Who's laughing now?

For more than two decades, the Los Angeles Clippers were a laughingstock. They'd been widely considered the worst franchise in the NBA — and perhaps in all of North American professional sports. To say the Clippers were overshadowed by the Lakers in their own hometown would have been to understate the obvious.

But that was two seasons ago.

Jazz forward Carlos Boozer — without a hint of sarcasm — called the Clippers "one of the best teams in the NBA" Tuesday night in the Delta Center after Utah's win over L.A. Veteran media types — cynical by nature and used to taking shots at the Clippers — didn't blink when Boozer uttered those words.

It is, in fact, considered to be true.

Now the Clippers are widely regarded as one of the top up-and-coming teams in the league. Gone are the days when the Clippers were best known for losing games and bad player personnel moves.

"It's early in the season, but we know we have the opportunity to be a good team," said veteran point guard Sam Cassell. "Nobody is going to give us anything, but we feel we can play with anyone."

The Lakers may still be the king in Southern California, but it's becoming en vogue for Hollywood stars to be seen at Clippers games now, too.

"We're a blue-collar team that works hard," said Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley. "The fan support has been good. They like that we work hard every game."

So how did the Clippers turn things around the past two years?

There are several contributing factors:

THE STAPLES CENTER — The Clippers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles prior to the 1984-85 season, taking up residence in the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena. With the exception of a handful of games played each year from 1993 to 1999 in the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, the Sports Arena was the Clippers' home.

But let's just say that it wasn't a very nice home. In fact, as NBA facilities go, the L.A. Sports Arena was a dump. It was a deterrent for fans and potential free agents alike.