NBA Betting: Why the paper Clippers are the real LA deal

Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 02 December 2008 / 1 Comments

The likelihood of them winning a Championship in his lifetime may be minimal but that doesn't dampen Nick Shiambouros' affection for the NBA's answer to Manchester City.

At the check-out counter in most supermarkets in the United States you are given a choice of paper or plastic for your groceries. I go for the former as I don't like the feel of plastic at all. This is definitely one of the reasons why I have an affection for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers are the "other" basketball team in LA and over the many years that I have watched this team play I have come to understand why they have such a loyal fan base for a team that will probably not win a NBA championship in my lifetime. The only thing the Clippers and the Lakers have in common is that they both play at the Staples Center in LA.

The Clippers have been rebuilding for at least 20 years and have frustrated both fans and punters. They have had Great players such as Bill Walton, Elton Brand and Bob McAdoo and some of the best coaches the league has had to offer without success. In fact, they have gone through 21 coaches in 38 years.

If I had to list all the trades this team has made, this article would read like War and Peace but at least current coach Mike Dunleavy has been at the helm since 2003.

The current starting five features Marcus Camby who came over from Denver, Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Al Thornton and Ricky Davis. Forward Zach Randolph is yet another new signing who joined in late November from New York.

This team has only made the play-offs four times in the last 30 years and they have only progressed to the second round once in that period.

After decades of failure team owner Donald Sterling finally parted company with his general manager of 22 years Elgin Baylor in October .The official announcement was that Baylor had resigned but no one is saying a word about the departure.

This season the Clippers have only won three games as yet another season appears to be going down the drain. I tend to start risking my hard earned just after the All Star break as the points handicap gets bigger and bigger for this team. I have made plenty of money on this team when they have received double digit points in the handicap against teams with a record of .600 give or take.

The Clippers attract a real blue collar crowd to the games, making for a very different atmosphere to when the Lakers are playing at the Staples Center. It is a crowd of beer and pizza as opposed to seared tuna and Champagne.

One of my least favourite words is semi-regular and the Lakers attract more semi-regulars to games than any other franchise. That well known basketball aficionado David Beckham and new best friend Tom Cruise tend to show up around playoff time. So does Cindy Crawford but as far as I am concerned she can show up anytime.

If you are ever in the Los Angeles area and you want to see a game I would strongly suggest you take in some "Clipper Nation" action. The tickets will cost you around a tenth of what you would pay for a Lakers' game and I assure you it will be a memorable experience. Once you have experienced "Clipper Nation" you to will choose paper over plastic the next time you are at the check-out counter trust me!!

Comments (1)

1. Leon | 03 December 2008

   Being a Clippers fan within the area of Los Angeles, I'm always the individualist when I spend time with all of my friends who just happen to be Lakers fans. I have respect for the Lakers, but some of my friends have a dislike for the Clippers and it's saddening when I see Lakers fans in the Los Angeles region that don't respect the Clippers or vice-versa. I think that a fan would have some sort of pride for a team in their region, but this isn't the case with the Lakers and the Clippers for some.

   This post has really good thoughts and I think that it should be read by every Los Angeles NBA fan. It also includes a phenomenal and creative analogy that explains the enigma of why we have such a loyal fan-base. Kudos!