When Bradley Beal agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with the LA Clippers after his buyout from the Phoenix Suns, it marked yet another bold move in a busy offseason for the franchise. Just days earlier, the Clippers had landed John Collins in a surprise three-team trade that also sent Norman Powell to Miami. Together, the two additions underscored a clear message: the Clippers are going for it — and not everyone is happy about it.
One of the most vocal critics? Former Washington Wizard and three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas — Beal’s longtime friend and a diehard Lakers fan — who absolutely loathes the Clippers and isn’t handling this turn of events well.
“Going to the f*ing flipper Clippers”**
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Arenas was beside himself on his podcast after learning Beal would suit up alongside Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and now John Collins in the same building the Lakers call home.
“Don’t say his name no more man, because then I gotta disrespect my friend,” Arenas said. “Going to the enemy, out of all places. Going to the fing flipper Clippers. Out of all the teams that you still could have went to for me to still be a fan, you go and heighten the fing side chick.”
This wasn’t just off-the-cuff trash talk — Arenas took the move as a genuine betrayal, especially given his long-standing loyalty to the purple and gold.
“Man, Clippers fans is the worst fans in the world to me,” he continued. “Now I gotta think about getting a jersey, I gotta think about reality right now… I grew up not liking them.”
The Aggressive Reload
After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Clippers’ front office wasted no time reshaping the roster. They started by re-signing James Harden, then swiped Brook Lopez from the Lakers’ radar to bolster their center depth.
But the most impactful move came when they traded Powell to the Heat in a three-team deal that brought in John Collins — a player with size, versatility, and a skill set Arenas had openly campaigned to see in a Laker uniform.
“We’ve got no hope now”
Seeing Collins land with the Clippers pushed Arenas over the edge. On his show, he admitted he believed a package of Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht would have been enough for the Lakeshow to get Collins — and he genuinely thought it was happening.
“He was supposed to be a Laker. I thought Rui and Knecht’s a**** was gone,” he said. “I woke up this morning, I couldn’t even react. Man, I thought we was getting him. We’ve got no hope now.”
The Reality Check Hits Hard
With Beal and Collins now in the fold, the Clips are positioned to be deeper and more balanced than they’ve been in years. The potential starting five of Harden, Beal, Kawhi, Collins, and Zubac — with Lopez and Mann off the bench — gives L.A.’s “other team” a formidable chance to finally break through in the West.
But for Arenas, the emotional toll is just beginning.
“Now I gotta be a fan. I gotta wear a Clippers jersey,” he said, defeated. “I never thought I’d live to see this day.”
As the Clippers surge into the new season with fresh firepower and bigger ambitions, one thing is certain: they’ve already broken one diehard Laker fan’s heart — and he’s not handling it quietly.