History of the Los Angeles Clippers

70s - The Original Clipper

The Clipper franchise began in 1971 as the Buffalo Braves. The original superstar of the franchise was Bob McAdoo who was drafted in 1972 and won the MVP award in 1975. He led the team to three playoff series wins before being traded to the Knicks in 1976. His absence started a long playoff drought.

80s - Relocations

The Braves relocated to San Diego as the Clippers in 1978 and then moved again to Los Angeles in 1984. The 80s came with no real star which translated to zero playoff appearances. Terry Cummings and Marques Johnson were the two most notable players despite their short lived tenure.

90s - Little Success

The Clippers snapped their 15 year long playoff drought in 1992 to the thanks of Ron Harper and Danny Manning. All playoff appearances resulted in a first round exit. The franchise continued to be known as the little brother to the Lakers.

00s - Becoming the Joke

The Clippers once again had hardly any success in the decade and they officially became one of the jokes of the NBA. In 2006 they made it to the second round under the leadership of Elton Brand but failed to make it back for the rest of the decade.

10s - Lob City

With the entrance of all star guard Chris Paul after drafting Blake Griffin first overall, the Clippers finally had a bright future. The two of them along with defensive star Deandre Jordan got the name “Lob City” for their nightly alley-oops. This team made the playoffs six years in a row but could never make it past the second round losing to the Spurs, Thunder, and Rockets.