Blake Griffin said in a Los Angeles Lakers news and rumors update that the purple and gold are still the best team in LA despite failing to make waves over the past two seasons.
In an interview with GQ, LA Clippers star Blake Griffin denied the recent notion that they are now the top team in Los Angeles, saying that the title still belongs to the Lakers because of the rich history of the franchise.
"No, because for a lot of people, it's about history," Griffin said when asked if the Clippers are now the alpha team in LA. "And nothing we can ever do will ever take away from their history. They've had unbelievable success as a franchise."
The Clippers finished third in the Western Conference last season with a 57-25 record, while the Lakers ended up 14th with a 25-57 card. The Clippers also had a better record in the 2012-13 NBA season, but Griffin reiterated that the Lakers should still be considered as the favorite team in Los Angeles.
"I think in this current day, we're the better team. I do. But I mean, if you ask anybody that, they're gonna say that, you know-so that's not a real controversial statement," Griffin said in a Lakers news and rumors update.
Lakers new coach Byron Scott said in an interview with SCPR that the Clippers are a better team than them because they are currently on a rebuilding process.
Scott said, though, that his good friend, Doc Rivers, the coach and president of basketball operations of the Clippers, should know that the Lakers will look to overtake them as soon as possible.
"We're going to be coming back," Scott said in the Lakers news and rumors update. "So, just because you guys are the top team in L.A. right now, just watch out. We're coming back."
Meanwhile, the Lakers added another piece into their puzzle as the team announced in a statement that they have signed shooting guard Wayne Ellington.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the LA Times reported that Ellington signed a one-year deal at veteran's minimum, tipped at $1.1 million.
Ellington, the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, averaged 3.2 points in 45 games with the Dallas Mavericks last season.
