Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers
Conference	Western Conference
Division	Pacific Division
Founded	1970
History	Buffalo Braves 1970–1978 San Diego Clippers 1978–1984 Los Angeles Clippers 1984–present
Arena	Staples Center
City	Los Angeles, California
Team colors	Red, Royal Blue and White
Owner(s)	Donald Sterling
General manager	Neil Olshey
Head coach	Vinny Del Negro
D-League affiliate	Bakersfield Jam
Championships	0
Conference titles	0
Division titles	0
Official website	clippers.com
Home Away

The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The club's home games are played at the Staples Center, an arena shared with the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team has only had six winning seasons in its entire history, and only two since moving to Los Angeles in 1984.

Franchise history

Buffalo years (1970–78)

Main article: Buffalo Braves

San Diego years (1978–84)

San Diego Clippers logo.

In the team's first season in San Diego, it posted a winning record, going 43–39 under new head coach Gene Shue. However, that record was not good enough to advance to the post-season, as it was two games out of the final playoff spot. As it turned out, it would be the Clippers' last winning season for 13 years. It was also in that first season in Southern California that long-time announcer Ralph Lawler began his association with the club. Randy Smith had another solid season, averaging 20.5 points per game, finishing second behind World B. Free, who was acquired in the offseason from the Philadelphia 76ers. Free finished second overall in NBA scoring average, with 28.8 per game, while George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs had a 29.6 average.

The 1979–80 season was not much better, as the Clippers began to struggle, but not before it brought in center Bill Walton, a San Diego native who was two years removed from an NBA championship with the Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, Walton did not make much of an impact, as he missed 68 games due to foot injuries (which he also suffered in his final years in Portland, and ultimately shortened his career). San Diego managed to finish with a record of 35–47, despite the fact that many of its key players missed games due to injuries. Free continued his great scoring, again finishing second in league scoring, with 30.2 PPG. Paul Silas replaced Shue the following season, and the Clippers finished with a 36–46 record, once again missing the postseason. Walton missed the entire season once again due to chronic foot injuries. Free was traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for guard Phil Smith.

The 1981–82 season brought more changes to the Clipper franchise as Irv Levin sold the team to Los Angeles-area real estate developer and attorney Donald Sterling for US$20 million. The Clippers' poor play in their final years in San Diego resulted in poor attendance, with the team averaging only 4,500 fans per game. Sterling subsequently lobbied the NBA to relocate the team to his native Los Angeles.

1984–2001: Moving to Los Angeles

Los Angeles Clippers secondary logo

In 1984, the Clippers moved north to Los Angeles, playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. They finished with a disappointing 31–51 record under head coach Jim Lynam.

Ken Norman, the Clippers' scoring leader in 1988–89, was a key part of the team's nucleus during the late 1980s and early '90s

The Clippers were hapless for the next seven seasons, including a 12–70 record in the 1986–87 season that was the second-worst single-season record in NBA history at that time. Marques Johnson and guard Norm Nixon were both injured. That same season also saw Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor join the team as the general manager and vice president of basketball operations.

In the 1989–90 season, Baylor made a trade with the Cavaliers that brought Ron Harper in exchange for forward Danny Ferry and swingman Reggie Williams. That move, along with the 1987 NBA Draft of Ken Norman from the University of Illinois, the 1988 draftings of Kansas forward Danny Manning and Charles Smith of Pitt (Smith was acquired from Philadelphia in exchange for the draft rights to guard Hersey Hawkins), and the 1990 NBA Draft of Loy Vaught from Michigan, formed a nucleus that made the franchise a playoff contender.

Midway through the 1991–92 season, the Clippers made yet another coaching change. Larry Brown, who had been fired by the San Antonio Spurs earlier, was hired as the team's head coach in late January 1992. He replaced Mike Schuler, who had led the team to a 22–25 record before his firing. Brown finished the season with a 23–12 mark, for an overall record of 45–37. It was the franchise's first winning season in 13 years. The team also achieved a first that season, for the first time since moving to Los Angeles, the Clippers finished with a better record than the crosstown Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers advanced to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years (since the franchise's Buffalo heyday), but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz, 3–2. Due to the late April 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Anaheim Convention Center was the site of Game 4 of the series, which the Clippers won. The team made the playoffs again in the 1992–93 season with a 41–41 regular-season record, but lost again in five games in the first round, this time to the Rockets.

