If you’re looking at rivalries from the Lakers side of things, teams like the Celtics in the East and the Spurs in the West are the ones that immediately come to mind for most fans in Los Angeles.
But in Phoenix, Suns fans loathe the Lakers more than any other NBA team, with the possible exception of those same Spurs.
Whether due to proximity (the two teams’ home arenas are just 375 miles apart) or due to the Lakers’ relative success breeding contempt, the “Beat L.A.” chants in the arena are fierce every time the purple and gold come to town.
When taking this into account, the team’s latest move on the digital side is perhaps less of a surprise.
From Domain Name Wire (via Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times):
The site is live now, and features two links on the home page. One takes you to a photo gallery depicting the rivalry over the years, while the other takes you to a video feature commemorating the first time the Suns beat the Lakers in the postseason back in 1990.
Lakers fans may want to laugh this off, but remember, Kobe Bryant holds a grudge for the beatings his teams took at the hands of the Suns in 2006 and 2007. Credit Phoenix for coming up with a creative way to keep the rivalry alive digitally for its fans.