The promise in the summer of 2019 was that basketball in Los Angeles would never quite be the same.
The Lakers, one year removed from signing LeBron James, cashed in their young talent from their post-Kobe Bryant rebuild to land Anthony Davis. The Clippers, with the memories of the “Lob City” era still fresh, rebuilt their team on a single night, signing Kawhi Leonard in free agency while dealing for Paul George.
In an instant, four of the top players in the league all called Los Angeles their home.