Brown left the Clippers to become the Indiana Pacers' head coach, and Bob Weiss was brought into the fold to replace him. That 1993–94 season proved to be one of the worst seasons in Los Angeles NBA history, with both the Clippers and Lakers going a combined 60–104 in the regular season. After one year on the job, Weiss was fired, and veteran head coach Bill Fitch was brought in to guide a roster of young and inexperienced players. The Clippers continued to make frequent roster and coaching changes throughout the next several years with only one playoff appearance in 1997, under Fitch. That team made the playoffs with a losing record (36–46) and were swept in the first round by the eventual Western Conference champion Jazz, 3 games to none.

From 1994 to 1999, the Clippers played several games at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, sharing the venue with the NHL's Mighty Ducks and the Splash indoor soccer team. In 1999, the Clippers joined the Lakers and Los Angeles Kings to christen the new Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles. It was in that first season at Staples Center that the Clippers drafted the highly-touted star forward Lamar Odom from the University of Rhode Island. The Clippers finished with a dismal 15–67 record. The team hired former All-Star (and Los Angeles native) Dennis Johnson as an assistant coach, as well as Hall of Fame former Laker great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help tutor second-year center Michael Olowokandi. Johnson remained an assistant coach until the middle of the 2002–03 season, when he took over as head coach. Abdul-Jabbar remained for only one season on the job.

The 2000–01 season brought more changes. Reserve forward Derek Strong was sent to the Orlando Magic in exchange for second-year forward Corey Maggette and the draft rights to guard Keyon Dooling from Missouri. The Clippers' two draft picks that year were childhood friends from Illinois: high schooler Darius Miles from East St. Louis (3rd overall pick) and Quentin Richardson, a guard/forward from DePaul University (18th overall pick). The team became popular among fans with its high-flying style of basketball and the Clippers did improve a bit with a 31–51 record, leading the NBA in bench-scoring with 37 points per game.

2001–2005: Rebuilding

To improve upon the previous season, the Clippers acquired high-scoring and rebounding power forward Elton Brand from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Los Angeles-area native and high schooler Tyson Chandler. At this point of his career, Brand had career averages of 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in just two seasons. Brand's hard work and accomplishments earned him a spot on the 2002 NBA Western Conference All-Star team as an injury replacement for center Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers. The Clippers contended for most of the season, but won only 3 out of their last 13 games and finished 39–43, five games out of the final playoff position.

The 2002 offseason brought more changes, as Miles was traded to the Cavaliers in exchange for point guard Andre Miller, who led the NBA in assists in 2001–02 with 11 per game. Suddenly, with a good point guard in Miller, the playmaker Lamar Odom at small forward, one of the league's best power forwards, Elton Brand, the emerging center Michael Olowokandi, and a very good supporting cast off the bench, the Clippers could actually make a serious run for the playoffs. However, with poor team chemistry and injuries (the Clippers lost 293 man-games to injury), the Clippers finished with a very disappointing 27–55 record. Head coach Alvin Gentry was replaced by Dennis Johnson midway through the 2002–03 season.

In the 2003–04 season, the Clippers lost many of their core players to free agency (Miller, Odom, Olowokandi, and forward Eric Piatkowski--one of the longest-tenured players in Clippers history^[1]), while opting to retain Brand and Maggette with long-term contracts. They, along with Richardson, made up one of the NBA best high-scoring trios, with a combined 58 points per game. With new head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr., the Clippers finished at 28–54, much of it due to inexperience and injuries. In the 2004 offseason, the organization and fans were anticipating the arrival of Kobe Bryant as a free agent, but were shocked when Kobe decided to accept an 11th-hour offer and remained with the Lakers.

The 2004–05 season saw the Clippers, although also missing the playoffs, finish with a better record than the Lakers for the first time since 1993. Bobby Simmons won the 2004–05 NBA Most Improved Player award after averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. As a result of that, Simmons cashed in on his newfound fame, and signed a 5-year, $47 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks in July 2005, playing closer to his hometown of Chicago.

