LA Clippers · Franchise era 3 of 6
The long Los Angeles struggle: the LA Clippers story
Franchise era
1984–85—2008–09
The long Los Angeles struggle
LA Clippers
The story in one sentence
The Clippers spent most of their first quarter-century in Los Angeles near the bottom, with brief respites around Manning and Brand.
01
Rare playoff sparks amid dysfunction
02
Danny Manning, Ron Harper and Elton Brand gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for lob city.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1984–85
What came before
The move to San Diego brought entertaining scorers but little health, stability or winning.
1993
Western Conference First Round: LA Clippers vs Houston Rockets
2006
Western Conference First Round: LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
2006
Western Conference Semifinals: LA Clippers vs Phoenix Suns
After 2008–09
What came next
Paul's command and Griffin's explosiveness turned the Clippers into a perennial 50-win attraction, though the conference finals stayed out of reach.
The core