The Golden State Warriors Building A Rivalry With The Clippers
The Golden State Warriors’ 2013-14 season ended with a tough and bitter defeat. For many, that loss felt like being run through with a serrated sword. Not only did the loss end their season, but it was at the hands of a team fast becoming one of their most heated and intense rivals.
The best rivalries are usually ignited and sparked in post-season play, and the Warriors’ rivalry with their neighbors down south, the LA Clippers is certainly becoming that.
The 1980’s saw a legendary rivalry rekindled, when the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics met in the NBA Finals, three times from 1984-1987.
The Chicago Bulls’ and Detroit Pistons’ playoff wars of the 1990’s were not for the faint of heart. There were more elbows and take-downs in those series than a Jon Jones UFC fight. Of course, those battles had some of the all-time greatest players going head to head as well.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird first established their rivalry in the 1979 NCAA Championship game and then carried it over into their Hall of Fame NBA careers. The Bulls’ and Pistons’ hatred for one another was also spearheaded by two of the all-time greats, Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas.
The Hall of Fame names were great, but it’s what was at stake that made the games great.
The Warriors’ and Clippers’ rivalry hasn’t come close to those slugfests that played out in the mid-80’s and early 1990’s. The strife between these two Pacific division opponents is still in its infant stage.
The two franchises don’t have the historic relevance of the Celtics or the Lakers. And both franchises are still trying to establish themselves as perennial playoff and championship contenders.
But the seeds have definitely been planted for a contentious and long running feud.
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Even the head coaches of both teams have joined in, with verbal jabs being thrown in both directions. Clippers coach Doc Rivers took a not so subtle jab at the mental state of the Warriors, and the reasoning behind Golden State resting starting power forward Draymond Green before their latest battle on Tuesday night — a game the Warriors eventually won 110-106.
"“That was pretty predictable, they didn’t want to take the risk of going 2-2 (in the season series) with their regular guys,” Rivers said."
Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t let Rivers’ comments go by without a response.
"“Oh, is that right?” Kerr, replied after hearing Rivers’ assessment. “Either that or we have a nine-game lead and a couple of guys banged up. Somewhere in there.”"
After the Warriors dominated Los Angeles at Oracle Arena 106-98 in an earlier March meeting, a war of words was sparked by a relatively unknown combatant.
Me getting suspended and him getting suspended, is different. When you don’t play that’s probably his role on that team”
Dahntay Jones, a reserve back-up guard for the Clippers, apparently decided he wanted a little camera time during a post-game interview that Green was giving on national television. Jones’ internal GPS system must have malfunctioned and caused him to brush into Green’s back.
In his post-game interview Draymond couldn’t help but give his reasoning behind Jones’ lack of court vision,”I think he wanted a reaction from me, but he don’t play.”
Only time will tell whether this rivalry goes from the low-level contempt these two teams have for one another, and mini post-game squabbles and posturing, into a full blown, contentious postseason clash on an annual basis.
But if these early signs of contention between the two are an indication, the melodrama is just beginning. And there will be many more chapters to follow.