240-925: The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The team plays its home games at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California , as of the 2024–25 NBA season . Previously, the Clippers played their home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from 1999 to 2024, which they had shared with NBA's Los Angeles Lakers ,
480-461: A 42–40 record including four straight victories to end the season but just missed the playoffs. Highlights of the season included Chris Webber leading the team in scoring (21.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). Strickland led the league in assists (10.5 apg) before suffering an injury near the end of the season. He was also named on the All-NBA Second Team. Tracy Murray averaged 15.1 ppg off
720-401: A backboard at each end of the court), while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. A field goal is worth two points, unless made from behind the three-point line , when it is worth three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one, two or three one-point free throws . The team with the most points at
960-543: A 25–57 record in the 1991–92 season. Pervis Ellison was named 1992 Most Improved Player of The Year , averaging 20.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. Undrafted rookie Larry Stewart became the first undrafted player in NBA history to make an All-Rookie Team, being selected to the All-Rookie Second Team. The Bullets drafted Tom Gugliotta with their sixth overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft . They finished
1200-489: A 31–51 record. The team also lead the NBA in bench-scoring, with 37 points per game. To improve upon the previous season, the Clippers acquired high-scoring and rebounding power forward Elton Brand from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Tyson Chandler . Brand earned a spot on the 2002 NBA Western Conference All-Star team as an injury replacement for Shaquille O'Neal . The Clippers contended for most of
1440-461: A Clipper was effectively finished, as he left as a free agent after that season, and signed with the Detroit Pistons ; at the time of his departure, he was the franchise's all-time rebounds leader with 4,471 (a number that was later surpassed by Elton Brand , with 4,710). The Clippers won the first overall pick in the 1998 Draft Lottery and selected center Michael Olowokandi from University of
1680-404: A backboard that measures 6 by 3.5 feet (1.8 by 1.1 meters) and one basket is at each end of the court. The white outlined box on the backboard is 18 inches (46 cm) high and 2 feet (61 cm) wide. At almost all levels of competition, the top of the rim is exactly 10 feet (3.05 meters) above the court and 4 feet (1.22 meters) inside the baseline. While variation is possible in the dimensions of
1920-495: A basket mounted on a wall. Naismith wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto an elevated track. Naismith initially set up the peach basket with its bottom intact, which meant that the ball had to be retrieved manually after each "basket" or point scored. This quickly proved tedious, so Naismith removed the bottom of the basket to allow the balls to be poked out with a long dowel after each scored basket. Shortly after, Senda Berenson , instructor of physical culture at
2160-496: A children's game called duck on a rock , as many had failed before it. Frank Mahan, one of the players from the original first game, approached Naismith after the Christmas break, in early 1892, asking him what he intended to call his new game. Naismith replied that he had not thought of it because he had been focused on just getting the game started. Mahan suggested that it be called "Naismith ball", at which he laughed, saying that
2400-462: A collection of young players (including Lamond Murray , Eric Piatkowski , and Lorenzen Wright ), and journeyman veterans (among them Pooh Richardson , Tony Massenburg , Rodney Rogers , Darrick Martin , and Brian Williams ), the Fitch-coached teams during this particular era struggled mightily, although they did make the playoffs once during this time. The 1996–97 team made the playoffs with
2640-592: A dominating home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 16, 2012. It was their third win in four regular-season games against the Thunder. Chris Paul's push for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award was at its peak, and the 2011–12 season was the first time the Clippers were in the playoffs since 2005–06 season . In their first playoff game, the Clippers rallied from a 27-point deficit against
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#17328454066362880-405: A dribble, the player cannot carry the ball by placing their hand on the bottom of the ball; doing so is known as carrying the ball . A team, once having established ball control in the front half of their court, may not return the ball to the backcourt and be the first to touch it. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession. The ball may not be kicked, nor be struck with the fist. For
3120-449: A four-year, $ 24 million deal. That was to counter the defection of Vladimir Radmanović to the Lakers in a similar deal. Radmanovic's contract lasted another year, but both players would make the same amount of money annually, which would be $ 6 million. Cassell (widely credited as the biggest reason for the Clippers' recent success) re-signed on a two-year, $ 13 million deal, while
3360-563: A game, third in the NBA and best in the East and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season for the first time since 1987. Their first-round match-up with Cleveland was widely seen as the most evenly matched series in the 2006 NBA playoffs . The teams exchanged wins during the first two games in Cleveland, with game two highlighted by the Wizards holding LeBron James to 7–25 shooting from
