60 Fun Facts About Los Angeles Clippers

What is the name of the Clippers' Inglewood arena, opened for the 2024–25 season?

Intuit paid $500 million for 23 years of naming rights on the privately funded building next to SoFi Stadium.

Which Hall of Fame centre led the NBA in scoring three straight seasons and won MVP for Buffalo in 1975?

The Braves reached the playoffs three times with him under coach Jack Ramsay.

Which college team's arena lease priority made it hard for the Braves to schedule home games in Buffalo?

The Griffins saw the Braves as a threat and deliberately took the better dates.

In 1978 Braves owner John Y. Brown swapped franchises with which team's owner, Irv Levin?

Levin, a Southern California resident, cited a shorter commute as a key reason.

The 'Clippers' name, chosen by contest in 1978, refers to what?

The original logo showed three white sails inside a baby-blue circle representing the sunny climate.

Which 1978–79 San Diego Clippers guard finished second in NBA scoring at 28.9 points a game?

Only George Gervin scored more; Free finished second again the next year at 30.2.

Which San Diego native and former MVP signed with the Clippers in 1979 but was sidelined by foot injuries?

He missed 68 games in his first season and two full seasons afterward.

For how many million dollars did Donald Sterling buy the Clippers in 1981?

Steve Ballmer paid $2 billion for the team 33 years later.

Sterling was fined a record $10,000 for saying the Clippers would lose enough to draft which player?

He was also fined for flying players in coach seats, in violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

In which year did Sterling move the Clippers to Los Angeles without league approval?

The NBA fined him $25 million and sued; a 1987 settlement let him stay and cut the fine to $6 million.

Which early-1980s court ruling suggested Sterling would beat the NBA in an antitrust suit?

The NBA dropped its suit in September 1987 in exchange for Sterling dropping his.

What was the Clippers' record in 1986–87, then the second-worst in NBA history?

Sportswriters dubbed the run of injuries to Norm Nixon, Marques Johnson and others the 'Clipper Triangle'.

Which Hall of Famer served as the Clippers' general manager for 22 years from 1986?

He won Executive of the Year in 2006 and left the team in 2008 under murky circumstances.

Which coach, hired mid-1991-92, gave the Clippers their first winning season in 13 years?

He went 23–12 after replacing Schuler; the team also finished ahead of the Lakers for the first time in Los Angeles.

Where was Game 4 of the Clippers' 1992 first-round series played because of the Los Angeles riots?

The Clippers won that game but lost the series to Utah in five.

Which star did the Clippers acquire from Atlanta in February 1994 in a trade for Danny Manning?

He averaged 29.1 points in 25 games and left in free agency that summer.

At which Orange County arena did the Clippers play some games from 1994 to 1999?

They drew nearly 16,000 a game there against about 9,200 at the Sports Arena, but Sterling turned down a $95 million deal.

Which centre did the Clippers take first overall in 1998, now considered one of the biggest draft busts?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was hired to tutor him for one season and left citing his lack of improvement.

With whom did the Clippers share Staples Center from 1999 to 2024, along with the NHL's Kings?

Under the lease the Kings and Lakers had scheduling priority, forcing occasional same-day doubleheaders.

Which two childhood friends from Illinois did the Clippers draft in 2000?

Miles went third overall and Richardson 18th; their head-tap celebration became a trademark.

Which power forward did the Clippers acquire from Chicago in 2001 for the rights to Tyson Chandler?

He became the franchise's all-time rebounding leader with 4,710.

Which veteran point guard, acquired from Minnesota in 2005, was credited as the key to the Clippers' 2006 playoff run?

That team won the franchise's first playoff series since Buffalo and took Phoenix to seven games.

Which young Clippers guard's 2007 knee injury was so gruesome that local TV declined to air the clip?

He tore every ligament in the knee, but returned to win three titles with Golden State.

Whom did the Clippers select first overall in the 2009 draft?

He broke his kneecap in the final preseason game and missed the entire season, then won Rookie of the Year in 2011.

The 2011 first-round pick the Clippers sent to Cleveland with Baron Davis became which No. 1 pick?

Los Angeles received Mo Williams and Jamario Moon in the deal.

From which team did the Clippers acquire Chris Paul in December 2011 after a Lakers trade was vetoed?

The NBA owned the Hornets at the time, and David Stern nixed the Lakers deal.

Who coined the 'Lob City' nickname with an exclamation on the day the Chris Paul trade was announced?

Told the news by Jordan at media day, he declared, 'Yeah! It's going to be lob city!'

From how many points down did the Clippers rally to win Game 1 of their 2012 series against Memphis?

They won 99–98 and later took Game 7 on the road, 82–72.

How many straight games did the Clippers win in December 2012 to set a franchise record and post a 16–0 month?

The streak ended against Denver on January 2, 2013.

In which year did the Clippers win their first division title in franchise history?

