56 Fun Facts About Los Angeles Clippers

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

Intuit Dome, privately funded by Steve Ballmer next to SoFi Stadium, opened in August 2024; Intuit paid about $500 million for 23 years of naming rights.

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

Bob McAdoo led the league in scoring in 1974, 1975 and 1976 and was MVP in 1975, averaging 34.5 points; the Braves made the playoffs in each of those seasons.

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

Canisius College's Golden Griffins held date priority at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium under their lease, forcing the Braves to play some home games in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.

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

John Y. Brown traded the Braves for Irv Levin's Boston Celtics in 1978; Levin, who lived in Southern California, wanted a franchise nearer home and moved the Braves west.

Which guard finished second in NBA scoring in 1978–79, the Clippers' first season?

World B. Free averaged 28.8 points in 1978–79, behind only George Gervin's 29.6, and was runner-up again at 30.2 the next season.

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

Bill Walton, the 1978 MVP and a local hero, joined the Clippers in 1979, but foot injuries limited him to 14 games that season and none in the next two.

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

Donald Sterling, a Los Angeles real-estate lawyer, paid $12.5 million for the Clippers in 1981, buying the club from Irv Levin.

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

Sterling told reporters in 1982 that the Clippers would finish last to get Virginia star Ralph Sampson; the league's $10,000 fine was then its largest ever.

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

Sterling moved the team to Los Angeles in 1984 without a league vote; the NBA fined him $25 million and sued, then settled in 1987 for $6 million.

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?

Elgin Baylor, a Hall of Fame forward in his playing days, ran the Clippers' front office from 1986 to 2008 and was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2006.

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

Larry Brown took over from Mike Schuler in February 1992 and went 23–12, lifting the Clippers to 45–37, their first winning record since 1978–79.

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

Game 4 against Utah was moved to the Anaheim Convention Center during the riots; the Clippers won it to level the series 2–2 but lost Game 5 in Salt Lake City.

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

Dominique Wilkins came from the Hawks for Danny Manning in February 1994, averaged 29.1 points in 25 games, and left as a free agent that summer.

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

The Clippers played a handful of home games each season at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 to 1999, where crowds were far larger than at the ageing Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Which centre did the Clippers take first overall in the 1998 draft?

Michael Olowokandi, a little-known centre from the University of the Pacific, went first overall in 1998 ahead of Mike Bibby, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.

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?

Sam Cassell, a veteran of two championship teams, arrived from the Timberwolves in 2005 and ran the offence as the Clippers went 47–35 and won their first playoff series since the Buffalo years.

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

Shaun Livingston dislocated his left knee in February 2007, tearing the ACL, PCL and lateral meniscus; he recovered to win three championships with the Warriors in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

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?

The unprotected pick the Clippers sent with Baron Davis in February 2011 won the lottery and became Kyrie Irving, the 2011 No. 1 pick; the Clippers got Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

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.

Which Clippers centre verbally agreed to join Dallas in 2015, then re-signed with the Clippers?

DeAndre Jordan agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with Dallas in July 2015, then changed his mind days later and re-signed with the Clippers after teammates camped at his home to talk him round.

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

The Clippers trailed by 27 points in the third quarter of Game 1 in Memphis and came back to win 99–98; they later took Game 7 there, 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 Clippers won 17 straight, a franchise record, and went 16–0 in December 2012; the streak ended on New Year's Day 2013.

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

The Clippers won the Pacific Division in 2013, finishing 56–26, the first division title in the franchise's 43 seasons.

Which coach did the Clippers acquire from Boston in 2013 for a first-round pick?

Doc Rivers came in June 2013 for an unprotected 2015 first-round pick; the league barred the two clubs from further trades with each other for a year.

By how many points did the Clippers rout the Lakers on 6 March 2014?

The 142–94 rout, a 48-point margin, was the heaviest defeat their crosstown rivals had ever suffered; it 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?

TMZ published the recording of Sterling's remarks to V. Stiviano on 25 April 2014; before Game 4 in Oakland the players dumped their warm-ups at centre court and wore shirts inside out.

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

Adam Silver banned Sterling for life on 29 April 2014 and fined him $2.5 million, the maximum the NBA constitution allowed, then moved to force a sale.

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

Steve Ballmer paid $2 billion in 2014, then a record for an NBA franchise and more than three times the Forbes valuation; he kept the team in Los Angeles despite speculation about Seattle.

