Los Angeles (AFP)

"Battle for LA": worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster with his cast of superstars, LeBron James / Anthony Davis on one side, Kawhi Leonard / Paul George on the other, the poster Lakers-Clippers finally gives birth to a rivalry basketball in Los Angeles against the background of NBA title quest.

"The winner will be the Staples Center": clever, LeBron James was careful not to talk about the supremacy at stake in the City of Angels, now that the two teams are considerably strengthened.

The NBA was not mistaken in programming the bill Tuesday night opening of the season, just after the first game reserved, tradition requires, defending champion Toronto against New Orleans.

For several days, the whole city has only been talking about that. From heated debates to noisy trailers, the media raises the temperature, the consultants go there with their predictions, sports banners seize the event.

Because everything opposes these two franchises. The winners: 16 NBA titles in 31 finals for the Lakers, virgin for the Clippers who have never passed the semifinals of Western Conference. Seniority: The Lakers settled in Los Angeles in 1960, the Clippers in 1984.

And of course the legends, always in purple and yellow: Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant ... Some have written the most beautiful pages of the club, others have even changed the game, all shaped the "showtime" image of the Lakers.

- Two real "Angelinos" -

Last season, LeBron James failed to bring the Lakers back into play-offs. With Davis at his side, this should not happen again and they could re-cross ambitious Clippers, strong two wingers-stars who happen to be real "Angelinos".

Before being crowned with San Antonio (2014) and Toronto (2019), Kawhi Leonard grew up in Moreno Valley, a city in the great Los Angeles plagued by gang wars. Basketball was his escape, even his psychotherapy, when in 2008 his father was murdered in Compton.

Paul George is from Palmdale, a northern suburb. A more peaceful environment where, at age ten, basketball takes care of him daily while his mother is recovering from a heart attack. He dreams of becoming Kobe Bryant, but he loves those Clippers who wet the jersey.

The return of these two children of the country allows the Clippers to return an image of authenticity, conveyed by the slogan "LA Our Way" ("LA in our way"), in opposition to the foil embodied by the club of face (8 km separate their training centers). Another argument to attract fans: between 50 and 200 ten dollar bills will be sold in each game to spectators dressed in blue and red.

Finally, in the official photos, Leonard, number 2, is almost always on the left of George, number 13. "213", as the telephone dialing of Los Angeles.

That did not stop Kawhi from being whistled, however, at a Rams NFL game.

- "They will hate each other" -

"Because he did not come to play for us, not because he's playing at the Clippers, it feels like he's being tricked, he's supposed to be playing for us," said California rapper Snoop Dogg. big fan of the Lakers, at Fox Sports.

The basketball playing first in the street, a billboard advertising Clippers, scratched a "welcome home" between his two stars, was vandalized with purple and yellow tags. Last year, a fresco with LeBron James was similar at Venice Beach.

Even David Stern, the former boss of the NBA, said in the show The Undefeated that this battle "was inevitable". "They will hate each other, it's going to be a big rivalry."

"That's the best thing LA could do," said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, "The Clippers are gaining credibility with a competitive team, we'll see how the Lakers behave, it's going to be thrilling."

The actors of the game, they, take care to ignore each other.

For Rob Pelinka, general manager of the Lakers, their biggest rival "is the one they will see in the mirror". Translation: themselves. Paul George recalls that "we must respect the other 28 teams of the League".

Three other duels will take place in the regular season, before any reunion in play-offs.

But not in the final. Davis understands this: "The Clippers have a strong team, but for us, what's going on is going beyond this rivalry, and beating them will not make us champions, and that's the goal."

© 2019 AFP