They clinched it by sweeping the season series from the Lakers and finished 56–26.

Which coach did the Clippers acquire from Boston in 2013 for two future first-round picks?

The deal included a clause barring the two teams from trading with each other for a season.

By how many points did the Clippers beat the Lakers on March 6, 2014, the Lakers' worst-ever loss?

The 142–94 rout came in a season when the Clippers set a franchise record with 57 wins.

Which website released the April 2014 recording of Donald Sterling's racist remarks?

Players protested by wearing warmup shirts inside out before Game 4 against Golden State.

How many million dollars was the NBA fine imposed on Donald Sterling along with his lifetime ban in 2014?

It was the maximum allowed; Adam Silver then moved to force a sale.

For how much did Steve Ballmer buy the Clippers in 2014?

The price was about four times the expected valuation, sparking talk of a move to his hometown Seattle that never happened.

Which of these was reportedly among the bidders Ballmer beat out for the Clippers?

Floyd Mayweather, Magic Johnson and a group of crowdfunders were also mentioned.

Which title did Shelly Sterling receive in the 2014 Clippers sale, along with courtside seats and future rings?

She also got six parking spots in Lot C for every game.

Which team eliminated the Clippers in 2015 after Los Angeles led the second-round series 3–1?

They had just beaten the champion Spurs on a Chris Paul shot with one second left in Game 7.

Which two-time Executive of the Year joined the Clippers as a consultant in 2017?

He had built the Lakers' and Warriors' dynasties and made Memphis a contender.

Which guard, drafted for the Clippers in 2018, went to Oklahoma City in the Paul George trade?

The Clippers also gave up four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first and two swaps.

Kawhi Leonard left which team to sign with the Clippers in 2019?

He had just won Finals MVP in Toronto.

Which team eliminated the Clippers in the 2020 bubble after they blew a 3-1 lead in the West semis?

Doc Rivers stepped down a week later and was replaced by Tyronn Lue.

Which team beat the Clippers in six games in 2021 in the franchise's first-ever conference finals?

The Clippers had upset top-seeded Utah despite losing Kawhi Leonard to injury.

The Clippers are the oldest franchise in North American pro sports never to have done what?

They finally reached a conference finals in 2021, 51 years after their founding.

Which former MVP did the Clippers acquire from Philadelphia early in the 2023–24 season?

P. J. Tucker and Filip Petrušev also came over for Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr.

Which nearby venue did Steve Ballmer buy in 2020 to end its operator's opposition to his new arena?

The Madison Square Garden Company had accused the Clippers and Inglewood of 'backroom dealing'.

Kawhi Leonard's alleged $28 million 'no-show' endorsement deal in the 2025 Clippers cap case was with which company?

Ballmer had invested $50 million in the environmental company and said he was a victim of fraud.

The Clippers' 2015 logo featured a basketball shaped like which navigational instrument?

Two curved lines beneath the wordmark represent the ocean horizon, a nod to the nautical roots.

The Clippers' 2017–18 'City' uniform revived the baby blue and orange of which era?

The original San Diego shorts had flags spelling out 'Clippers'.

The Clippers' 2022–23 black 'City' uniform paid homage to which Los Angeles summer basketball tournament?

The design incorporated a mosaic inspired by the Watts Towers.

Which long-time announcer began his association with the Clippers in their first San Diego season?

'Bingo!' and 'Lawler's Law' became his trademarks over four decades.

How many times did the Clippers make the playoffs in their first 27 seasons in Los Angeles?

They won a single playoff round in that span, cementing a reputation as a perennial loser.

The Buffalo Braves entered the NBA in 1970-71 alongside Cleveland and which other expansion team?

The Braves shared Buffalo Memorial Auditorium with the NHL's new Sabres.

Which coach, with star centre Bob McAdoo, turned the Braves' fortunes around after two bad seasons?

Ramsay later led Portland to the 1977 NBA title.

Which three Braves players started for the new San Diego Clippers in 1978-79?

The Clippers went 43-39 that first season at the San Diego Sports Arena, two wins shy of the playoffs.

From which California city did the G League affiliate relocate to San Diego for 2024-25, reviving the old name?

It came exactly forty years after the NBA Clippers left San Diego.

Whom did the Clippers trade away on draft night 1989 to acquire high-scoring guard Ron Harper?

Harper joined a nucleus of Ken Norman, Manning, Charles Smith and Loy Vaught that made the playoffs.

Which Hall of Famer did the Clippers hire to tutor Michael Olowokandi in his second season?

They also hired Los Angeles native Dennis Johnson as an assistant and drafted Lamar Odom that year.

In 1999-2000 the Clippers went 15-67, the NBA's worst record, while the Lakers won the title at what record?

The two teams became Staples Center co-tenants that very season.

Which Knicks parent firm, then operating the Forum, fought the Clippers' Inglewood arena plans?

The Knicks' parent accused the team and city of 'backroom dealing'.