In 1970, the Los Angeles Clippers was known as the Buffalo Braves. Buffalo Braves were considered one of three expansion franchises to join the NBA that year, as the league dueled with the upstart NBA for fame. After struggling through their first few campaigns, the Buffalo Braves rapidly found playoff success under the coaching of the legendary Dr. Jack Ramsay and high scoring Bob McAdoo. Unluckily, drastic changes in the organization's ownership during the 1976-1977 seasons threw the NBA team into a tailspin, resulting in back-to-back losing seasons.
Following a suggestion by then-NBA attorney David Stern, the Buffalo Braves were permitted to leave Buffalo after the 1977-78 season for San Diego. The deal was a complex one, as Buffalo Braves owner John Y. Brown traded places with Boston Celtics owner Irv Levin. Levin, a California businessman, was not happy in Boston and relished the chance to own a NBA team in his home state. Levin right away renamed the club the Clippers because of San Diego's bustling harbor and seaside locale.
Under Levin, the Los Angeles Clippers posted reputable records, but could not seem to reach the NBA playoffs because of a loaded Western Conference. In the Clippers' first San Diego season, their 43 victories were inspiring, but just shy of playoff caliber. That year, six Western Conference playoff NBA teams tallied at least 45 victories.
After missing the NBA playoffs for the third straight year, Clippers NBA team ownership again changed hands as Beverly Hills attorney and real estate mogul Donald T. Sterling bought the Clippers basketball team in June of 1981. In spite of the play of new additions Tom Chambers and Terry Cummings, the Clippers continued to struggle in San Diego over the next few NBA seasons. Injuries overwhelmed the Clippers and box office numbers plummeted. Finally, with audience averaging more than 4,500 basketball fans per game for the third consecutive season, Sterling moved the Clippers north to Los Angeles in 1984.
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Clippers Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)
The Clippers might have found a savior for their franchise for the first time. Blake Griffin, the former Oklahoma star, was picked No. 1 by the Clippers on June 25.
Griffin, the only pick the Clippers had in the draft, will be expected to contribute right away to a team that mustered only 19 victories last season. And he will add some needed depth to the Clipper front line.
Griffin will be able to help budding scorer Al Thornton at the small forward position. Also, he can occasionally spell center Marcus Camby when the team needs a change of pace in the middle.
Two of Griffin's greatest strengths are his versatility and athleticism, and while Thornton certainly is developing into a bouncy game-changer, Kaman and Camby are all noticeable plodders who aren't going to...
