Sports Document/Class Activity

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, that competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play in the Pacific Division of the league's Western Conference. The Clippers play their home games at the Staples Center, an arena shared with the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Clippers were founded 1970 originally as the Buffalo Braves. The Braves moved to San Diego in 1978 and changed their name to the San Diego Clippers. Later, they moved back to Los Angeles in 1984. The Clippers' early days in Los Angeles were marred with many seasons of hapless performances. Despite fielding a squad of talented veterans, the organization suffered systematic injuries to many of its star players. The phenomenon was dubbed the "Clipper Triangle" by some sports writers.

However, things began to appear promising at the start of the 1989–90 season shortly after the Clippers traded the rights of the recently drafted Danny Ferry and Reggie Williams for the high scoring shooting guard Ron Harper. Midway through the 1991–92 season, the Clippers made yet another coaching change. To improve upon the previous seasons, the Clippers acquired high-scoring and rebounding power forward Elton Brand from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Tyson Chandler. Brand earned a spot on the 2002 NBA Western Conference All-Star team as an injury replacement for Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers.

 After seasons and seasons of slow improvement, the Clippers eventually made their way to the top. In 2013, the LA Clippers won their first ever division title. They didn’t disappoint their fans the following year either. In 2014, they won the Pacific Division title, yet again. The Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors 4 games to 3. In the semi-finals, the LA Clippers played Oklahoma City Thunder, and Oklahoma won 2 games over 3.