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A year-long investigation led the NBA to penalize the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The NBA fined Clippers owner Steve Ballmer $30 million and Kawhi Leonard $700,000 for circumventing the salary cap. The end result was welcomed news for their cross-town rival, the Lakers. After the news broke, Lakers fans took to social media. Suffice it to say that they were having a ball at seeing their longtime rivals go down in such a big way. Two Lakers fans and content creators, Harrison Feagan and Anthony F. Irwin, were gleeful beyond belief, per Lakers Lounge. Additionally, Feagan posted on X, formerly Twitter, a tongue-in-cheek expression giving the Clippers the benefit of the doubt. “they did win three playoff series though so that's like almost a title if they'd all been in the same year”, Feagan posted. they did win three playoff series though so that's like almost a title if they'd all been in the same year — Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) September 2, 2026 Everybody who knows a thing or two about basketball knows the “Battle of L.A.” is one of the most ferocious. It dates back to 1984, when the Clippers moved to Los Angeles via San Diego. By that time, the Lakers were in the midst of the “Showtime era” led by Magic Johnson. Furthermore, it's one of the most one-sided rivalries in sports. The Lakers have won nine championships since 1984 (1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, and 2020). Meanwhile, the Clippers have won none. For a long time, the Clippers were stigmatized as a cursed and lackluster franchise. This news gives the purple and gold fans even more ammunition to stake their claim as the superior franchise. If that wasn't enough, the Clippers lost five first-round draft picks.