To counter Simmons' defection to Milwaukee, the Clippers announced days later that they would sign guard Cuttino Mobley to a contract similar in years (5) but less in money ($42 million) to what Simmons received from the Bucks. Mobley was the first significant free agent signing from outside the organization since Bill Walton in late 1970s. Mobley officially signed his contract on August 3, 2005.

More deals were made, most notably on August 12, 2005, where the Clippers traded guards Marko Jaric (in a sign and trade transaction) and Lionel Chalmers to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard Sam Cassell and a lottery-protected 1st round pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. In relation to the lottery-protected pick, in order for the Clippers to acquire the pick, the Timberwolves would have to make the playoffs, or else Minnesota retains its draft pick.

During the summer of 2005, the Clippers announced that they would build a state-of-the-art practice facility (the first NBA practice facility within the four corners of the City of Los Angeles) in the Playa Vista development. Several current players on the Clippers' lineup live in the planned community.^[2]

2005–06: Back to the Playoffs

Los Angeles Clippers logo (1984–2010)

The 2005–06 season was a turning point for the team's overall image; a start marked by several wins over top teams caught the attention of many fans. Elton Brand was chosen as a reserve power forward for the All-Star Game and articles have been run in many sports magazines giving recognition to the much improved team.^{[citation needed]} Just before the NBA trading deadline, the Clippers traded power forward Chris Wilcox to the Seattle SuperSonics for forward Vladimir Radmanović. The Clippers had been lacking consistent outside shooting, which is what they were looking for in the trade.

While the Clippers had a few stretches of poor play this season, resulting in some frustrating losses, they nonetheless were able to maintain a solid record, including posting several winning streaks. The Clippers achieved their first winning record in 14 seasons and clinched their first playoff spot since 1997. The Clippers also finished with a better record than the Lakers for the second straight year.

By finishing sixth in the Western Conference, with a record of 47–35 (their highest finish since the team left Buffalo), the Clippers benefited from the current NBA playoff format of regular season records taking precedence over winning the division, and secured home court advantage over the Denver Nuggets instead of traveling to Denver for four games as a No. 6 seed would usually be expected to do.

On April 22, 2006, the Clippers won their first NBA playoff game in 13 years. Two days later, they won their second playoff game, going 2–0 against an opponent for the first time in franchise history. Although they won the first two games, they lost Game 3, but won Game 4. On Monday, May 1, 2006, they won Game 5 in Los Angeles and, as a result, their first playoff series since they moved from Buffalo.

The team faced the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semi-finals. After losing in game one (130–123 in Phoenix), the Clippers beat the Suns in a 122–97 victory in Game 2. The series shifted to Staples Center for game 3, and the Suns beat the Clippers, 94–91, as Suns forward Shawn Marion scored 32 points and grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds. In game four, Elton Brand posted 30 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists as the Clippers evened the series on May 14, 2006, with a 114–107 victory over the Suns. In game five, Suns guard/forward Raja Bell made a key 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in the first overtime to send the game into a second overtime. Phoenix beat Los Angeles in this double-overtime game, 125–118.

The double-overtime loss, to say the least, did not favor the Clippers, but they bounced back with a series-saving 118–106 Game 6 win over the Suns. Second-year defensive specialist Quinton Ross had a timely offensive game, scoring a then career-high 18 points. Elton Brand had a contribution of 30 points (his scoring average in this particular series), 12 rebounds, three assists, and five blocks. Corey Maggette came off the bench to score 25 points, with 7–8 shooting from the field, and 9–9 from the free throw line. Chris Kaman and Sam Cassell each scored 15 points apiece. Marion once again led Phoenix in scoring, with 34 points, with reserve guard Leandro Barbosa scoring 25 points off the bench for the Suns. The Clippers lost the seventh game to Phoenix 127–107. General Manager (and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member) Elgin Baylor won the NBA Executive of the Year award for his leading the Clippers to the playoffs.

2006–07: Another period of struggle

The 2006 off-season started as the team drafted center Paul Davis from Michigan State University in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, as the 34th overall pick. The pick was acquired by the Clippers by way of a 2004 trade with the Charlotte Bobcats for center/forward Melvin Ely. The team also drafted guard Guillermo Diaz from the University of Miami as the 52nd overall pick. While Davis signed with the team in July, Diaz was not signed, and decided to play overseas. However, the team still holds his draft rights. The Clippers did not have a pick in the 2006 draft's first round.

