In Friday night’s preseason game between the Clippers played and Portland Trail Blazers, the Staples Center looked different. The Laker championship banners that adorn the side of the arena were covered in Clipper players. The Clippers have their new head coach, Doc Rivers, to thank for the change.
Rivers instructed the 12 Lakers championship banners — 11 for the LA incarnation, and single banner for the 5 titles the Lakers won in Minneapolis — be covered with Clippers banners bearing the likeness of some of their players. The L.A. Kings championship banner, that hangs on the opposite side of the arena, was left alone.
The Clippers banners will hang any time the Clippers play, as Rivers
explained to the Los Angeles Times:
“Well, I didn’t look at it as the banner thing,” Rivers said. “I just look at it as putting our guys up.”
When asked about why he didn’t hang the banners on the Kings-side of the arena, he explained that it was the Clippers’ arena when they play.
“Listen, I think this is our arena when we play. So I just thought it would be good that we show our guys. No disrespect to them. But when we play, it’s the Clippers’ arena as far as I know.”
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is featured on one of the banners, and spoke about the change:
“You’ve got to give those [Lakers] guys credit. They won championships so they have the right to put them up. But at the same time, it doesn’t say Lakers Arena outside. It says Staples.”
Joining DJ on the list of individual player banners that hung over the Lakers championship reminders were Jamal Crawford, Blake Griffin, J.J. Redick, Jared Dudley, Chris Paul and Matt Barnes.
Rivers is certainly making his presence felt in his first season as Clippers head coach and the senior vice president of basketball operations.
[Los Angeles Times; h/t EOB]
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