3600-459: A half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules and 10 minutes in United States high schools. Overtime periods are five minutes in length except for high school, which is four minutes in length. Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than
3840-516: A high enough draft pick to select Ralph Sampson . On another, he was fined for flying his players to away games in coach seats on commercial airliners, a violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement . Hotels refused to house the Clippers because of alleged non-payment for previous accommodations on multiple occasions. A bus company in Newark once stranded the team at the airport after Sterling failed to pay for previous trips, which nearly caused
4080-648: A holiday video, "You da Man, You da Man, that's the reason I'm a Bullets Fan!" in 1994, which featured all 12 Bullets dancing in front of the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. In the Bullets' 1995–96 season Webber suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on October 21, and opened the season on the injured list. He was activated on November 27, but strained his shoulder against
4320-519: A longshot to win the NBA Finals , but San Antonio journalist Dan Cook coined the famed phrase " It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings ". This became the rallying cry for the Bullets as they finished a playoff run that led to the NBA Finals , defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in seven games to bring a professional sports championship to Washington, D.C. for the first time in 36 years. It remains
4560-535: A losing record (36–46) and were swept in the first round by the eventual Western Conference champions, the Utah Jazz , three games to none. Four members of the 1996–97 squad are now deceased. Malik Sealy died in a car accident in 2000, Kevin Duckworth died of heart disease in 2008, Lorenzen Wright went missing and was murdered in 2010, and Dwayne Schintzius died from cancer complications in 2012. Two other players from
4800-550: A modernized version of the "three sails" logo. In 1984, despite the pending lawsuits between franchise ownership and the NBA following the move, the Clippers began play at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena . The Clippers finished their first season in Los Angeles 31–51 under head coach Jim Lynam . The Clippers' early days in Los Angeles were marred with many seasons of hapless performances. Despite fielding
5040-416: A month, but on March 10 he was fired as General Manager, being replaced by Neil Olshey . Dunleavy received the news of his dismissal from the internet, as well as friends and reporters calling his cell phone. The Los Angeles Times reported that Dunleavy had filed for arbitration and that the Clippers had cut off his salary, even though his guaranteed contract did not end until after the 2010–11 season. Although
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#17328454066365280-504: A name like that would kill any game. Mahan then said, "Why not call it basketball?" Naismith replied, "We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to me that would be a good name for it." The first official game was played in the YMCA gymnasium in Albany , New York, on January 20, 1892, with nine players. The game ended at 1–0; the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6 m), on a court just half the size of
5520-510: A new 18,700-seat arena in the parking lot next to the Sports Arena that would have cost up to $ 94 million, that would have included 1,100 club seats, 84 luxury suites, and an on-site practice facility for the Clippers. However, those plans were scuttled once planning for Staples Center (two miles directly up the street from the Sports Arena) were taking place, and the Clippers decided to become
5760-423: A one-year deal early in the season. Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court , compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately 9.4 inches (24 cm) in diameter) through the defender's hoop (a basket 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter mounted 10 feet (3.048 m) high to
6000-536: A planned ESPN regional network for Southern California. However, as the planned ESPN West network never came to reality, all three teams had continued to maintain broadcast partnerships with Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket . This remained a sticking point in any deal to relocate to Anaheim, eventually leaving the team to remain in Los Angeles. On the court, the Clippers continued to make frequent roster changes throughout this particular period, which only resulted in one playoff appearance under Fitch. Along with Loy Vaught,
6240-556: A practice facility. In another related Times article, Odgen and Sterling were in talks to have the management company take care of the Clippers' day-to-day operations for a $ 4 million a year fee. Also at the time, the Walt Disney Company , owners of the Ducks and Anaheim Angels baseball team during that period, were pursuing at least a partial ownership of the Clippers, with the key element being that its game telecasts would be part of
6480-441: A present-day Streetball or National Basketball Association (NBA) court. At the time, soccer was being played with 10 to a team (which was increased to 11). When winter weather got too icy to play soccer, teams were taken indoors, and it was convenient to have them split in half and play basketball with five on each side. By 1897–98, teams of five became standard. Basketball's early adherents were dispatched to YMCAs throughout
