1970–1984: Early years The Lakers had existed in Los Angeles since
1960 after relocating there from
Minneapolis, for which they had played in the NBA since
1948 since moving over from the
NBL a season prior and won 5 championships there before the Clippers were founded in
1970 as the
Buffalo Braves. During their first match against each other, the Lakers beat the Braves 104–90 on October 30, 1970, at
The Forum, continuing the middle of what became a 9-game losing streak for Buffalo after debuting with a 107–92 win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers. The Braves originally played in the
Atlantic Division before moving to San Diego in the
1978–79 season and were subsequently renamed the Clippers, officially joining the Lakers in the
Pacific Division. San Diego won in their first game against the Lakers, winning 124–113 on October 24, 1978. "This is a good way to start off a rivalry", said Clippers owner
Irv Levin afterwards.
1984: First years together in Los Angeles The Lakers were joined by the Clippers in Los Angeles in 1984 after six seasons in San Diego following the Clippers' ownership change to
Donald Sterling. The team originally made their home in the
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (formerly the Lakers' home arena from 1960 to 1967), about from the Lakers then-home at
The Forum in
Inglewood. After the Clippers move, the teams drew a crowd of 14,991 in their first meeting at the Sports Arena; it was the then-largest home-court attendance in Clippers history. The fans were evenly divided in their support of the two teams. The Lakers won 108–103, and the
Associated Press (AP) wrote that "a crosstown rivalry was born". Former Lakers guard
Norm Nixon, then in his second year with the Clippers, said "I think it's going to great every time we play ... When we get some more [wins], our fans won't have to cover their heads with their hats anymore." The Clippers marketed themselves as the "People's Team" with ticket prices ($4, $8, $12, and $15) that were lower than the Lakers ($7, $9.50, $13.50, and $27.50 and above). Lakers coach
Pat Riley commented, "I felt we've done more the last 20 years to be the 'People's Team'"
1984–2013: Lakers success and Clippers struggles in 2004 considered signing with the Clippers before re-signing with the Lakers. By 1986, the Lakers were still undefeated against the Clippers, and AP offered that it was "a crosstown rivalry that hasn't been much of one." Lakers fans would outnumber Clippers fans at the Sports Arena during the teams' matchups for years until 1992, when the Clippers had their first winning season since 1978–79 and their first playoff appearance since
1976. The Lakers, on the other hand, struggled in
1991–92 with Lakers great
Magic Johnson's retirement after he tested positive for
HIV. The Clippers ended a 27-game Forum losing streak against the Lakers that season, and they finished with a better record than the Lakers. They again finished ahead of the Lakers in
1992–93. They also won the season series against the Lakers for the first time since moving to Los Angeles. It was also their first as a franchise since
1974–75, when they were still the Buffalo Braves. In 1993–94, both teams missed the playoffs marking the first time that both teams had missed the postseason in the same season, a feat that was later repeated in the 2004–2005 season, when the Clippers finished 37-45 and the Lakers finished 34–48. From the 1994–95 to 1998–99 seasons, the Clippers played a limited number of home games at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (now
Honda Center). In those seasons, the Clippers played the Lakers at the Pond only three times, compiling a record of 1–2 against the Lakers in Anaheim. A deal to move the Clippers to Anaheim on a permanent basis was declined by the team in 1996, leading to the eventual decision to have the Clippers join the Lakers at the Staples Center when it opened in 1999. The Clippers did not finish ahead of the Lakers again until
2004–05. Lakers star
Kobe Bryant almost joined the Clippers that season as a free agent before re-signing with the Lakers. In the
2006 playoffs, the Lakers built a 3–1 first-round series lead against the
Phoenix Suns before losing 4–3, spoiling a potential crosstown matchup with the Clippers in the second round. The Clippers’ second-round series against Phoenix drew higher television ratings in Southern California than the Lakers’ first-round loss to Phoenix. They missed the conference finals by one game, losing 4–3 to the Suns akin to the Lakers losing to the Suns 4–3 earlier in the first round. Lakers coach
Phil Jackson said the two teams were "always going to be a rivalry" Prior to Paul's arrival, the Clippers had the worst overall winning percentage in the NBA (.349) since they moved to Los Angeles, while the Lakers during that same period had the best (.659). In a game that season between the two teams won by the Clippers, tempers flared and seven
technical fouls were called. Although it was a home game for the Clippers at Staples, Clippers fans were still outnumbered by Lakers fans. Paul was upset after the game that Lakers forward
Pau Gasol touched him on the head. "...don't touch the top of my head like I'm one of your kids", warned Paul. Griffin offered that "a rivalry has to be evenly matched, and this one hasn't been over the years." Clippers center
