Somewhere along the Clippers’ midseason surge, a viral post floated into the bloodstream of NBA internet: if Los Angeles went 15–3 over the next 18-game stretch, Twitter user Robert Flom claimed he would print the post out and eat it.
If they go 15-3 in any stretch this season will print and eat this tweet
— Robert Flom (@RichHomieFlom) December 21, 2025
It was a familiar kind of sports bravado, half joke, half dare, designed to live forever if it failed.
It didn’t fail.
With a 126–89 dismantling of the Brooklyn Nets at Intuit Dome on Sunday night, the Clippers officially hit 15–3 in their last 18 games, turning a hot streak into a meme with a due date. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the only suspense left wasn’t the result, it was whether the broadcast would acknowledge what the internet had already named: #PaperBowl, the impending “receipt meal” the fan promised if the Clippers proved them wrong. The fans weren’t disappointed.
Clippers commentator discusses the “#PaperBowl,” sparked by a viral post claiming the user would print out and eat the post if the Clippers went 15–3 over their last 18 games. They achieved the 15-3 stretch tonight in a win against Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/q8RnrrE6iv
— r/nba_highlights (@rNBAHighlights) January 26, 2026
Jim Jackson: “Just word of caution: Put a little water or something on that thing before you eat it. Just soften it up a little bit” 🤣 https://t.co/mmbK8RHtyG pic.twitter.com/Rlp0yfEwG6
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 26, 2026
Kawhi Leonard: “He better try to see if he can eat something else. I don’t know how healthy that is.” https://t.co/PJPZ0qFD2i pic.twitter.com/G2WeYWNtRA
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) January 26, 2026
CTRL+P 🖨️ @RichHomieFlom pic.twitter.com/L3NVv81wCn
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 26, 2026
They did, emphatically. Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points in just 25 minutes, a clinical reminder of what the Clippers look like when their best player is both healthy and in rhythm. James Harden’s orchestration, a pile of double-figure scorers, and a first-half avalanche that effectively ended the game before it could become anything else. The Clippers ripped off a 15–0 run, led 68–37 at halftime, and cruised to a 40-point win.
The internet loves a prophecy, but it loves a prophecy that backfires. Clippers fans seized on the post immediately after the final horn, repeating the original promise and insisting the “chef” report to the kitchen. And that’s what makes the #PaperBowl moment more than a gag: it’s a timestamp on a season that has flipped its tone. This team hasn’t just improved; it has made a once-ridiculous 18-game benchmark feel inevitable.
It also lands because it’s so Clippers-coded, part basketball, part community theater. For years, their big runs have been met with skepticism, the “show me in April” reflex, the sense that the franchise’s history always has a trapdoor. This time, the run is forcing even the loudest cynics to update their takes. Whether you believe it’s sustainable or not, 15–3 is not an accident. It’s a statement.
And now, per the internet’s least forgiving rule: the statement comes with a receipt.
The Clippers have done their part. Brooklyn was the final stamp. The only thing left is whether the original author will honor the deal, and whether the NBA’s strangest midseason storyline ends with an actual paper bowl. It looks like it might.
It is officially 15-3, so I will be eating this tweet tomorrow on @ClippersPod for their stream at 5:30 PM PT.
It will be very anticlimactic I’m sure, but you are welcome to tune in!
— Robert Flom (@RichHomieFlom) January 26, 2026