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

Oprah Winfrey joined David Geffen and Larry Ellison in a reported bid of about $1.6 billion; Floyd Mayweather and Magic Johnson were also mentioned as would-be buyers.

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

Ballmer's purchase agreement made Shelly Sterling 'Owner Emeritus' and the team's 'Number 1 Fan', with courtside seats, parking passes and any championship rings the Clippers win.

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

The Houston Rockets won three straight, including a Game 6 rally from 19 down in Los Angeles, after the Clippers had beaten the champion Spurs on Chris Paul's Game 7 shot with one second left.

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

Jerry West, Executive of the Year in 1995 and 2004, joined the Clippers as a consultant in June 2017 after six years advising the Warriors.

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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 11th pick in 2018, went to the Thunder with Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two pick swaps in July 2019.

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

Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors weeks after winning the 2019 Finals MVP, signing a three-year deal with the Clippers on condition that Paul George was also acquired.

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

The Denver Nuggets, who had already come back from 3–1 against Utah, won Games 5, 6 and 7 in September 2020; the Clippers' coach was gone within two weeks.

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

The Phoenix Suns took the 2021 Western Conference finals 4–2, Deandre Ayton's last-second alley-oop winning Game 2; the Clippers had upset top seed Utah without the injured Kawhi Leonard.

As of 2025, the Clippers were the oldest major-league franchise never to have done what?

Founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970, the Clippers had never played in a championship game or series by 2025; their deepest run was the 2021 Western Conference finals.

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

James Harden, the 2018 MVP, arrived from the 76ers in November 2023 with P. J. Tucker and Filip Petrušev for Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr. and draft picks.

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

Ballmer paid $400 million for the Forum in March 2020, settling the lawsuits its New York owner had filed to block the Inglewood arena.

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

The deal was with Aspiration, a climate-finance start-up that went bankrupt in 2025; Ballmer had invested about $50 million in it and said he had been defrauded.

Which guard won Sixth Man of the Year with the Clippers in 2014 and 2016?

Jamal Crawford won Sixth Man of the Year in 2014 and 2016 with the Clippers, adding to his 2010 award with Atlanta to become the first three-time winner.

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

The baby blue and orange came from the San Diego years, 1978 to 1984, when the team first wore the Clippers name.

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

The uniform honoured the Drew League, the South Los Angeles pro-am founded in 1973 whose summer games draw NBA stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

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

Ralph Lawler called Clippers games from 1978 until 2019, more than 3,000 of them; 'Bingo!' and 'Lawler's Law' (first to 100 wins) were his trademarks.

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

Only four playoff trips, in 1992, 1993, 1997 and 2006, came in the 27 seasons from 1984–85 to 2010–11, with a single series win, in 2006.

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

The 1970 expansion added the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers; the Braves shared Buffalo Memorial Auditorium with the NHL's new Sabres.

Which coach turned the Braves' fortunes around from 1972, reaching the playoffs in 1974?

Jack Ramsay took over in 1972 and, with McAdoo, lifted the Braves to 42–40 and the playoffs in 1974; he later coached an NBA champion in 1977.

Which three Braves players moved with the franchise to California for 1978–79?

Randy Smith, Swen Nater and Scott Lloyd came west from Buffalo; the Clippers went 43–39 in their first season, 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?

The Agua Caliente Clippers played in Ontario, California, from 2017 to 2024 before moving to a new arena in Oceanside under the revived name, forty years after the NBA team left the city.

Whom did the Clippers send to Cleveland in November 1989 for high-scoring guard Ron Harper?

Danny Ferry, the No. 2 pick who refused to sign and went to Italy, and Reggie Williams went to the Cavaliers in November 1989 for Ron Harper and three draft picks.

Which Hall of Famer did the Clippers hire in 2000 to tutor their young centre?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time MVP, joined the Clippers' staff for the 2000–01 season to coach their third-year centre, and stayed just one season.

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

The 1999–2000 champions went 67–15, the mirror image of the Clippers' 15–67, in the first season both clubs shared the new Staples Center.

Who coached the Clippers to their first playoff series win in Los Angeles, in 2006?

Mike Dunleavy, head coach from 2003 to 2010, led the 2005–06 Clippers to 47–35 and a first-round series win, the franchise's first playoff series victory since 1976.