Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Starting with the 2024–25 NBA season, the Clippers play their home games at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Before that, they played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from 1999 to 2024, sharing the venue with several other teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers.

The team began in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, an expansion team. They moved to San Diego in 1978, becoming the San Diego Clippers, and later relocated to Los Angeles in 1984. For many years, the Clippers were known for not doing very well, often losing compared to their neighbors, the Lakers.

Things changed in the 2010s. With players like Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Chris Paul, the team became known as Lob City and made the playoffs many times. They won their division in 2013 and 2014, but still faced challenges later in the playoffs. So far, the Clippers are the oldest team in North American professional sports that has never reached a championship game.

History

1970–1978: Buffalo Braves

The Clippers started in Western New York as the Buffalo Braves. They were one of three new NBA teams that began in the 1970–71 season, with the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers. They played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

With coach Jack Ramsay and star center Bob McAdoo, the Braves got better. McAdoo was the top scorer in the NBA for three years and won MVP in 1974–75. The Braves made the playoffs three years in a row but lost each time. Owner Paul Snyder had scheduling problems with another Buffalo team, the Buffalo Sabres. Snyder sold the team to John Y. Brown, Jr., who made weak choices, like trading away good players. Brown then traded the team to Irv Levin, who moved it to San Diego.

1978–1984: San Diego Clippers

In 1978, San Diego became home to the Braves, who changed their name to the Clippers after a contest. The name came from the city's famous sailing ships. The first coach was Gene Shue, who liked fast games. The team did not do well at first but got better by the All-Star game and almost made the playoffs.

The 1979–80 season was hard, especially because center Bill Walton missed many games with injuries. The team kept having trouble and often finished near the bottom of the league. In 1981–82, new owner Donald Sterling had many problems, like fines from the NBA. Sterling wanted to move the team to Los Angeles but was not allowed. He agreed to sell part of the team to keep it going.

1984–1989: Move to Los Angeles, and early struggles

In 1984, the Clippers moved to Los Angeles and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Their early years in Los Angeles were hard because many important players got injured. This time was called the "Clipper Triangle" because of all the injuries.

1989–1994: Playoff appearances

The Clippers made some good trades and drafts that helped them become teams that could make the playoffs. They made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years in the 1991–92 season, finishing with more wins than losses. But they lost in the first round to the Utah Jazz. They made the playoffs again the next season but also lost in the first round.

1994–2000: Fitch, Anaheim and the move to Staples Center

The Clippers thought about moving to Anaheim but decided to stay in Los Angeles. With coach Bill Fitch, the team had a hard time but made the playoffs once. Some sad events happened to players during this time. The Clippers moved to the new Staples Center in 1999, sharing it with the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings.

2000–2009: Further struggles at Staples Center

The Clippers made some changes but still had a hard time. They got Elton Brand, who was an important player, but injuries and team problems led to bad seasons. In 2005–06, the team got better and made the playoffs for the first time since 1997, with Brand and new players. They won their first playoff series since leaving Buffalo but lost in the next round.

2009–2011: The arrival of Blake Griffin and steady improvement

The Clippers chose Blake Griffin with the first pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Griffin did very well but broke his knee before the season and missed the whole year. The team got a little better the next season but still did not make the playoffs. In 2010–11, with Griffin healthy, the Clippers showed they could do well and made the playoffs, with Griffin winning Rookie of the Year.

2011–2017: Arrival of Chris Paul and "Lob City"

In 2011, the Clippers got Chris Paul to play with Griffin. The team became known as "Lob City" and made the playoffs several times. They reached the second round in 2012 and 2014 but lost both times. In 2014, owner Donald Sterling had serious problems and was banned for life by the NBA. Steve Ballmer bought the team.

2017–2019: Rebuild

The Clippers started rebuilding by trading Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. They had a hard time but made the playoffs in 2018–19, losing in the first round to the Golden State Warriors.

2019–present: The Kawhi Leonard era

In 2019, the Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and traded for Paul George. They made deep runs in the playoffs but had some setbacks. In 2024, they moved to their new home, Intuit Dome, and kept working to build a strong team.

Rivalries

Golden State Warriors

The Clippers and Warriors had a big rivalry from 2012 to 2015. They are close by location and played in the same division, which made their games very exciting. The Warriors have won more games in their history against the Clippers.

Los Angeles Lakers

Main article: Lakers–Clippers rivalry

The Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers have a special rivalry because they used to play in the same arena, Crypto.com Arena. But now the Clippers have moved to Intuit Dome, so no NBA teams share an arena anymore. This is one of only two rivalries in the NBA between teams from the same city, the other being between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.

Many fans in Los Angeles have always supported the Lakers more than the Clippers.

Season-by-season record

List of the last five seasons completed by the Clippers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Los Angeles Clippers seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

Home arenas

The Los Angeles Clippers have played in many arenas over the years. They started at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium from 1970 to 1978 and sometimes at Maple Leaf Gardens from 1971 to 1975. After that, they played at the San Diego Sports Arena from 1978 to 1984, and then at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena from 1984 to 1999. Sometimes, they played at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim between 1994 and 1999. From 1999 to 2024, their home was the Crypto.com Arena. Starting in 2024, they moved to the Intuit Dome.

Logos and uniforms

The Los Angeles Clippers have had many logos and uniforms over the years. Their first logo showed three white sails to represent Southern California's sunny climate and nautical theme. In 1982–83, they changed to a logo with a moving basketball and the team name.

In 2015, they introduced a new logo shaped like a compass with the team's "LAC" monogram in the middle. The team also created new home and away uniforms. Since then, the Clippers have added special "City" uniforms each season to honor different parts of Los Angeles and its history. These uniforms have featured many colors and designs inspired by the city's culture and past.

