Did the Los Angeles Lakers Take the Clippers' Spot Against the Warriors?

Were the Los Angeles Clippers once again snubbed from the NBA's opening night slate in favor of the Lakers?

Jan 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers players huddle before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The NBA's opening night matchups were officially revealed on Thursday. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Clippers didn't make the cut.

Despite a transformative offseason that saw the franchise acquire multiple high-profile veterans, the Clippers were once again snubbed from the season-opening slate, despite the fact that several reliable betting markets have their championship odds equal to or better than the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Opening Night schedule on Oct. 21 🍿

- Rockets vs. Thunder
- Warriors vs. Lakers

(via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/R8ysE4ou4e

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2025

Instead, unsurprisingly, the NBA chose to highlight the Lakers on opening night. Despite an underwhelming first-round loss to Minnesota and an offseason filled with more questions than answers, the league rewarded the Lakers with a matchup against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on one of the most visible stages of the NBA season.

As easy as it is to say that the Clippers are a more legitimate title contender than the Lakers at this point in time, the reality is that the NBA is a made-for-TV product.

Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and forward LeBron James (23) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Lakers have the second and arguably the third most significant individual player draws in the NBA in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and the NBA's most consistent ratings draw just so happens to be the guy who wears No. 30 for Golden State.

With LeBron James potentially entering his last season in the NBA, it's hard to blame the NBA for cashing in on the sport's most marketable rivalry one more time on opening night.

Not The Only Snub

Unfortunately, the snubs didn't stop at opening night for the Clippers on Friday. The NBA's Christmas Day schedule was also unveiled by ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday, and as you might have already guessed, the Clippers were excluded from that special day on the NBA schedule as well.

🚨🎄 NBA Christmas Day 2025 on ABC and ESPN, per sources:

- Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks

- San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder

- Houston Rockets at LA Lakers

- Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors

- Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2025

That decision is much harder to justify, especially considering the fact that still unproven Western Conference foes like the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves each received high-profile matchups on what is perhaps the most important single day on the NBA calendar in terms of television.

The Clippers haven't played on Christmas Day since 2020, when they beat the Denver Nuggets 121-108 in Kawhi Leonard's first season with the franchise. The Clippers played on Christmas Day during each season of the "Lob City" era, however, going 4-2 on the holiday from 2011 to 2016.

December 25, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) controls the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Lance Stephenson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Christmas at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Before that stretch, the Clippers had just a 2-7 overall record on Christmas, dating back to their time as the Buffalo Braves in the early 1970s.

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