6720-575: A public icon. He finished second overall in NBA scoring average, with 28.9 per game ( George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs had a 29.6 average). Shue, meanwhile, tried to create a team spirit by creating a common social life. By the All-Star game the Clippers had improved, winning half of their 54 games, good enough for sixth in the Western Conference. Aiming for one of the six play-off spots for
6960-483: A re-energized Baron Davis, and the debut of Griffin, the Clippers had high hopes for the season. However, they started slowly, losing ten of the first 11 games, with Davis and Kaman out with injuries. However, the Clippers showed strength when three of their first four wins came from the top teams in the Western Conference . Griffin got off to a strong start, drawing increased media attention in Clippers games and boosting ratings of local broadcasts of Clippers games. Griffin
7200-696: A season, and an annual preseason game) at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim , sharing the venue with the NHL's Ducks and the Splash indoor soccer team. Clippers games regularly drew a much-higher average attendance per game at the Pond than when the team played its home games at their regular venue, the Los Angeles Sports Arena. For instance, between 1994 and 1997, the Clippers drew an average of nearly 16,000 fans per game at
7440-501: A series of venues, including Catholic University , Georgetown and George Mason . The National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools was held from 1929 to 1942 at Hampton Institute . The National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held from 1941 to 1967 starting out at Tuskegee Institute . Following a pause during World War II it resumed at Tennessee State College in Nashville. The basis for
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7680-605: A sign and trade transaction) and Lionel Chalmers to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Sam Cassell and a lottery-protected first round pick in the 2006 NBA draft . The 2005–06 season was a turning point for the team's image; marked by several wins over top teams, Brand's performances were greatly praised, and he was chosen for the All-Star Game . Many sports writers noted the team's improvement, especially after acquiring sharpshooter Vladimir Radmanović from
7920-472: A squad of talented veterans, the organization suffered systematic injuries to many of its star players. The phenomenon was dubbed the "Clipper Triangle" by some sportswriters, a reference to the Bermuda Triangle urban legend. Derek Smith suffered a knee injury during the 1985–86 season , followed by Norm Nixon (knee) and Marques Johnson (spinal cord) the following season . The team's 12–70 finish in
8160-423: A standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey with a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and back. Players wear high-top sneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names, players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms. A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in
8400-506: A team executive, the team stumbled to a 25–57 record in the 2003–04 season . In the off-season, the team traded Stackhouse, Christian Laettner , and the draft rights to Devin Harris to the Dallas Mavericks for Antawn Jamison . During the regular season, the scoring trio of Arenas, Jamison and Hughes was the highest in the NBA and earned the nickname of "The Big Three". Hughes led
8640-490: A teammate's field goal attempt. Goaltending is a defender's touching of a ball that is on a downward flight toward the basket, while the related violation of basket interference is the touching of a ball that is on the rim or above the basket, or by a player reaching through the basket from below. Goaltending and basket interference committed by a defender result in awarding the basket to the offense, while basket interference committed by an offensive player results in cancelling
8880-535: A tenant at Staples. In 1999, the Clippers joined the Lakers and Los Angeles Kings in the new Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles . Also, because of the terms of its leasing agreement with Staples Center, the Kings and Lakers had scheduling priority over the Clippers, with the Clippers taking whatever dates that were available, including scheduling same-day Clipper-Laker and Clipper-King doubleheaders. However, in
9120-442: A third and final time after the season. After the season, majority owner Pollin fired Jordan as team president, much to the shock of players, associates, and the public. Jordan felt betrayed, thinking that he would get his ownership back after his playing days ended, but Pollin justified Jordan's dismissal by noting that Jordan had detrimental effects on the team, such as benching Hughes for Tyronn Lue , making poor trades, and using
9360-626: A three-game series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers , the Bullets took a 2–1 series lead in the second round against the Houston Rockets . With a chance to take a 3–1 series lead at home, the Bullets lost 107–103, and the Rockets took the series in six games. Although they had future hall of famers Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld on the team, the Bullets finished the 1977–78 season 44–38 and were
9600-591: A total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each team's scoring, timekeeping, individual and team fouls , player substitutions, team possession arrow , and the shot clock . The only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment such as clocks, score sheets, scoreboards, alternating possession arrows, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems. A regulation basketball court in international games
