This season has been a rollercoaster for LA Clippers point guard Darius Garland. After beginning the year late due to offseason toe surgery and struggling to find his rhythm with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Garland’s tenure ended abruptly in a blockbuster midseason deal that sent him to Los Angeles in exchange for James Harden.

But in his first public comments since the trade, Garland wasn’t focused on rehab or reflection – he was looking across the hallway at Crypto.com Arena and sending a clear message to the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old guard made it known that he didn’t just come to L.A. to fit in. He came to shift the balance of power.

“I tip my hat off to the whole Cleveland organization,” Garland told veteran reporter Marc Spears during an interview. “But now I’m in another good situation over here in L.A., trying to do something, trying to rebuild this whole brand of the Clippers, and try to make it one of the biggest teams in L.A.”

The first half of Garland’s statement was gracious, but the second sounded like a mission statement. The Clippers face the Lakers tonight, though Garland will remain sidelined as he recovers from his injuries.

The Clippers haven’t been more relevant than the Lakers for most of their time together in Los Angeles, except for the early 2010s, when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin ran the most highlight-heavy offense in recent NBA history, while the Lakers were going through a period of turbulence in Kobe Bryant’s final years.

Making the Clippers bigger than the Lakers at this point is going to be exceptionally difficult, especially considering the star power. Both teams have established veterans in Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, but the star-power gap between Garland and Luka Doncic is quite large. If Garland really means what he says, he has his work cut out for him once he returns from injury.

Darius Garland is a Second-Generation Clipper in a New Era for Him and the Team

Darius Garland’s trade to the LA Clippers carries significant symbolism. With this move, Garland now joins the same franchise that his father, Winston, also played for from 1989 to 1991. The youngster is also familiar with LA through his offseason workouts in the city, as well as through Klutch Sports, his representation, which is based in LA.

Garland has already expressed great excitement about the Clippers’ home arena, raving about the 360-degree ‘halo’ scoreboard and the “Wall” section within the Intuit Dome. The guard added that the fan section reminds him of college venues, something that was a goal of team owner Steve Ballmer when the Intuit Dome was constructed.

“Even when I walk around in L.A., I see a lot of Clippers stuff,” Garland admitted. “I didn’t expect to see a lot of Clippers stuff and a lot of fans coming up telling me, ‘Congratulations,’ they ‘can’t wait until I get back on the floor,’ taking pictures. And just little stuff [like that] is super cool to have in a big city like this.”

The team’s fans have already embraced him as the piece to bridge the gap between their previous era of Paul George, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard. Whatever might await them in the future, it’s clear that Garland is taking the challenge of making the Clippers relevant again personally.