Just when you think the Los Angeles Lakers have hit a new low, something worse happens. It would be one thing if they were decomposing in isolation. It's quite another for them to be doing so as the other team in their city thrives. The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the hottest teams in basketball right now, renowned for the investment Steve Ballmer has made in building a top-notch organization in all facets. They have a star coach, unlike the Lakers. They have a great front office, unlike the Lakers. And unlike the Lakers, the NBA world expects them to lure a top free agent this July.

Considering how big the gap between the two teams has been for most of their history, that is a complete embarrassment. The fact is, the Clippers are the Los Angeles team with the brighter future right now. Even Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti can admit that. He called the city a "Clippers town" at the moment, though he didn't disavow his own Lakers fandom.

To some extent, he's right. Young fans in Los Angeles would be better served picking the Clippers right now. The Lakers only have history on their side. Jeanie Buss thinks that's enough to build a franchise on. And as long as she thinks that way, the Lakers will never overtake the Clippers again. Hopefully hearing the mayor of her own city begin to flip flop can be a wakeup call, but there have been at least half a dozen viable wakeup calls that she's missed already in the past month. Odds are, the Lakers' dysfunction isn't going anywhere.