The Clippers stayed out of sight, somewhere inside Staples Center’s underground hallways, as the Lakers accepted their championship rings Tuesday.
It was only when LeBron James strolled to midcourt to grab his title jewelry, the last Laker to do so, that the Clippers players assembled in the tunnel, ready to run onto the court for pregame warmups. Their layup line began as arena workers were still hauling off pedestals for the pregame ceremony.
“Our main focus was just coming in to this season starting tonight and trying to establish who we are and what we want to do going forward,” coach Tyronn Lue said.