Meanwhile in free agency, on July 13, 2006, the Clippers scored a major coup, by signing forward Tim Thomas away from divisional rival Phoenix, in a four-year, $24 million deal. That was to counter the defection of forward Vladimir Radmanović to the crosshall Lakers in a somewhat similar deal to what Thomas got from the Clippers, except Radmanovic signed for an extra year, but both players would make the same amount of money annually, which would be $6 million.

Also on July 13, guard Sam Cassell (widely credited as the biggest reason for the Clippers' recent success) signed a two-year, $13 million deal. Cassell stated in interviews that once he retires, which would be likely after this contract runs out, he would like to join the Clippers' coaching staff under Mike Dunleavy, Sr. Also, on August 1, the team signed veteran forward/center Aaron Williams (previously with the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets) to an undisclosed deal. Williams played for Dunleavy with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1994–95 season.

On September 7, the Clippers announced a radio broadcast deal with KSPN-AM, the local ESPN Radio-operated outlet. The team, though, did not fully perform to expectations, in comparison to the previous season. A lot of this has been attributed to lack of a team chemistry and injuries to several key players, including Cassell, Thomas, Livingston, and Kaman. Players such as Luke Jackson, Alvin Williams, and Doug Christie were signed to 10-day contracts to help solidify the team's bench. Jackson and Alvin Williams only lasted through portions of the January schedule and each had limited playing time, while Christie signed with the team on January 31. Christie was not retained, and was suspended on the final day of his second 10-day contract with the team, due to Christie's desire to not return to the team, because of the team's lack of on-court direction. Christie was released from the team on February 21.

Adding to the woes of the disappointing 2006–07 season, guard Shaun Livingston suffered a dislocated left knee in which he tore every ligament in his knee. This was one of the most devastating injuries this season that consequently left him a player that would never be the same.^[3] This occurred with 8:10 left in the first quarter of a home game versus the Charlotte Bobcats on February 26, 2007 at Staples Center, as Livingston was driving to the basket, where he missed the lay-up, and came down awkwardly on his left knee. The extent of the injury was so severe, local news outlets such as KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV and KNBC-TV elected not to air the clip of Livingston's injury on their sports reports. According to the team's lead physican, Dr. Tony Daly, Livingston's prognosis for him to return to basketball activity from the point in time of his injury is eight months (which would put it at around the first week of the upcoming season) to a full calendar year.^[4] The Clippers, which were expected by many to make the playoffs again after their surprise appearance the season before, finished the season 40–42, 2 games behind the 8th-seeded Warriors. The Lakers finished with a better record than the Clippers for the first time since the 2003–04 NBA season. On May 22, the Clippers received the fourteenth draft pick from the NBA lottery. The draft was on June 28 in New York. The Clippers selected Al Thornton a combo forward from Florida State University. The Clippers used their second-round pick to draft a point guard Jared Jordan with their 45th pick.

2007–09

The 2007–08 season started off on a negative note, with Elton Brand on the disabled list because of a ruptured left Achilles tendon, and Shaun Livingston still out with the injury he sustained from the previous year. Brand missed most of the 2007–08 year, and the Clippers struggled to stay competitive in the Western Conference. Chris Kaman was one of the lone bright spots for the Clippers, and took advantage of a depleted roster by averaging 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game throughout the season, but was limited to playing 56 games due to various injuries. The Clippers ended the season with a record of 23–59, 12th in the Western Conference and last in the Pacific Division.

The Clippers saw the departure of several players for the 2008–09 season, including Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, and acquisitions of ten players either by draft, free agency or trades. Brand's departure stunned and horrified the team and Clipper fans, because Brand had stated repeatedly that he loved playing for L.A. and wanted to stay, only to have negotiations for a new contract fall apart and Brand to then accept a huge deal to join the Philadelphia 76ers. On July 1, 2008, Baron Davis, a Los Angeles native and formerly of the Golden State Warriors, verbally agreed to and signed (on July 10) a five-year contract with the Clippers, worth an estimated $65 million.^[5]

After a disappointing 2007–08 season, the Clippers obtained the 7th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and selected Eric Gordon out of Indiana University.^[6] The team also selected DeAndre Jordan from Texas A&M University in the second round (35th overall pick). Another second-round pick, Mike Taylor from the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede and Iowa State University (55th overall pick), was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a future second-round pick. Gordon officially signed with the team on July 7, while Jordan and Taylor both signed on July 15.

