From Losers to Chokers
For starters, let’s give credit where it’s due. The Denver Nuggets are the comeback kids of this year’s NBA Playoffs. This team just never seems to be out of a game and in this case, a series. In consecutive series, the Nuggets came back from a 3–1 deficit, and won three straight to knock out their opponents to earn a berth in the Western Conference Finals. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have become household names for NBA fans, as they are stars who probably don’t get the recognition they deserve due to playing in Denver. Before the season began and when the schedule in the bubble was set, it was safe to say we didn’t expect Denver to make it this far. Chances are, you thought the matchup in the Western Conference Finals would be LA vs LA. Well, the Lakers are there, but the Clippers are the Nuggets latest victim.
I started off by talking about the Nuggets because their accomplishment shouldn’t be diminished, but the collapse of the Clippers is pretty significant. This is a team that was looking to win now especially with big names like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on their roster. However, they will have to wait another year to try and not only win a championship, but make it to the Conference Finals, as they have yet to do so. While the Clippers loss could be considered devastating to the point that it would lead to a shake up, this isn’t the first time they’ve blown a series lead. And yet, these are without a doubt the golden years for this franchise.
Now, how could I possibly say a team that squandered a 3–1 series lead and got blown out in Game 7, is going through the best years in their history? Simple, let’s take a look back. The Clippers started out as the Buffalo Braves in 1970. The Braves moved out west to San Diego and were renamed Clippers in 1978. While the team made the playoffs 3 times in Buffalo, they didn’t have the same success in San Diego. In 1981, real estate developer Donald Sterling bought the team and moved them north to Los Angeles only 3 years later in 1984. Talk about poor timing. Los Angeles was ruled in the 1980’s by Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers, winning 5 NBA titles in the decade. On top of joining a market that had an established team there already, the Clippers were also coming when the current show in town was in its heyday, which made it more difficult to attract new fans and establish a solid fanbase.
On top of not making the playoffs, the Clippers didn’t have a winning record until 1992 when they made the postseason for the first time in franchise history since the 1975–76 season. Even then, the trip to the playoffs was somewhat spoiled as the Clippers had to move their home games to Anaheim due to the Rodney King riots. The Clippers made the playoffs the next year and 4 years later, but that was as successful as this team was. They were usually so bad, that then Tonight Show host Jay Leno made fun of the fact that whenever the Lakers play on national TV, that the “LAL” abbreviation shouldn’t be used to differentiate them from the Clippers as they would never make it to the playoffs again.
However, things came together for the team in the 2005–06 season under coach Mike Dunleavy, as the Clippers won 47 games. Vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor also won NBA Executive of the Year for his efforts. Los Angeles won their first playoff series since their Buffalo Braves days when they knocked the Denver Nuggets (kind of ironic don’t you think?), and they faced off against the 7 minutes or less Phoenix Suns led by coach Mike D’Antoni and league wide MVP Steve Nash. The Clippers had a chance to go back home in Game 6 to close out the series, but were edged out by the Suns in Game 5 in double overtime. While the series went the distance to Game 7, Phoenix came out on top. After narrowly missing the playoffs the next year, Los Angeles wouldn’t return to the playoffs until the 2011 season after trading for Chris Paul, who joined a squad that featured a young Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
This team responded with regular season success, winning 56 or more games for three straight seasons, beginning in 2012. New head coach Doc Rivers came over in 2013 and the Lob City Clippers seemed prime for a deep playoff run. However, the Clippers’ actions on the court became secondary news during the 2014 NBA Playoffs. Owner Donald Sterling was caught on tape making racist comments, which featured some comments about Magic Johnson (crazy thing is Johnson considered Sterling a friend!). Sterling had a history of racist behavior towards African-Americans and Latinos, but now there was recent evidence in recorded form. The players considered boycotting their upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors, but chose to protest by wearing all black, covering the team logos, and dumping their warmups at half court. Other teams around the league showed solidarity with the Clippers, and did the same to show their support. Sterling faced heavy backlash, and new NBA commissioner Adam Silver responded by banning him from the NBA for life, and forcing him to sell the team.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the team, adding a breath of fresh air to this team. With new ownership and a team in their prime, maybe this was finally the Clippers year. This stage in franchise history coincided with the low point for the Lakers, who didn’t make the playoffs after 2012–13 season. The Lakers had to deal with Kobe Bryant’s final years highlighted by injuries that kept him off the court, and not having a supporting cast that could pick up the slack. For the first time ever, the Clippers were legitimately the best team out in LA. Los Angeles won an exciting game first round playoff series vs the San Antonio Spurs and later matched up with the Houston Rockets. The Clippers blew the Rockets out in Game 5, and with a double-digit lead at home in Game 6, this series appeared to be over. Then, the Clippers went cold and the Rockets’ Josh Smith went on a hot streak, as the Rockets came back to win Game 6, and later Game 7 at home.
After choking away one of their best shots at a deep playoff run, the Clippers next two years featured playoff loses to a lower seed. They bottomed out in the 2017–18 season when they missed out on the playoffs. This led to a shake up, as the next season was their first full one without either Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, or Blake Griffin since the three came together. The Clippers were a pleasant surprise as they made the playoffs, and received some ridicule for celebrating their achievement in a manner some felt was how you would celebrate winning a championship. Normally, I’d agree, but these are the Clippers, not exactly a team that’s familiar with championships.
During the offseason, the Clippers made a big splash by acquiring Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. With LeBron James already on the Lakers, and Anthony Davis on the way, many fans around the league figured these two teams would challenge the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy. The Warriors were a fraction of the team they were in previous years due to injuries and Kevin Durant leaving, so for the first time in about 5 years, the West was up for grabs. So, which LA team would take over? The Lakers were eager to put behind the disappointment of previous years and were on their way to do so, when tragedy struck in late January with the death of Kobe Bryant. A high-profile matchup with the Clippers was rightly canceled because of this, but you figured these two would still find a way to match up in the postseason.
However, the NBA had to shut down along with every other league due to the pandemic, so we had to wonder if the Battle of LA had to wait another year. The answer turned out to be yes, but not because of the coronavirus. The NBA set up a bubble at Disney World, which has proven to be successful, and it looked like we’d get the match up we expected. But the Nuggets decided to not just show up against the Clippers, but to spoil the party. Where do the Clippers go from here? Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are signed through at least 2 more years, though Leonard can opt out after next season. After trading away many draft picks to acquire George, the time for the Clippers is now. The window won’t be open for long, and there’s a reason people say you need to strike when the iron is hot. Despite the recent playoff failures and the possible uncertainty in a year or two, this past decade is still without a doubt the best years the franchise has experienced in their history.
