Why Does Los Angeles Have Two NBA Teams?

With the recent success of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, many people are wondering why there are two NBA teams in Los Angeles. The answer is actually quite simple.

Los Angeles is a large city with a population of over four million people. That’s a lot of potential basketball fans! Having two teams gives fans in Los Angeles a greater chance to see live NBA action. Plus, it helps to ensure that there’s always a competitive team in the city.

The City of Angels

The founding of Los Angeles

Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It was one of the first cities founded in Alta California, and it remained under Spanish control until 1821. Mexico then controlled the city until 1848, when it was annexed by the United States as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

The city’s growth

Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the United States, with a population of over four million. That’s a lot of people! And it’s no surprise that the city has two NBA teams — the Lakers and the Clippers.

The NBA began in 1946 with just eleven teams. Since then, the league has expanded several times, most recently in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats were added. But why did Los Angeles end up with two teams?

There are a few reasons. First, the city’s population has grown a lot since the NBA was founded. Second, when the Lakers were added in 1960, they were given preferential treatment by being placed in the larger Western Division while other expansion teams were placed in the smaller Eastern Division. This led to some resentment from other cities, and when the Clippers were added in 1984, they were given equal footing in terms of division placement.

So there you have it! The city of Los Angeles has two NBA teams because of its large population and because of some historical factors that led to unequal division placement.

The Birth of the Lakers

It all started with a man named George Mikan. He was a professional basketball player who was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947. Mikan led the Lakers to five NBA championships in six years, and was the league’s first dominant big man. After his retirement, the Lakers struggled to find a replacement for Mikan. They went through a period of poor performance and low attendance.

The Minneapolis Lakers

The Lakers franchise began in 1947 when the team was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The franchise was a founding member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and played its first ever game against the Chicago Stags on November 8, 1949. The Lakers were one of the most successful teams in the NBA during their time in Minneapolis, winning five NBA championships between 1949 and 1954. However, the team struggled financially during this time and was sold to businessman Bob Short in 1957.

The move to Los Angeles

In 1957, the National Basketball Association (NBA) added a team in Minnesota, giving the league thirteen franchises. Lakers owner Bob Short was not happy with this development. He had been trying to get his team out of Minneapolis for some time, and saw the arrival of the new team as his chance. He quickly arranged to move the Lakers to Los Angeles.

There were a few problems with this plan. First, there was no arena in Los Angeles that could host an NBA team. Second, there was already an NBA team in California: the San Francisco Warriors. Short solved both problems by creating a new arena in Inglewood and convincing the Warriors to move to San Francisco.

The Lakers made their debut in Los Angeles in the fall of 1960. They were an instant success, selling out every game and winning the NBA championship in their first season. The arrival of the Lakers helped solidify basketball’s place as one of America’s major sports.

The Clippers Join the Party

The Buffalo Braves

The Buffalo Braves were an NBA team that played in Buffalo, New York, from 1970 to 1978. The Braves were one of the four expansion teams that joined the NBA in the 1970–71 season. The other three teams were the Portland Trail Blazers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Braves played their home games at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

The Braves were a relatively successful expansion team, making the playoffs three times in their eight seasons in Buffalo. They had two head coaches who led them to playoff berths: Jack Ramsay and Kevin Loughery. The team’s best season came in 1974–75, when they won 44 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

The Braves were not as successful on the court in their last few years in Buffalo. They failed to make the playoffs after the 1976–77 season and attendance at home games began to decline. In 1977, majority owner Paul Snyder sold his controlling interest in the team to John Y. Brown, Jr., who also owned the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Brown then proceeded to move the team to San Diego for the 1978–79 season, where they became known as the San Diego Clippers.

The San Diego Clippers

The Clippers, originally the Buffalo Braves, are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Clippers compete in Staples Center alongside fellow NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers. The franchise was founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 and were one of three expansion teams to join the NBA that year. The Braves moved to San Diego, California in 1978 and became known as the San Diego Clippers. In 1984, the franchise moved to Los Angeles.

The Clippers have gained a reputation for being one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional franchises. The team has had numerous head coaches and front office personnel changes since being founded in 1970. The Clippers also have had bad luck with injuries and draft picks throughout their history. However, they have shown promise in recent years, making the playoffs six times since 2000 while also winning their first division title in 2013–14.

The move to Los Angeles

In 1984, the Clippers made the move from San Diego to Los Angeles, becoming the city’s second NBA team. The move was made in an effort to increase the team’s fan base and generate more revenue. The Clippers have been relatively successful in Los Angeles, making the playoffs nine times since moving to the city.

The Rivalry Today

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers are two NBA teams that have a long-standing rivalry. The Clippers were originally the San Diego Clippers, and they were founded in 1970. The Lakers were founded in 1947 and they have been based in Los Angeles since 1960.

The Lakers vs. the Clippers

The two NBA teams that call Los Angeles home are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. The two teams have very different histories, with the Lakers being one of the most successful franchises in NBA history and the Clippers only recently becoming a competitive team. Despite their different levels of success, the two teams have developed a rivalry in recent years, with both teams vying for attention in a city that has long been considered a Lakers town.

The Lakers were founded in 1947 and have won 16 NBA championships, while the Clippers were founded in 1970 and have yet to win a championship. The Lakers have had many of the NBA’s biggest stars, including Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, while the Clippers have only recently become a destination for big-name players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The rivalry between the Lakers and the Clippers is seen as something of a younger brother vs. older brother matchup, with the Lakers being seen as the more successful and accomplished team and the Clippers playing second fiddle. The fact that both teams share Staples Center as their home arena has only added to the intensity of the rivalry, as fans of both teams are often seated close to each other during games.

The Lakers and Clippers have met three times in the playoffs since they both moved to Los Angeles, with the Lakers winning all three series. The most recent meeting was in 2015, when the Clippers won Game 7 at Staples Center to send the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6.

The battle for LA

The battle for LA is one of the most intense rivalries in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers are two of the most successful franchises in the league, and both teams have a huge fan base in Southern California.

The Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, with 16 championships and a long list of Hall of Fame players. The Clippers, on the other hand, are relative newcomers to Los Angeles, having only moved to the city in 1984. But despite their shorter history, the Clippers have quickly become one of the best teams in the NBA, making nine playoff appearances since their move to LA.

The Lakers and Clippers play each other four times during the regular season, and those games are always highly anticipated. But with both teams currently among the top four seeds in the Western Conference, there is a very real possibility that they could meet in the playoffs for the first time ever. And if that happens, it would be one of the most exciting rivalries in all of sports.