LOS ANGELES – LA Live was electric this week as the NBA season began with the Lakers and Clippers facing off - both favorites to bring home a championship.  

Dana Brooks was one the hundreds outside of the Staples Center to watch basketball’s premiere postgame show.

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“We come to you live with Inside The NBA,” proclaimed host Ernie Johnson.

Johnson, Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley were here because of the sensation about the city’s two teams.

“Just today at work, all the alerts I got on my phone, all day long, hyping the city up, bringing everybody together,” said Brooks.

She even got to take a picture with Johnson, who says he’s never seen L.A.’s basketball scene like this about the Clippers and Lakers at the same time.

“The Lakers have always had that glitz and the showtime, and the Clippers have been the lunch pale guys. That paradox in itself adds to the rivalry,” Johnson said.

“This is gonna be a fun year to watch especially on the nights when those teams get together in that building.”

Even though Brooks bleeds nothing but purple and gold, she welcomes the rise of the Lakers hallway rival.

“To see the Clipper fans and the Laker fans unite, have fun, love one another it was absolutely amazing,” she said.

But for all of the Clippers faithful out there, Barkley has a bitter pill for you to swallow. 

“Nobody’s gonna ever overtake the Lakers in L.A.,” said Barkley. “They can’t do anything to ever overtake the Lakers.”

Barkley and the crew will be back here in Los Angeles if either the Clips or the Lake Show or both are among the NBA’s final four teams left standing

“That is what’s gonna happen. Book it!” Books said with confidence.

“In a perfect scenario, it will be the Lakers-Clippers so we can stay in the same hotel like all week,” Barkley said.

“But like I said, the West is The best I’ve ever seen it. We can not assume it’s just gonna be the Lakers – Clippers in the Western Conference Finals.”

But a girl can dream right. We won’t know the destiny of the Clippers or Brooks’ Lakers until another spring has sprung. Though for 82 nights this season all eyes will be right here, basketball’s epicenter.