Also on July 15, the Clippers acquired forward–center Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets in return for a $10 million trade exception and the choice to exchange second round picks with the Clippers in 2010.^[7] On July 23, the Clippers also acquired guard Jason Hart from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Brevin Knight.^[8] On July 28, the Clippers signed guard Ricky Davis to a one-year deal, with a player option for a second year.^[9] The Clippers continued their active offseason with signing reserve forward–center (and one-time Clipper) Brian Skinner on July 31, and traded for reserve forward Steve Novak on August 6 for future second-round pick considerations, in a deal similar to the Camby trade.

On August 7, the team signed guard Jason Williams from the Miami Heat to a one-year deal.^[10] Recently, the Los Angeles Clippers re-signed forward Paul Davis. The Clippers signed three Davis' (Baron, Ricky, and Paul) in their "rebuilding offseason" in which they obtained key players such as Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis, and Jason Williams. However, just prior to the start of training camp, Williams announced his retirement on September 26.

On October 7, according to reports from various sources including the Los Angeles Times,^[11][12] Orange County Register,^[13] and the team's own web site (Clippers.com), Elgin Baylor ended his 22-year reign as vice president and general manager of basketball operations. It was one of the longest such tenures in professional sports history. The Clippers have indicated that Baylor had retired from his post,^[14] and as a result, head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr. will also assume the role as general manager, while director of player personnel Neil Oshley is promoted to assistant general manager.

In many of those same reports, including a related article in the October 8 edition of the Times,^[15] it was also indicated that Baylor had either been fired, resigned, or retired, depending on the source. According to similar reports, Baylor had been offered a different position in the organization, with the same salary, but with little to none decision-making power; Baylor refused. In fact, when pressed about his stauts with the franchise, Baylor had been advised by his attorneys not to say anything, indicating that the team and Baylor are in negotiations to work out a settlement agreement based on his departure. According to the above-mentioned article, Baylor had been working without a formal contract since the early 1990s.

On November 21, 2008, the Clippers and New York Knicks completed a trade, in which Los Angeles sent forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley to New York, in exchange for forward Zach Randolph and reserve guard Mardy Collins.^[16] With the trade of Mobley, only one member of their 2005–06 playoff team remains on the roster—starting center Chris Kaman. On December 11, Mobley announced his retirement due to the heart condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy discovering during his physical; although he was never to play a game for the Knicks, they completed the trade anyway for salary cap reasons.

On January 6, 2009, the Los Angeles Clippers waived Fred Jones & Paul Davis to open a roster spot for Center from Senegal Cheikh Samb^[17] (the Clippers have since re-signed Jones). The Clippers ended the 2008–09 season with another disappointing finish – 14th in the Western Conference – with a record of 19–63.^[18]

2009–present: Rebuilding with Blake Griffin

The Clippers selected Blake Griffin as the first overall selection of the 2009 NBA Draft.

On May 19, 2009 the Los Angeles Clippers were awarded the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Clippers had a 17.7% chance of being awarded the first pick. With the 1st selection in the draft, they selected forward Blake Griffin from Oklahoma. To open up a spot in the starting lineup for Griffin, Los Angeles traded Zach Randolph to Memphis for Quentin Richardson on July 1. Richardson was then traded on July 20 to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen.^[19]

Although Griffin immediately impressed in training camp and the preseason, his rookie season was short-lived. On October 23, he broke his kneecap during the Clippers' final exhibition game against New Orleans, most likely after a dunk that left him wincing in pain. Initially, the Clippers' stated that Griffin only had a sore left knee, which would make him questionable for the season opener the following Tuesday night, before revealing the break. The injury ultimately sidelined Griffin for the entire season.^[20]

On February 4, 2010, head coach Mike Dunleavy resigned his position as head coach, and Kim Hughes was named interim coach.^[21] Dunleavy retained his front-office title and duties for just over a month, but on March 10, 2010 he was fired as General Manager of the Clippers, being replaced by Neil Olshey. Dunleavy received the news of his dismissal from the internet, as well as friends and reporters calling his cell phone.^[22] The Los Angeles Times reported on April 20, 2010 that Dunleavy has filed for arbitration and that the Clippers have cut off his salary, even though his guaranteed contract does not end until after the 2010–2011 season.^[23] Although the Clippers did see some minor improvement, finishing with ten more wins at 29–53, Hughes was fired as head coach at the end of the season.