9840-557: A touring Canadian women's team based in Edmonton , Alberta, operated between 1915 and 1940. The Grads toured all over North America, and were exceptionally successful. They posted a record of 522 wins and only 20 losses over that span, as they met any team that wanted to challenge them, funding their tours from gate receipts. The Grads also shone on several exhibition trips to Europe, and won four consecutive exhibition Olympics tournaments, in 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936; however, women's basketball
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10080-419: A winning record, but in a highly competitive Atlantic Division they finished last and missed the playoffs. The next two years saw the Bullets continue to play mediocre basketball as they finished with losing records but they made the playoffs in the new expanded NBA Playoffs format that involved the 16 best teams to make the playoffs; the Bullets were eliminated in both years in the first round. In 1985 ,
10320-621: A winter season (April–September) and did so until the completion of the 20th season in 1998 . The 1998–99 season, which commenced only months later, was the first season after the shift to the current summer season format (October–April). This shift was an attempt to avoid competing directly against Australia's various football codes . It features 8 teams from around Australia and one in New Zealand. A few players including Luc Longley , Andrew Gaze , Shane Heal , Chris Anstey and Andrew Bogut made it big internationally, becoming poster figures for
10560-489: Is 28 meters (92 feet) long and 15 meters (49 feet) wide. In the NBA and NCAA the court is 94 by 50 feet (29 by 15 meters). Most courts have wood flooring , usually constructed from maple planks running in the same direction as the longer court dimension. The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or around the center circle. The basket is a steel rim 18 inches (46 cm) diameter with an attached net affixed to
10800-404: Is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, or three points if it is taken from beyond the three-point arc 6.75 meters (22 ft 2 in) from the basket in international games and 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) in NBA games. A one-point shot can be earned when shooting from the foul line after a foul is made. After a team has scored from a field goal or free throw, play
11040-561: Is currently no tournament to determine a national high school champion. The most serious effort was the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament at the University of Chicago from 1917 to 1930. The event was organized by Amos Alonzo Stagg and sent invitations to state champion teams. The tournament started out as a mostly Midwest affair but grew. In 1929 it had 29 state champions. Faced with opposition from
11280-430: Is out of bounds if it touches a boundary line, or touches any player or object that is out of bounds. There are limits placed on the steps a player may take without dribbling, which commonly results in an infraction known as traveling . Nor may a player stop their dribble and then resume dribbling. A dribble that touches both hands is considered stopping the dribble, giving this infraction the name double dribble . Within
11520-453: Is resumed with a throw-in awarded to the non-scoring team taken from a point beyond the endline of the court where the points were scored. Games are played in four quarters of 10 ( FIBA ) or 12 minutes (NBA). College men's games use two 20-minute halves, college women's games use 10-minute quarters, and most United States high school varsity games use 8-minute quarters; however, this varies from state to state. 15 minutes are allowed for
11760-576: Is the WNBA ( NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship is also popular), whereas the strongest European clubs participate in the EuroLeague Women . A game similar to basketball is mentioned in a 1591 book published in Frankfurt am Main that reports on the lifestyles and customs of coastal North American residents, Wahrhafftige Abconterfaytung der Wilden (German; translates as Truthful Depictions of
12000-452: Is the shortest player in NBA history. The Bullets would get off to a slow start as coach Kevin Loughery was fired 27 games into the season with the Bullets holding an 8–19 record. To replace Loughery, the Bullets hired former MVP Wes Unseld. Under Unseld, the Bullets improved as they were able to reach the playoffs again with a record of 38–44. After losing the first two games on the road in
12240-593: Is usually the center , the second-tallest and strongest is the power forward , a slightly shorter but more agile player is the small forward , and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the shooting guard and the point guard , who implement the coach's game plan by managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays (player positioning). Informally, players may play three-on-three, two-on-two, and one-on-one. Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts , in
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#173284540663612480-401: The 1967 draft , number two overall, and Wes Unseld , in the following year's draft , also number two overall. The team improved dramatically, from 36 wins the previous season to 57 in the 1968–69 season , and Unseld received both the rookie of the year and MVP awards. The Bullets hosted the 1969 NBA All-Star Game and reached the playoffs with high expectations, but they were eliminated by
12720-401: The 1988 selections of Danny Manning and Charles Smith (Smith was acquired from Philadelphia in exchange for the draft rights to Hersey Hawkins ), and the 1990 draft of Loy Vaught , formed a nucleus that would make the franchise a playoff contender. Midway through the 1991–92 season , the Clippers made yet another coaching change. Larry Brown , recently fired by the San Antonio Spurs ,
