Episode #17: From Lob City to Sob City, the Story of the 2012-17 Los Angeles Clippers

Once Upon A Dribble

27-06-2023 • 1 hr 1 min

At the end of the 1983-84 NBA season, the owner of the San Diego Clippers made the bold decision to move the franchise 120 miles north up the California coast to the city of Los Angeles.

While it can be argued if an attempt to share the City of Angels with the NBA’s hallmark franchise was or was not a 'slam dunk' of a business move, there were certainly no slam dunks being made on the court as over the next 26 years the Clippers would produce just four playoff berths on just three .500+ seasons, as they flopped to an overall record of just 730-1370, a winning percentage of just .347

In an era in which the Lake Show won 8 championships, the 'Clip Show' would finish dead last in the regular season standings 6 times.

Despite often finding themselves in an advantageous draft position, the Clippers often failed and failed miserably, selecting only 3 future all-stars in 26 years. However, fate finally changed for the NBA’s most hapless franchise in 2009 when they used the #1 overall pick to select the national college player of the year out of Oklahoma, Blake Griffin, followed by the acquisition of the Point God himself, Chris Paul, just two years later

Over the next six years, the eclectic duo would lead the Clippers to six straight playoff appearances, and title aspirations became a regular expectation for the newly dubbed “Lob City Clippers”... but in the end, a blue and red banner never joined the many purple and gold banners hanging from the Staples Center Rafters, as the team fell short, time and time again.

This is the story of how Lob City, turned to Sob City, squandering championship potential in dramatic fashion

This, is Once Upon a Dribble!


Intro Music: Beat Chill Trap - MMS

Outro Music: Corrupt Kind - DJ BAI

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