With the Los Angeles Lakers officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Clippers are the only California-based team left in the fight for the title.
Even still, there are some Californians who remain unwilling to root for them. Shaquille O’Neal and Robert Horry are among that group, as they revealed in a recent appearance on “The Big” podcast:
“Hell no!” @RKHorry and @SHAQ say they’re still not rooting for the Clippers after the Lakers’ playoff elimination 🤣
'The Big Podcast with Shaq': https://t.co/c5wVdDXbFg https://t.co/KTilpV8XOd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 11, 2021
You would think that having such a deep connection to the city, Shaq and Horry would be willing to root for the Clippers, as they’re the only remaining L.A. basketball team that is still in the postseason.
But the Clips have a history in Los Angeles, and it isn’t a pretty one. Years of subpar play have led to the franchise living in the shadow of the glamorous Purple and Gold, and the Lakers community is quick to remind the world of that fact. There may be no franchise in basketball history who has been disrespected more.
Even despite what the Clippers are doing now, no true Lakers fan will root for them, and that includes Shaq. There’s just too much bad blood.
Next year, the hope is that both L.A. teams will be back and competing for a title, but we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.