DeAndre Jordan said the Lakers "are proven. They have more championships. They have Hall of Famer players. We're still a young team." The Clippers in
2011–12 had a winning record for only the third time since
Donald Sterling bought the team in 1981 and made the playoffs for only the fifth time since moving to Los Angeles. The Clippers led the Lakers by games in mid-February before the Lakers overtook them by one game for the
Pacific Division title. For the first time in
2012–13, the Clippers, like the Lakers, had reasonable expectations to win an NBA championship. The Clippers signed former Lakers
Ronny Turiaf,
Matt Barnes, and
Lamar Odom, who joined
Caron Butler as Clippers who had played for the Lakers. Coach
Mike Brown of the 0–2 Lakers called the 1–0 Clippers "a better team" prior to their first meeting. He added, "It's sort of a rivalry now, and so it will probably be a physical game." However, Brown likened the Clippers to his
Cleveland Cavaliers teams with
LeBron James trying to form a rivalry with the
Boston Celtics despite Cleveland's lack of championships. Lakers fans booed the Clippers during warmups and player introductions, which Griffin did not witness before during his rookie season. He said Lakers fans "didn't really care" about the Clippers before, and he attributed the newfound attention to his team's turnaround. The Clippers won the game, dropping the Lakers to 0–3 for the first time in 34 years. The game was televised by
ESPN and drew a 5.9
rating in Los Angeles, the network's highest-rated regular season game ever in the L.A. market. The Clippers later defeated the defending NBA champions, the
Miami Heat, but the city was more engrossed in the Lakers' firing of Brown and the hiring of
Mike D'Antoni. Heat coach
Erik Spoelstra subsequently called the Clippers "legit contenders for the title", while
Arash Markazi of
ESPN.com called them "the best team in L.A." Prior to their second meeting that season, the Clippers were 25–8 and fighting for the best record in the league, while the Lakers were 15–16—nine games behind the Clippers—and looking to secure a playoff spot in the
Western Conference. For only the fourth time in their prior 127 meetings since they moved to Los Angeles, the Clippers had a better record than the Lakers entering their matchup when both teams had played 30 or more games. Prior to the game, Bryant called the Clippers "top contenders" for a championship. The Clippers also won their third meeting, 125–101, after starting the game with a 15–0 lead. The win clinched the season series for the Clippers for the first time in 20 years since 1992–93. The Lakers had won 23 of the previous 42 division titles. The win also completed a season sweep of the Lakers, 4–0. The franchise had not swept the Lakers since 1974–75, when they were in Buffalo. The Clippers in
2013–14 hired former Clippers player
Doc Rivers as their new coach. He previously coached the
Boston Celtics, whom the
Los Angeles Times called "the Lakers' true rivals", where he won one
NBA Finals and
lost another in the
Celtics–Lakers rivalry. Rivers said that Los Angeles "always will be" a Lakers town, but he also predicted that people that moved from the
East Coast to L.A. would root for the Clippers if they won an NBA title. On January 10, 2014, the Clippers avenged a 13-point season opener loss to the Lakers with a 123–87 blowout in their next meeting. At the time, the 36-point margin was the Clippers' largest ever against the Lakers, who were near the bottom of the conference standing and losers for the tenth time in 11 games, a bad stretch they had not duplicated since they last missed the playoffs in
2004–05. On March 6, the Clippers defeated the Lakers 142–94; the 48-point margin was the largest victory ever by the Clippers against any opponent, as well as the most one-sided defeat in Lakers history. While the Clippers went on to win the Pacific Division title and qualify for the playoffs, the Lakers finished with one of the worst records in the Western Conference, with a record of 27–55, a stark contrast from previous years, and starting an era of futility for the Lakers. Scott stated that there was still no rivalry with the Clippers. "Celtics-Lakers, that's a rivalry", he said. On April 5, 2015, the Clippers won its sixth straight against the Lakers for their longest winning streak in the series in the franchise's history. The 106–78 win was also the fewest points they had ever allowed to the Lakers. It was the Lakers' 56th loss of the season, which surpassed the team high established the year before, when they finished with a 27–55 record. In the playoffs, the Clippers were leading the
Houston Rockets 3–1 in the conference semifinals, but became just the ninth team in NBA history with that lead to lose the series. Earlier in the series, former Lakers player Magic Johnson had thought that the Clippers could win the championship. However, after they were eliminated, he stated: "I was wrong. The Clippers are still the Clippers." Entering the 2018–19 season, the Clippers had won the last six season series against the Lakers. After acquiring free agent
LeBron James, the Lakers hoped to re-establish their dominance in Los Angeles and were expected to end their five-year playoff drought. However, entering the clubs' March 2019 matchup, the Lakers were games behind for the eighth and final playoff berth in the West, and five behind the No. 7 Clippers. The Lakers also hired
Frank Vogel to replace
Luke Walton as their head coach.