12960-401: The 1988–89 campaign . The Clippers traded the rights to the recently drafted Danny Ferry and Reggie Williams for high-scoring shooting guard Ron Harper at the start of the 1989–90 season . Los Angeles had a 19–19 record nearly halfway into the season, prompting some to seriously consider the team as a possible playoff contender. That move, along with the 1987 NBA draft of Ken Norman ,
13200-469: The 2004 Athens Olympics , the United States suffered its first Olympic loss while using professional players, falling to Puerto Rico (in a 19-point loss) and Lithuania in group games, and being eliminated in the semifinals by Argentina . It eventually won the bronze medal defeating Lithuania, finishing behind Argentina and Italy . The Redeem Team , won gold at the 2008 Olympics , and the B-Team, won gold at
13440-509: The 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey despite featuring no players from the 2008 squad. The United States continued its dominance as they won gold at the 2012 Olympics , 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics . Worldwide, basketball tournaments are held for boys and girls of all age levels. The global popularity of the sport is reflected in the nationalities represented in the NBA. Players from all six inhabited continents currently play in
13680-506: The All American Red Heads Team , which competed against men's teams, using men's rules. By 1938, the women's national championship changed from a three-court game to two-court game with six players per team . The NBA-backed Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) began in 1997. Though it had shaky attendance figures, several marquee players ( Lisa Leslie , Diana Taurasi , and Candace Parker among others) have helped
13920-632: The Baltimore Bullets , taking their name from a 1940s–1950s Baltimore Bullets BAA/NBA franchise and playing their home games at the Baltimore Civic Center . The NBA returned to Chicago in 1966 when the Chicago Bulls began play. In their first year in Baltimore, the Bullets finished fourth in a five–team Western Division. Prior to the 1964–65 season the Bullets pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Dischinger, Rod Thorn and Don Kojis to
14160-593: The Buffalo Memorial Auditorium , along with another Buffalo team that would begin play that year, the National Hockey League 's Buffalo Sabres . After two bad seasons, the Braves' fortunes started to change under coach Jack Ramsay and star center Bob McAdoo . McAdoo led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons and was named the league's MVP in the 1974–75 season . The Braves qualified for
14400-727: The Chicago Packers in Chicago , Illinois ; they were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs in the following season. In 1963, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking the name from a previous team of the same name . In 1973, the team moved to the Washington metropolitan area and changed its name first to the Capital Bullets , then the following season to Washington Bullets . In 1997, they rebranded themselves as
14640-601: The Cleveland Cavaliers for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon . The pick eventually became the number one overall pick, which the Cavaliers used to select Kyrie Irving . In December 2011, the Clippers signed Caron Butler to a $ 24 million deal and claimed veteran point guard Chauncey Billups three days later. On December 14, they traded Eric Gordon , Chris Kaman , Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota's 2012 first-round pick acquired in 2005 for New Orleans Hornets ' four-time all-star Chris Paul . Paul had previously almost been traded to
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#173284540663614880-582: The Dallas Mavericks . In return, Washington received Hubert Davis , Courtney Alexander , Christian Laettner , Loy Vaught and Etan Thomas along with $ 3 million. After retiring from the Chicago Bulls in early 1999, Michael Jordan became the Washington Wizards' vice president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner in January 2000. In September 2001, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play for Washington. Jordan stated that he
15120-466: The Detroit Pistons for Bailey Howell , Don Ohl , Bob Ferry and Wali Jones . The trade worked out well; Howell proved to be a hustler and a fundamentally sound player. He helped the Bullets reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the 1965 NBA playoffs , the Bullets stunned the St. Louis Hawks 3–1, and advanced to the Western Conference finals. In the finals, Baltimore managed to split
15360-637: The Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Capital One Arena , in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. an arena they share with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Georgetown University men's basketball team . The team is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment . The franchise was established in 1961 as
15600-705: The EuroLeague and the Basketball Champions League Americas . The FIBA Basketball World Cup and Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament are the major international events of the sport and attract top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams, like EuroBasket and FIBA AmeriCup . The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament feature top national teams from continental championships. The main North American league
15840-595: The Grizzlies to win 99–98 in one of the biggest rallies in playoff history. They led the series 3–1, then lost two straight, before coming back to win Game 7 in Memphis 82–72, becoming the sixth NBA road team to win Game 7 after leading series 3–1, and prevail to the second round. The Clippers relied on their bench during that game, and they came through, scoring all but two of their points in
