When the Los Angeles Clippers acquired NBA superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, this was seen as a great move for them and would surely guarantee a long future of success both in the league and in their city.
The recruitment of their newest additions was also to compete with their cross town rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, after they acquired Anthony Davis to pair with Lebron James.
All of this happened back in 2019, and since then, the Clippers have been falling short, the franchise has been shrouded in mediocrity and, all the while, the Lakers won an NBA Championship.
Season after season, the team has been coming up short. The Clippers are currently in 4th place in the Western Conference with a record of 48-28. The team has made some more additions to their roster, adding James Harden a couple games into the season and Russell Westbrook at the end of last season. The Clippers are hopeful that this “Super Team” will bring them their first NBA Championship in the franchise.
The Clippers won’t win it all this year with their legacy of choking in big games. While Leonard and Harden are terrific players, the people around them can’t get it done, as George is iffy at best and Westbrook has not been the same since he left the Thunder. The rest of the supporting cast isn’t the best either.
Another thing to factor in is the competition in the Western Conference. Teams such as the Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves and Mavericks are all tough opponents for the Clippers. It doesn’t help that this feels like the Clippers’ last chance to really make a run at a Championship.
Now after sharing a stadium and being the second act to the Lakers since 1999, the Clippers are getting a new arena for the team to play in, 14 miles away in Inglewood. This is accompanied by a new logo and jerseys revealed recently. What they need to do is get out of LA entirely.
The Clippers’ time in LA has not been the best, even before the Leonard and George era. The best thing for the Clippers to do is to get out of Los Angeles and start over in San Diego.
The move would make sense because the Clippers originated in Buffalo as the Buffalo Braves, then moved to San Diego and became the Clippers before eventually moving to Los Angeles on May 15, 1984.
Moving to a new city will leave behind some fans — very few fans, in the Clippers’ case. Franchises can have a huge impact on their community. Many sports franchises have benefited from fresh starts, such as The Los Angeles Rams (NFL), and the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA).
While moving to a new city can be tough, different events can spark intrigue and jobs throughout the city. The fundraisers and events New Mexico United throws are a perfect example.
When the Clippers decided to move to Inglewood, they had the chance to completely start over, build a stadium anywhere and bring the level of hype, impact and jobs to a city that would give them a chance. However, like their play on the court, they choked.
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Rodney Prunty is a freelance sports reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Rprunty05
