NBA
LeBron James and Lakers to face Clippers in 2023-24 season rivalry game
LeBron James and the Lakers are scheduled to face the Clippers for the first time in the 2023-2024 NBA season on Nov. 1.
Marquee game dates on the 2023-2024 NBA schedule are slowly but surely coming out. Among these matchups, the Los Angeles Lakers are prominently featured in several. Notably, just eight days after their game against the Denver Nuggets on the NBA Opening Night, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are slated to take on the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time in the season, according to a report by Shams Charania.
The Lakers-Clippers showdown is scheduled for November 1, as noted by Charania.
This game might promise to finally live up to the heightened expectations surrounding the Los Angeles rivalry when talents like Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George all went to LA in 2019. James clinched his fourth NBA Finals MVP award the following season.
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The Clippers have held the upper hand in the Lakers-Clippers rivalry in recent years. They boast an impressive 11-game winning streak against the Lakers, securing victories in each of the past three seasons’ series.
However, despite their regular-season dominance, the Clippers have yet to translate this success into an NBA championship. Their quest for a first-ever NBA Finals appearance continues.
Leading up to the Nov. 1 matchup, we can’t help but wonder which players will take the court. Both James and Davis have had injury issues since their 2020 championship win. Additionally, the availability of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on a game-to-game basis remains uncertain.
Another question mark pertains to James Harden, who remains part of the Philadelphia 76ers in the leaked schedule. Harden’s trade request is still standing, and there are indications that the Clippers are a likely destination. However, it seems that the trade offers presented by the Clippers have not quite done it for Philadelphia.
Ahead of their matchup against the Clippers, the Lakers are reportedly set to face the Phoenix Suns six nights earlier. If both James and Durant participate, this game will mark their first direct clash since 2018.