City of Angels: Where Stars Like Blake Are Born

Several people tend to think that people who move to Los Angeles do it with the intent of becoming a huge celebrity in one of the biggest markets in the United States. When applied to basketball, it holds up partially. Indeed, when players get drafted or traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, they automatically matter. Joe Smith has barely played for the Lakers this season, but fans know he is part of the roster. However, when players join Los Angeles’ other team, well it’s almost as if their careers have been cursed and people expect them to fade into obscurity until their contracts run out and they join new teams where they become relevant again. But then something funny happened. The ping pong balls bounced the Clippers way and they were fortunate enough to draft Blake Griffin. Then talks of the curse surfaced (oddly enough, had LeBron James joined the Clippers and Dan Gilbert had written his letter placing the curse on the former Cavs star, would anyone have even doubted the powers o...