The Los Angeles Clippers are currently in the eye of the storm in the NBA. Owner Steve Ballmer and the organization are under investigation for allegedly circumventing the salary cap to pay superstar Kawhi Leonard. The evidence has been mounting in terms of media discoveries, but it’s hard to say what the outcome will be.

Reports have come out during all this that Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, also made similar demands to the Los Angeles Lakers during free agency. However, Jeanie Buss apparently refused to acquiesce. Some have questioned what lengths an owner should go to while chasing success, but there seems to be a fundamental difference in how these franchises treat players.

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Lou Williams played for both teams during his NBA career. His stint with the Clippers was more impactful than his time with the Lakers, but he did average over 16 points per game for the Purple and Gold. Despite this, he says the franchises now treat him differently and that the Clippers are better.

😂 Lou Williams on the differences when trying to get tickets from the clippers vs trying to get tickets from the lakers, with him having played for both teams pic.twitter.com/JccmUa7rNE

— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) September 25, 2025

“I make a phone call, Clippers right now. Parking pass, escort to my seat, accommodated, big screen, the whole thing, all the way back to the seat,” Williams said. “I called the Lakers. Them MFs sent me two tickets in my email. “That’s it. No parking. Nothing else. And put me in the crowd. I might have been in 118, row like 19, 20. Legitimate 20 rows up.”

This shows how invested the Clippers are in making their former players comfortable. But it’s also a function of how much more success the Lakers have enjoyed. Even if he scored many points for them, more former team members have contributed to tangible success than Williams ever did. And that’s really what it likely comes down to.

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