LeBron James Calls Clippers 'The Better Team'

LeBron James says the LA Clippers have been better than the Los Angeles Lakers this season
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Clippers have officially swept the season series against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the first game, Kawhi Leonard didn't play. In the second game, neither Kawhi Leonard or Paul George played, and in the final two contests, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Norman Powell each watched from the sidelines. Despite either LeBron James or Anthony Davis playing in each matchup, the Clippers have taken care of business.

When asked about getting swept by the Clippers this season, LeBron James said that the Clippers have been the better team. This isn't exactly a hot take, as the Clippers sit at 34-31 while the Lakers sit at 27-35, but it is certainly significant to hear it come from LeBron James himself.

While LeBron was solid in this most recent matchup, his numbers against the Clippers this season are well below his season averages. Averaging just 23.3 PPG on 39/24/78 percent shooting splits against the Clippers this season, LeBron has certainly been subpar for his standards in the winless season series. Both he and the team will need to be much better if they not only want to make the play-in tournament, but actually win their way out of it once they do.

Letting the Clippers sweep the season series has likely shut the door on catching them in the standings, so the Lakers will now shift their focus to just holding onto one of those final two play-in spots, which would require them to win twice in order to make the playoffs.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.