An NBA expansion franchise in 1970, they were a playoffs staple during their first decade, led by league MVP Bob McAdoo, but didn’t last long in upstate New York, relocating to San Diego in 1978
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- Dolph Schayes tenure as coach
- Drafting and trading Danny Ferry
- Effect of Donald Sterling’s ownership on franchise culture
- Elgin Baylor tenure as general manager
- Expansion draft picks (as Buffalo Braves, 1970)
- Lengthy playoff drought
- Name change from Braves to Clippers
- Postponing (and re-locating to Anaheim) a playoff game due to the Rodney King riots
- Re-alignment from Eastern Conference to Western Conference
- Re-location from Buffalo to San Diego
- Re-location from San Diego to Los Angeles
- Rivalry with Lakers
- Rivalry with Clippers (geographical)
- Selling by Donald Sterling to Steve Ballmer
FULL archive
Foundational pieces: 30 notable NBA expansion draft picks
Utilized to seed the roster of new franchises, expansion drafts have been staged 11 times in NBA history, starting with the Chicago Packers in 1961 and most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. These are the most notable selections in expansion draft history, from flops to revivals to impending franchise cornerstones.
The name game: 13 current NBA franchises that have changed names
Some do it because they’ve moved, some do it just to re-brand, and others have more questionable motives. These are the 13 NBA teams out of the current 30 that have, at some point, changed names.
Keep your bags packed: 15 legendary players who switched NBA teams twice or more in their prime
It’s now a regular occurrence, with players like Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Chris Paul adding their name recently to the list, but here we review 15 previous legendary players who changed franchise affiliations not just once but two or more times.
Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes
An NBA franchise changing hands in ownership is often a seamless and relatively mundane event but in these 10 cases, it was a watershed moment, either by virtue of its novelty, its sale price, and/or its impact on the future of the franchise and the league itself.
Heading on down the highway: 14 current NBA franchises that have re-located
The Warriors are returning to San Francisco after 48 years across the Bay in Oakland, but it’s not the first time this franchise his picked up and moved. We examine them and 13 other active teams that have changed cities during their time in the NBA and ABA.
Costs of being the boss: 13 Hall of Fame players who struggled as coaches
With their playing career often fueled by singular talent and ruthless competitiveness, these legendary players found those traits to be mostly a deterrent in their subsequent attempts at coaching in the NBA.
Second in the draft, first in our hearts: 21 greatest second overall picks in the NBA Draft
The best players don’t always go #1, and sometimes the overlooked guys picked #2 have the last laugh. Here is a list of the 22 second overall picks who had the best NBA careers.