16080-486: The Houston Rockets the following season. In 1981–82 , Washington played strong under the coaching of Gene Shue and Don Moran , finishing the regular season with a 43–39 record, and although they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals in the playoffs, they had clearly lost the power of the late 1970s. The 1983 Bullets continued to play with the same talent they had in the previous year. They finished with
16320-518: The Los Angeles Lakers , but NBA commissioner David Stern had vetoed the trade (the NBA was owner of the Hornets at the time). Paul and Griffin were selected as starters for the Western Conference team in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game , the first time in franchise history the team had two All-Star starters in the same year. The team gained the nickname "Lob City" due to a comment made by Griffin during
16560-447: The Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise was founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 as an expansion team . Led by Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo , the Braves reached the NBA playoffs three times during their eight seasons in Buffalo . Conflicts with the Canisius Golden Griffins over Buffalo Memorial Auditorium and
16800-400: The NBA Finals . The Bullets were favorites to win the NBA championship, but were swept by the Al Attles-led Golden State Warriors in four games, losing games one and four at the Capital Centre. The loss at the NBA Finals lingered into the 1975–76 season , as they won 12 fewer games than last year, and in the playoffs they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. After
17040-612: The National Federation of State High School Associations and North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that bore a threat of the schools losing their accreditation the last tournament was in 1930. The organizations said they were concerned that the tournament was being used to recruit professional players from the prep ranks. The tournament did not invite minority schools or private/parochial schools. The National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament ran from 1924 to 1941 at Loyola University . The National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament from 1954 to 1978 played at
17280-794: The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in New York, was organized in 1938; the NCAA national tournament began one year later. College basketball was rocked by gambling scandals from 1948 to 1951 , when dozens of players from top teams were implicated in game-fixing and point shaving . Partially spurred by an association with cheating, the NIT lost support to the NCAA tournament. Before widespread school district consolidation, most American high schools were far smaller than their present-day counterparts. During
17520-499: The New Orleans Hornets , following a dunk. Initially, the Clippers' stated that he only had a sore left knee, which would make him questionable for the season opener the following night, before they revealed the break. The injury sidelined Griffin for the entire season. On February 4, 2010, head coach Mike Dunleavy resigned, and Kim Hughes was named interim coach. Dunleavy retained his front-office title and duties for just over
17760-689: The New York Knicks in the first round. The next season the two teams met again in the first round, and although this one went to seven games, the Knicks emerged victorious again. In the 1970–71 season , the 42–40 Bullets again met the Knicks , this time though in the Eastern Conference finals. With the Knicks team captain Willis Reed injured in the finals, the injury-free Bullets took advantage of his absence, and in game seven, at New York's Madison Square Garden ,
18000-509: The New York Knicks on December 29. After hoping the injury would get better with rest, Webber finally underwent surgery on Feb 1 which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The Bullets were 9–6 with Webber in the lineup as he averaged a team-high 23.7 points plus 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.80 steals in 37.2 minutes per game when he was able to play. Other players injured included Mark Price (who only played in seven games) and Robert Pack (31 games played out of 82). Bright spots of
18240-741: The Original Celtics and two all-African American teams, the New York Renaissance Five ("Rens") and the (still existing) Harlem Globetrotters played up to two hundred games a year on their national tours. In 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed. The first game was played in Toronto , Ontario, Canada between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers on November 1, 1946. Three seasons later, in 1949,
18480-613: The Rookie of the Year award. The Wizards began playing as the Chicago Packers in 1961, as the NBA's first expansion team , an expansion prompted by Abe Saperstein 's American Basketball League . Rookie Walt Bellamy was the team's star, averaging 31.6 points per game, 19.0 rebounds per game, and leading the NBA in field goal percentage. During the All-Star Game, Bellamy represented the team while scoring 23 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Bellamy
18720-593: The San Diego Conquistadors , though that team folded partway through its fourth season after they had been renamed the Sails. San Diego team officials did not think "Braves" was a proper representative nickname for the club in San Diego, and a local naming contest ultimately decided on "Clippers", in reference to the city being known for the great sailing ships that passed through San Diego Bay . The first head coach of
18960-414: The Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for big-man Chris Wilcox . While the team had a few stretches of poor play, they were able to maintain a solid record, including posting several winning streaks. They achieved their first winning record in 14 seasons, and clinched their first playoff spot since 1997. They also finished with a better record than the Lakers for the second straight year. By finishing sixth in