On July 6, 2010, former coach of the Chicago Bulls, Vinny Del Negro was hired as the Clippers' next head coach.^[24] On August 16, the team introduced new uniform designs at a photo shoot, at the team's practice facility. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan modeled the new uniforms, which were re-designed for the first time since the 2000–01 season.^[25] The Clippers' primary and secondary logos, which are modifications of the previous ones, were introduced to the public weeks earlier, on the night of the 2010 NBA Draft.

With new star Eric Gordon, and Chris Kaman, an improved DeAndre Jordan, a re-energized Baron Davis, and the debut of No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, the Clippers had high hopes going into the season. However, they got off to a weak start, losing ten of their first eleven games with their stars Baron Davis and Chris Kaman out with injuries. However, the Clippers showed strength when 3 of their first 4 wins came from the top teams in the Western Conference (the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New Orleans Hornets, and the San Antonio Spurs) and also, defeated the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Celtics. Nonetheless, Griffin got off to a strong start, drawing increased media attention in Clippers games and boosting ratings of local broadcasts of Clippers games.^[26] Griffin was chosen as a Western Conference Reserve in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, a rare honor for a rookie; he was the first chosen by the coaches for the game since Tim Duncan in 1997. Griffin also won the NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. As the trade deadline approached, the Clippers sent Baron Davis along with their 2011 first round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. The first round pick they gave to Cleveland turned out to be the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. With that they selected Kyrie Irving.

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of Los Angeles Clippers seasons

Home arenas

• Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (1970–1978)
• Maple Leaf Gardens (1971–1975) (occasional games)
• San Diego Sports Arena (1978–1984)
• Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (1984–1999)
• Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (1994–1999) (occasional games)
• Staples Center (1999–present)

Coaches and players of note

Current roster

Los Angeles Clippers rosterv · d · e
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB (Y–M–D) From 4.0 !F 3 USA ! Aminu, Al-Farouq 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1990–09–21 Wake Forest 1.5 !G 12 USA ! Bledsoe, Eric 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1989–12–09 Kentucky 4.0 !F 34 USA ! Cook, Brian (FA) 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1980–12–04 Illinois 4.0 !F 50 USA ! Diogu, Ike 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1983–09–11 Arizona State 1.5 !G 4 USA ! Foye, Randy 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 213 lb (97 kg) 1983–09–24 Villanova 4.0 !F 15 USA ! Gomes, Ryan 79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1982–09–01 Providence 1.5 !G 10 USA ! Gordon, Eric 75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1988–12–25 Indiana 4.0 !F 32 USA ! Griffin, Blake 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 251 lb (114 kg) 1989–03–16 Oklahoma 6.0 !C 9 USA ! Jordan, DeAndre (FA) 83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1988–07–21 Texas A&M 6.0 !C 35 GER ! Kaman, Chris 84 !7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1982–04–28 Central Michigan 1.5 !G 23 USA ! Leslie, Travis (DP) 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1990–03–29 Georgia 4.0 !F 8 USA ! Moon, Jamario (FA) 80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1980-06-13 Meridian C. C. 4.0 !F 1 USA ! Smith, Craig (FA) 79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1983–11–10 Boston College 4.0 !F 33 USA ! Thompkins, Trey (DP) 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1990–05–29 Georgia 1.5 !G 13 USA ! Warren, Willie 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 1989–10–22 Oklahoma 1.5 !G 25 USA ! Williams, Mo 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1982–12–19 Alabama	Head coach Vinny Del Negro (North Carolina State) Assistant coach(es) Marc Iavaroni (Virginia) Dean Demopoulos (West Chester (PA)*) Robert Pack (Southern California) Athletic trainer(s) Jasen Powell (Cal Poly Pomona*) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured * High school Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2011-06-29
East Atlantic: BOS  · NY  · NJ  · PHI  · TOR Southeast: ATL  · CHA  · MIA  · ORL  · WAS Central: CHI  · CLE  · DET  · IND  · MIL West Northwest: POR  · MIN  · OKC  · DEN  · UT Southwest: DAL  · HOU  · MEM  · NO  · SA Pacific: GS  · LAC  · LAL  · PHX  · SAC

