Lakers vs. Clippers: Why This is the NBA's Best New Rivalry

Much has been made since the Chris Paul trade during the preseason of how the Los Angeles Clippers would overtake the Lakers and become the toast of Los Angeles.

That hasn't exactly happened, but the Clippers have become a threat to the Lakers.

In the process we've seen a rivalry formed, and it's quickly become the best rivalry in the NBA.

It's an interesting matchup between the two tenants of the Staples Center.

In one corner you have the new-look Clippers. They are young and athletic. They are the NBA's most exciting team, and they know it. They are the future of the league, and they have no problem telling you about it.

In the other corner we have the Los Angeles Lakers. They are the old guard. They've been on the block a long time. They might be older and slower than their crosstown rivals, but this isn't the first time they've encountered a young upstart NBA team and they are still standing.

There are many other things that make this rivalry great.

Naturally, the close proximity of the teams is big. Los Angeles has always been Lakerland, and the Clippers are trying to change that image.

Then there is the star power. The Lakers have had it for years, but now the Clippers have superstars of their own in Blake Griffin and Paul and they don't want to take a back seat to Kobe Bryant and Co., especially in their own city.

Finally, there is the fact that the Lakers have what the Clippers want the most: multiple NBA championships. They know that to get one, they eventually will have to go through the Lakers. You can't be the best team in the NBA if you're not even the best team in your own city.

Add all that up, and we have a new, intense rivalry in the NBA, one that should be the best in the league for some time to come.