LA Clippers · Franchise era 1 of 6
The Buffalo Braves: the LA Clippers story
Franchise era
1970–71—1977–78
The Buffalo Braves
LA Clippers
The story in one sentence
McAdoo won three scoring titles and an MVP as Buffalo reached three straight playoffs, but ownership instability undermined the momentum.
01
McAdoo gives an expansion team an MVP
02
Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith and Ernie DiGregorio gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for san diego clippers.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
From Buffalo and San Diego through decades of dysfunction in Los Angeles, the Clippers finally built enduring relevance with Lob City and the star-driven teams that followed.
1974
Western Conference First Round: Buffalo Braves vs Boston Celtics
1975
Western Conference First Round: Buffalo Braves vs Washington Bullets
1976
Western Conference Semifinals: Buffalo Braves vs Boston Celtics
After 1977–78
What came next
The move to San Diego brought entertaining scorers but little health, stability or winning.
The core