huge fight against their cross-town rivals and with Dudley's recent words in mind, we could see the rivalry get that much more intense.
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[Via]
