The Los Angeles Clippers were founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves and later in 1978 they were called the San Diego Clippers. The Clippers are the NBA team with the second longest tenure without a championship since their inception. In their 52-season long history, the Clippers have amassed a record of 1761 wins and 2459 losses. Their best campaign ever was in 2020-21, where they recorded 57 wins and 25 losses. They lost in the conference finals that season. There have been many players in franchise history who performed greatly for them.
10) Ron Harper
Ron was the eighth overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After playing four seasons with the Cavaliers, Harper joined the Clippers in 1989 and played five seasons for them. During that time, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Despite his good contribution, the team achieved a negative record of 158–198 when Ron was on the roster.
9) Danny Manning
Danny Manning was the first overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft by the LA Clippers. He was one of the most consistent players in franchise history. A total of 7,120 points, 2399 rebounds, 548 steals and 406 blocks in 373 games reflects his good performance for the team. In five and a half seasons with the team, he also appeared in two All-Star games. With his support and contribution, the team achieved a record of 180-271.
8) Paul George
Paul George was the tenth overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in 2010. He spent seven seasons with the team and then joined the Oklahoma City Thunder. After playing two seasons for OKC, George joined the LA Clippers and is currently playing his fifth season with them. He has already become one of the most incredible players in franchise history. He averages 23.0 points. 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. “PG13” has a player efficiency rating of 20.2 and a box plus/minus of 4.3.
7) Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard began his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. He won his first NBA championship with them in the 2013–14 season and was the Finals MVP. After this, “The Klaw” won another championship ring with the Toronto Raptors and was the Finals MVP once again. Kawhi joined the Clippers in the 2019–20 season and has had impressive numbers in the first three seasons with them. In the short time he has played so far, he has made his presence felt, averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He has a player efficiency rating of 26.1 with a Box Plus/Minus of 7.9.
6) Randy Smith
Randy Smith began his career with the Buffalo Braves, playing seven seasons with them and then two with the San Diego Clippers. He is the all-time franchise leader in points scored and steals. Smith is also second in assists and ninth in rebounds. After spending several years with the Clipper franchise, Randy joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for two seasons. In 1981, he joined the New York Knicks and then came back to San Diego before ending his career with the Atlanta Hawks.
5) Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin was the first overall pick in 2010 by the LA Clippers. He was the Rookie of the Year in the 2010-11 season and had a best of eight of his first 15 seasons in the NBA with the Clippers. Griffin formed a great duo with Chris Paul and managed to give another face to the feeble Clippers. He is second in franchise history in points and assists. Griffin has a total of 4,686 total rebounds and 2,133 assists for the franchise, which shows how effective he was in his time with the team.
4) DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan is one of the most consistent players in Los Angeles Clippers history. He spent an entire decade with the franchise and played 750 games for them, averaging 10.7 rebounds, 9.4 points and 1.7 blocks, along with 76.3 win shares. He had a value over replacement player of 17.2 and ranks fourth in franchise history. Jordan is the player with the most rebounds and blocks in Clippers history.
3) Elton Brand
Elton Brand was the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, selected by the Chicago Bulls. After two successful seasons with the Bulls, Brand joined the Clippers in 2001 and played seven seasons with the franchise, recording a 23.4 player efficiency rating, 27.9 value over replacement player. His averages during the time were 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 blocks. He was arguably one of the most amazing players in franchise history.
2) Bob McAdoo
Bob McAdoo was the second overall pick by the Buffalo Braves in the 1972 NBA Draft. He also earned Rookie of the Year honors in the 1972–73 season, complementing that award with the MVP of the 1974–1975 campaign. He averaged 28.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, with a player efficiency rating of 22.8.
1) Chris Paul
Chris Paul is arguably the best player in the history of the Los Angeles Clippers. After spending the first six seasons of his NBA career with the New Orleans Pelicans, Paul joined the Clippers and played six seasons with them. During that time, he averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, VORP, box plus/minus, player efficiency rating and win shares. He was also the MVP of the 2012–13 season and led the team to a 313–163 record.
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