Los Angeles Clippers Tickets

About The Los Angeles Clippers

The team moved to California in a rare team swap between owners that ended with new owner Irv Levin moving the Braves to his home state. The Buffalo Braves became the San Diego Clippers. The Clippers featured holdovers from the Buffalo days with players like Randy Smith and new stars chosen during the ABA dispersal draft, like World B Free. The Clippers started out their new history in California with a 43-39 record, but would soon find that the early promise of the club would not become a reality.

In 1979, the San Diego Clippers brought over Bill Walton. Walton was a San Diego native and the team hoped that his arrival would sell tickets, but injuries continued to plague his career and his time was mostly spent on the bench or in the trainer’s room. The Clippers began to take a path along a downward spiral that lasted 13 seasons without a playoff appearance. During the dark years, the team changed hands again, this time being purchased by Donald Sterling. Sterling moved the team to Los Angeles in 1984.

The team suffered for eight more seasons before they finally made the playoffs again. Danny Manning was the all around star who helped the Larry Brown-coached teams in the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons reach the playoffs. Brown left after the second straight first round postseason exit and the team returned to the lottery. The club tried its luck with new stars like Lamar Odom and suffered through the careers of new busts like Michael Olowokandi.

The Los Angeles Clippers had talented players like Corey Maggette, Darius Miles, and Quentin Richardson and played basketball with a new enthusiasm. Unfortunately the fast paced games did not dramatically improve the winning percentage for the team. This failed experiment led to a new era, the Elton Brand era.

Elton Brand was acquired in a trade for the rights to Tyson Chandler in 2001. Brand became the rock that anchored the offense and defense. The addition of Andre Miller gave the Los Angeles Clippers a star-caliber point guard to work with the talented power forward and a collection of athletic wing players.

The return to the lottery gave them Al Thornton. The Los Angeles Clippers hoped that the rash of injuries would end, but the 2007-08 season started with the loss of Elton Brand for most of the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. The Clippers season was doomed from the beginning, but in the midst of the losses players like Chris Kaman and Thornton made huge strides.

The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round and nearly beat the Suns in the conference semi-finals, taking the series to seven games before losing. This season was supposed to be the tipping point for the franchise. The 2006-07 season would be a return to much of the same as important players like Vladimir Radmanovic left through free agency and injuries killed all team chemistry.

Tim Thomas was signed to replace Radmanovic and fans still had hope at the Staple Center. The Los Angeles Clippers found many players injured over the course of the season and signed a blitz of players to 10-day contracts. They even lost Livingston to a freak injury that tore every ligament in his left knee in late February. Despite the calamitous season the Clippers finished 40-42, though they still missed the playoffs.

The return to the lottery gave them Al Thornton. The Los Angeles Clippers hoped that the rash of injuries would end, but the 2007-08 season started with the loss of Elton Brand for most of the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. The Clippers season was doomed from the beginning, but in the midst of the losses players like Chirs Kaman and Thornton made huge strides.