Tyronn Lue, who won two NBA championships as a player with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001 and coached Cleveland to an NBA title with James in 2016, was the frontrunner for the Lakers' position, but he wanted a longer-term deal and rejected the team's three-year offer. He instead joined the Clippers as an assistant. The Clippers became a popular pick to win the NBA championship. Their marketing campaign sold the team's grit over the Lakers' Hollywood glitz with slogans including "Streetlights Over Spotlights". In his 2021 book
Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine, the Lakers
Jared Dudley, who played for the Clippers in 2013–14, recalled that the Lakers were motivated by the Clippers' billboard campaign, and he said the Lakers felt disrespected that George called Leonard and himself the top duo in the league, ahead of James and Davis. Both teams were predicted all season long to reach the Western Conference finals. The NBA placed marquee matchups between them on opening night and on Christmas Day, with the Clippers winning both. At the trade deadline in February 2020, both teams vied to acquire
Marcus Morris from the
New York Knicks, but the Clippers prevailed as the Lakers had limited assets to trade as a result of the Davis deal. After the months-long
2019–20 NBA season suspension concluded in the
2020 NBA Bubble area, the Lakers ended the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference, while the Clippers finished second. The Lakers advanced to the Conference Finals after eliminating Houston 4–1, and they awaited the winner of the other semifinals series, where the Clippers were up 3–2 at the time against the
Denver Nuggets. However, the Clippers were eliminated 4–3, blowing a 3–1 series lead after being up in the final three games by 16, 19, and 12 points, respectively. The Clippers replaced Rivers as head coach with his assistant Lue. they advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. However, they ultimately lost their first Western Conference Finals series 4–2 to the
Phoenix Suns, who coincidentally also beat the Lakers 4–2 in the first round in their first playoff appearance since
2010. In 2021–22, the Lakers added
Russell Westbrook to team with James and Davis, and were again favorites to win the West, while the Clippers expected Leonard to be out for most of the season after knee surgery. The Clippers swept the season series with the Lakers and extended their winning streak in the rivalry to seven. They were 32–7 against the Lakers since 2012–13. After being bought out by the Utah Jazz, Russell Westbrook signed with the Clippers. In the teams' first meeting of the
2023–24 NBA season, the Lakers exacted their revenge against the Clippers, winning 130–125 in overtime. The win ended the Lakers' 11-game losing streak over the Clippers, and was highlighted by LeBron James' 35-point performance, surpassing
Karl Malone for the most 30-point games since turning 35. On February 28, 2024, the Lakers won 116–112 against the Clippers in their last regular season meeting as co-tenants of Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James helped rally the Lakers back from a 21-point deficit by scoring 19 points all by himself during the fourth quarter. Both teams faced off in the
2025 NBA Cup under West Group B. The Lakers defeated the Clippers 135–118 at home in the group stage game on November 25, clinching the group and in turn a spot in the knockout stage. With the win, the Lakers extended their winning streak to five, while this marked the Clippers' 11th loss in their recent 13 games. ==Arenas==