Personnel

All-time roster

Current roster

Retained draft rights

The Clippers have draft rights to some players who are not currently in the NBA. These players can join any team outside the NBA, but the Clippers keep their draft rights for one year after the player's contract ends.

Retired numbers

The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all teams on August 11, 2022.

Basketball Hall of Famers

FIBA Hall of Famers

Franchise leaders

Bold names show players still with the team. Italic names show players still playing but not with the team.

Regular season (as of the end of the 2025–26 season)

Points

1. Randy Smith (12,735)
2. Blake Griffin (10,863)
3. Bob McAdoo (9,434)
4. Elton Brand (9,174)
5. Corey Maggette (8,835)
6. Kawhi Leonard (8,296)
7. Chris Paul (7,721)
8. Danny Manning (7,120)
9. DeAndre Jordan (7,078)
10. Loy Vaught (6,614)
11. Ken Norman (6,432)
12. Paul George (6,049)
13. Ron Harper (5,853)
14. Ivica Zubac (5,846)
15. Chris Kaman (5,813)
16. Jamal Crawford (5,675)
17. Benoit Benjamin (5,405)
18. Eric Piatkowski (5,269)
19. Charles Smith (4,994)
20. Lou Williams (4,975)
21. Bob Kauffman (4,847)
22. Swen Nater (4,694)
23. Freeman Williams (4,467)
24. World B. Free (4,299)
25. JJ Redick (4,208)
26. Lamond Murray (4,173)
27. Norm Nixon (4,127)
28. James Harden (4,112)
29. Michael Brooks (4,010)
30. Lamar Odom (3,986)

Single-season records

Individual awards

NBA Rookie of the Year

• Terry Cummings – 1983
• Blake Griffin – 2011

NBA Most Improved Player

• Bobby Simmons – 2005

NBA Sixth Man of the Year

• Jamal Crawford – 2014, 2016
• Lou Williams – 2018, 2019
• Montrezl Harrell – 2020

NBA Sportsmanship Award

• Elton Brand – 2006

NBA Hustle Award

• Montrezl Harrell – 2020

NBA Teammate of the Year

• Chauncey Billups – 2013

NBA Executive of the Year

• Elgin Baylor – 2006

All-NBA First Team

• Chris Paul – 2012–2014
• DeAndre Jordan – 2016
• Kawhi Leonard – 2021

All-NBA Second Team

• Elton Brand – 2006
• Blake Griffin – 2012–2014
• Chris Paul – 2015, 2016
• Kawhi Leonard – 2020, 2024

All-NBA Third Team

• Dominique Wilkins – 1994
• Blake Griffin – 2015
• DeAndre Jordan – 2015, 2017
• Paul George – 2021
• James Harden – 2025

NBA All-Defensive First Team

• Chris Paul – 2012–2017
• DeAndre Jordan – 2015, 2016

NBA All-Defensive Second Team

• Patrick Beverley – 2020
• Kawhi Leonard – 2020, 2021
• Ivica Zubac – 2025

NBA All-Rookie First Team

• Terry Cummings – 1983
• Charles Smith – 1989
• Lamar Odom – 2000
• Darius Miles – 2001
• Al Thornton – 2008
• Blake Griffin – 2011

NBA All-Rookie Second Team

• Brent Barry – 1996
• Maurice Taylor – 1998
• Michael Olowokandi – 1999
• Eric Gordon – 2009
• Eric Bledsoe – 2011
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 2019
• Landry Shamet – 2019

NBA All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star selections

• World B. Free - 1980
• Norm Nixon – 1985
• Marques Johnson – 1986
• Danny Manning – 1993, 1994
• Elton Brand – 2002, 2006
• Chris Kaman – 2010
• Blake Griffin – 2011–2015
• Chris Paul – 2012–2016
• DeAndre Jordan – 2017
• Kawhi Leonard – 2020–2021, 2024
• Paul George - 2021, 2023–2024
• James Harden – 2025

NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

• Randy Smith – 1978
• Chris Paul – 2013
• Kawhi Leonard – 2020

Slam Dunk champion

• Brent Barry – 1996
• Blake Griffin – 2011

Head coaches

Main article: List of Los Angeles Clippers head coaches

The Los Angeles Clippers have had many head coaches. Each coach leads the team in games and helps guide the players. You can see a list of all the head coaches who have worked with the Clippers in the main article.

ClipperVision

In the 2022–23 NBA season, the Clippers started a streaming service for games not shown on TV. Fans can watch regular games and see special views like CourtVision, which adds stats to the screen, and BallerVision, a new way to watch with Steve Ballmer and famous NBA players. Fans can also choose to watch in Spanish or Korean and can replay games whenever they want. The service works on Roku, iOS, Android, Apple TV, and personal computers.

Commentators and broadcast outlets

Main article: List of Los Angeles Clippers broadcasters

The Los Angeles Clippers have people who help tell the story of the games on TV and radio. Brian Sieman talks about what is happening in the games on both TV and radio. Jim Jackson gives extra information on TV and radio. Kristina Pink reports from the sidelines on TV. Carlo Jiménez talks about the games on radio. Mike Fratello and Corey Maggette help with shows before and after the games on Bally Sports SoCal and also commentate when needed. Adam Ausland hosts shows before and after the games for the KLAC/Clippers Radio Network.

Games are shown on TV stations like KTLA in Los Angeles, KUSI-TV in San Diego, KGET-TV in Bakersfield, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. FanDuel Sports Network SoCal broadcasts the games on cable TV. Radio broadcasts are on KLAC at 570 AM, and KWKW at 1330 AM for Spanish speakers. If there’s a conflict with a Los Angeles Dodgers game on KLAC, you can hear the Clippers on KEIB at 1150 AM.

Notes and references