International rights

C		Sofoklis Schortsanitis	2003 NBA Draft	34th pick

Basketball Hall of Famers

Only three players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame based significantly upon achievements while with the franchise:

• Adrian Dantley, F, 1976–78 (Buffalo Braves)
• 11 Bob McAdoo, C, 1973–77 (Buffalo Braves)
• 32 Bill Walton, C, 1979–85 (1979–84 with San Diego Clippers, though he missed the overwhelming majority of games played during this time due to injuries)

One other Hall of Famer joined the franchise late in his career:

• 21 Dominique Wilkins, SF, 1994

Two other Hall of Famers served the franchise in management positions:

• Dr. Jack Ramsay, Head Coach, 1973–76 (Buffalo Braves)
• Elgin Baylor, General Manager, 1986–2008 (inducted as player, 1977)
• Dolph Schayes, Head Coach, 1970–71 (Buffalo Braves)

McAdoo and Randy Smith (G, 1972–79, 1983–84) are also members of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Walton, a native of the San Diego area, is also a member of the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Individual awards

NBA MVP of the Year

• Bob McAdoo – 1975

NBA Rookie of the Year

• Bob McAdoo – 1973
• Ernie DiGregorio – 1974
• Adrian Dantley – 1977
• Terry Cummings – 1983
• Blake Griffin – 2011

NBA Most Improved Player

• Bobby Simmons – 2005

NBA Executive of the Year

• Eddie Donovan – 1974
• Elgin Baylor – 2006

All-NBA First Team

• Bob McAdoo – 1975

All-NBA Second Team

• Bob McAdoo – 1974
• Randy Smith 1976
• Lloyd Free – 1979
• Elton Brand – 2006

All-NBA Third Team

• Dominique Wilkins – 1994

NBA Rookie First Team

• Blake Griffin – 2011

NBA Rookie Second Team

• Eric Bledsoe – 2011

Head coaches

Main article: List of Los Angeles Clippers head coaches

Dolph Schayes (1970–72) John McCarthy (1972) Jack Ramsay (1972–76) Tates Locke (1976–77) Bob MacKinnon (1977) Joe Mullaney (1977) Cotton Fitzsimmons (1977–78) Gene Shue (1978–80; 1987–89) Paul Silas (1980–83) Jim Lynam (1983–85) Don Chaney (1985–87)

Don Casey (1989–90) Mike Schuler (1990–92) Larry Brown (1992–93) Bob Weiss (1993–94) Bill Fitch (1994–98) Chris Ford (1998–2000) Jim Todd (2000) Alvin Gentry (2000–03) Dennis Johnson (2003) Mike Dunleavy, Sr. (2003–2010) Kim Hughes (2010) Vinny Del Negro (2010–present)

Commentators and broadcast outlets

Main article: List of Los Angeles Clippers broadcasters

• Ralph Lawler (television and radio play-by-play)
• Michael Smith (television and radio commentary)
• Brian Sieman (radio play-by-play)
• Michael Eaves (sideline reporter and pregame host for telecasts on Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West)
• Dain Blanton (sideline reporter for telecasts on Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West)
• Rebecca Haarlow (sideline reporter for home telecasts on Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West)
• Don MacLean (pregame and postgame analyst for telecasts on Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West)

• Cable television: Prime Ticket (selected games air on Fox Sports West)
• Radio: KFWB (980 AM)

Records

On March 1, 2006 the Clippers held the New Orleans Hornets to an NBA record low 16 points in the second half of play. Since the introduction of the shot clock, no point total for a half had been lower than 19. Coincidentally, one of three teams to have such a low point total in a half was the Clippers.

On March 23, 2007 the Utah Jazz (44–23 at the time) lost to the Clippers (32–36 coming into the match) 104–72 in Los Angeles. That was the largest margin of defeat by an NBA team at least 20 games over .500 to a team under .500 since the Houston Rockets lost to the Orlando Magic 114–82 on March 30, 1991.

