SDCSan Diego Clippers

Franchise history

The San Diego Clippers began play in 1978-79 as a direct continuation of the Buffalo Braves franchise, relocated through an unusual arrangement in which Boston Celtics owner Irv Levin traded ownership positions with Buffalo's John Y. Brown, sending the Braves' roster and history to San Diego while Brown took over in Boston. The team opened respectably at 43-39 behind scorer World B. Free, but injuries soon defined the era. The 1979 acquisition of star center Bill Walton, a San Diego-area native, was meant to be the franchise's cornerstone, but chronic foot problems limited him to a handful of games across most of his Clippers seasons and the team collapsed around him.

Real estate developer Donald Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981, and the losing deepened, including a 17-65 finish in 1981-82 and repeated trips to the draft lottery. Sterling tried to move the team to Los Angeles as early as 1982 but was blocked by the NBA. In May 1984 he did it anyway, having the team's operations relocated to Los Angeles without league approval; the NBA and the city of San Diego sued, and the dispute was ultimately settled out of court, cementing the Clippers' unauthorized move as one of the most contentious relocations in league history.

Sources

• San Diego Clippers (1978-1984) — Fun While It Lasted
• Los Angeles Clippers — Wikipedia