With the Los Angeles Lakers set to take on their crosstown rivals, the Clippers on Wednesday, many have begun to focus on the rivalry that has grown recently between the two teams.
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One player who has played on both sides is Nick Young, who says he learns more being in the Lakers’ atmosphere according to Bill Oram of the Orange County Register:
Nick Young says it "was cool" playing for Clippers but "I learn more just being here (w/ Lakers) and being around an atmosphere of winning."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 6, 2015
Young also added that with this rivalry, the records don’t matter because the entire city of Los Angeles is watching:
Young on whether Lakers/Clippers is a rivalry: "The whole city is watching, it ain’t about the wins and losses right now."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 6, 2015
Young was traded to the Clippers in the middle of the 2012 season, averaging just under 10 points in 22 games and being one of the team’s key players off the bench during their playoff run that season.
While the Clippers have the better record now, their franchise history is the exact opposite of the Lakers. When Young was there, the team made only their second playoff appearance since 1998.
It says a lot about the Lakers franchise that even though Young has not been a part of a winning Lakers team yet, the atmosphere remains one of a winning franchise. As long as the Lakers keep that mindset, it should be only a matter of time before they turn things around.
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