The Clippers are currently the oldest NBA team to never appear in the NBA Finals. With the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball reaching the 2010 World Series, the only team in the four major American pro sports to have played longer than the Clippers without reaching a championship final is the Washington Nationals, formerly Montreal Expos, who began play in 1969 and have never reached a World Series. (Several teams, including baseball's Chicago Cubs, the National Football League's Detroit Lions, and the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, have longer streaks of missed finals than the Clippers or Nationals but, unlike the Clippers and Nationals, played in championships prior to 1969.)

The Clippers are one of three teams (along with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Charlotte Bobcats) to have never won an NBA Championship, Conference Championship, or a Division Championship in their franchise's history.

References

1. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers All-Time Statistical Leaders". http://www.nba.com/clippers/history/Clippers_AllTime_Statistical_-52400-57.html. Retrieved March 2, 2010. 
2. ^ CLIPPERS: Training Center Press Conference Transcript
3. ^ CLIPPERS: Livingston Injury Report
4. ^ CLIPPERS: Shaun Livingston Injury Update
5. ^ "Davis verbally agrees to go to Clippers, leave Warriors". ESPN. July 1, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3470016. 
6. ^ CLIPPERS: Clippers Sign Eric Gordon
7. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Acquire Marcus Camby". NBA. July 15, 2008. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/camby_080715.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
8. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Acquire Jason Hart From Utah Jazz". NBA. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/jhart_080723.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
9. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Sign Free Agent Ricky Davis". NBA. July 28, 2008. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/rdavis_080728.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
10. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Sign Free Agent Guard Jason Williams". NBA. August 7, 2008. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/jwilliams_080807.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
11. ^ Dillman, Lisa (October 8, 2008). "A power forward no longer –". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-clippers8-2008oct08,0,5332501.story. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
12. ^ "Elgin Baylor retires as Clippers GM; Dunleavy takes over | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. October 7, 2008. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2008/10/elgin-gone.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
13. ^ http://www.ocregister.com/articles/elgin-baylor-la-2183424-clippers-la
14. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Add General Manager Role To Head Coach Mike Dunleavy’s Duties". NBA. October 7, 2008. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/dunleavy_olshey_081007.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
15. ^ Dillman, Lisa (October 9, 2008). "Baylor's attorney exploring options –". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-clippers9-2008oct09,0,6118935.story?track=rss. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
16. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Acquire Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins From Knicks". NBA. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/zrandolph_collins_081121.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
17. ^ Dillman, Lisa (January 6, 2009). "Clippers waive Fred Jones, Paul Davis; Cheikh Samb checks in –". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/clippers/la-sp-clippersfyi6-2009jan06,0,1068259.story. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
18. ^ "2009–10 NBA Regular Season Divisional Standings – National Basketball Association – ESPN". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
19. ^ "CLIPPERS: Clippers Acquire Telfair, Smith and Madsen from Minnesota for Richardson". NBA. July 20, 2009. http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/breakingnews090720.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
20. ^ "Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin has broken kneecap, out weeks – ESPN". ESPN. October 27, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4597949. Retrieved March 3, 2010. 
21. ^ "Dunleavy out as Clippers coach – ESPN". ESPN. February 5, 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=4887981. Retrieved April 20, 2010. 
22. ^ Dillman, Lisa (March 9, 2010). "Clippers fire Mike Dunleavy The team severs ties with the general manager, who had stepped down from coaching duties last month –". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/09/sports/la-sp-clippers-dunleavy-20100310. Retrieved April 20, 2010. 
23. ^ Heisler, Mark (April 20, 2010). "Clippers have stopped paying Mike Dunleavy –". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-clippers-dunleavy-20100421,0,5432659.story. Retrieved April 20, 2010. 
24. ^ Clippers to hire Del Negro – NBA – Yahoo! Sports
25. ^ CLIPPERS: New Clippers Uniforms Unveiling – August 16, 2010
26. ^ "Rookie Blake Griffin boosts interest in Clippers games – NBA – Sporting News". sportingnews.com. http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-01-11/rookie-blake-griffin-boosts-interest-in-clippers-games. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 

External links

• Los Angeles Clippers official website
• Los Angeles Clippers Official Fan Engagement Site

Los Angeles portal

• "Buffalo, Home of the Braves", complete narrative and photo history of the Buffalo Braves
• Business in the background: An LA Clippers story