7 Signs the Burning Hot Los Angeles Clippers Have Surpassed the Lakers

Despite the recent tear from Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, the one thing he couldn't do over the past week was get a win against crosstown rival the Los Angeles Clippers.

Bryant eclipsed the 40-point plateau for the fourth consecutive game on Saturday, but it was the Chris Paul led Clippers that ultimately made a statement with a 102-94 victory.

While the Clippers may have a long way to go before they get the rings that Bryant and the Lakers have, they may have made a big enough statement over the weekend to surpass the Lakers in popularity.

Here's seven reasons why.

Chris Paul

The buzz from the Paul trade still hasn't worn off. That's big for Clippers fans.  They have their star and are still getting mainstream coverage.

Sure Bryant has created a buzz for the Lakers the past few weeks, but the buzz around Paul and the Clippers has been around since mid-December and doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.

Paul has the Clippers at 6-3 and only a half game behind the first-place Lakers.

Blake Griffin

Sure the traditional basketball fan will tune in to watch the methodical Bryant carve up a defense, but there is an entire generation of casual fans who don't want to see that.

They want exciting and high flying.

Blake Griffin gives them that.

If you're looking for the type of team that can do something jaw dropping at any moment, then the Clippers are your team.

Lob City

You need a name.

The Lakers had Showtime, the Clippers have Lob City.

The style of play is exciting—and people like exciting. In this day and age, the up and down game is much more fun to watch than the half-court game.

Being fun to watch make the Clippers appealing to many more people.

Underdogs

No matter what they've done to this point or who they've added to the roster, they're still the Clippers, which means they're still the lovable loser of the NBA.

Outside of Los Angeles, there are many more anti-Lakers fans around. People are tired of watching them win.

It's a different case with the Clippers. They are still viewed as the underdogs. They're the new kids on the block.

Plain and simple, they are something different.

People like rooting for the underdogs, and people like to see someone different have a chance to win.

The Future

The future of the Clippers is much brighter at the moment.

With the Lakers, there are questions revolving around the future of the franchise. Will they make the necessary moves to take advantage of Bryant's final few years?

Then there is a question about Bryant himself. Even though he's playing like he's 25 years old at the moment, he's really not. He's a banged up guy with a lot of mileage on those knees. His body can betray him any year now.

As for the Clippers, with Paul, Griffin and Jordan already aboard, the future looks much brighter, as they are just going to continue to improve.

Attendance

As long as the Clippers are being talked about neck-and-neck with the Lakers and the buzz is still there, they're winning.

As long as the attendance stays big at the Staples Center for Clippers games as well, they're winning.

That's exactly what's happening right now.

Head to Head

I know preseason games don't matter, but the Lakers have had three shots at this Clippers team and have yet to win a game.

If the Clippers also win their next matchup in January, they will be the toast of the town.

Who would have ever imagined a Lakers-Clippers battle for the Pacific Division title?