19200-556: The Soviet Union , Brazil and Australia rivaling the American squads. In 1989, FIBA allowed professional NBA players to participate in the Olympics for the first time. Prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics , only European and South American teams were allowed to field professionals in the Olympics. The United States' dominance continued with the introduction of the original Dream Team . In
19440-400: The University of Chicago , Columbia University , Cornell University , Dartmouth College , the University of Minnesota , the U.S. Naval Academy , the University of Colorado and Yale University began sponsoring men's games. In 1905, frequent injuries on the football field prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to suggest that colleges form a governing body, resulting in the creation of
19680-474: The University of Chicago , while Adolph Rupp , a student of Naismith's at Kansas, enjoyed great success as coach at the University of Kentucky . On February 9, 1895, the first intercollegiate 5-on-5 game was played at Hamline University between Hamline and the School of Agriculture, which was affiliated with the University of Minnesota . The School of Agriculture won in a 9–3 game. In 1901, colleges, including
19920-663: The Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets , respectively. The team then sent Reggie Evans to the Brooklyn Nets for the right to swap second-round draft picks with the Nets in the 2016 NBA draft . On the same day, the Clippers signed free agent Jamal Crawford , formerly of the Portland Trail Blazers , and re-signed Billups to a one-year deal. The franchise then rounded out its roster for the upcoming season with Grant Hill , Ryan Hollins , and Ronny Turiaf , while signing Matt Barnes to
20160-510: The Western Conference , with a record of 47–35 (their highest finish since the team left Buffalo ), they benefited from the current NBA playoff format of regular-season records taking precedence over winning the division, and secured home court advantage over the Denver Nuggets . On April 22, 2006, the Clippers won their first NBA playoff game in 13 years. Two days later, they won their second playoff game, going 2–0 against an opponent for
20400-538: The Wizards . The Wizards have played in four NBA Finals ; they won in 1978 . They have appeared in 28 playoffs, won four conference titles (1971, 1975, 1978, 1979), and won eight division titles (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 2017). Their best season record, in 1975, was 60–22. Wes Unseld is the only player in franchise history to be named NBA MVP (1969) and Finals MVP (1978). Four players ( Walt Bellamy , Terry Dischinger , Earl Monroe , and Unseld) have won
20640-539: The "long-overdue" feeling was that game three was the first NBA playoff game to be held within Washington, D.C. city limits. In the Wizards' game five victory in Chicago, Arenas hit a buzzer-beater to win the game and the Wizards took their first lead in a playoff series since 1986. In game six, at the MCI Center, Jared Jeffries picked up a loose ball and went in for an uncontested tie-breaking dunk with 32 seconds left, giving
20880-566: The 1987 season was the second-worst single-season record in NBA history at the time (and is now the third-worst winning percentage in NBA history, behind the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers and the 2012 Charlotte Bobcats ). That same season also saw Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor join the team as the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. Nixon suffered an ailing Achilles tendon in 1987–88 season , while number one draft pick rookie Danny Manning injured his anterior cruciate ligament during
21120-491: The 1992–93 season with a 22–60 record. Following the season, the Bullets traded Harvey Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers for former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth . In 1993, the Bullets did a rap music video of their version of Naughty by Nature 's rap single " Hip Hop Hooray ", featuring the rap trio themselves. Injuries continued as key players Rex Chapman and Calbert Cheaney (the club's first-round draft pick) missed significant stretches, and Ellison missed almost
21360-651: The 1995–96 season. Washington forward Juwan Howard sat on the committee that decided on the logo design. That same year the Wizards moved to the then MCI Center ( Capital One Arena ), also home to the Capitals and the Georgetown Hoyas men's college basketball team . In 1998, they became the brother team to the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association , and remained officially thus until 2005 when
21600-540: The 1996–97 season, but according to a Los Angeles Times article published in June 1996, owner Donald Sterling turned down a deal that would have paid the team $ 95 million over 12 years. Odgen Corporation, who at the time managed the Pond, and the city of Anaheim offered the Clippers a multi-tiered deal that would have included upwards of $ 33 million paid to the team over the first six years of their Pond agreement, plus other monies allocated towards new locker rooms, team offices, and
21840-428: The 2010s, which saw them transform into consistent postseason contenders. Aided by the "Lob City" lineup of Blake Griffin , DeAndre Jordan , and Chris Paul , the team qualified for the playoffs in six consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2017 and won two consecutive division titles in 2013 and 2014, both firsts for the franchise. Despite this success, the Clippers struggled in the postseason and were frequently eliminated in
22080-602: The 2016–17 season, 980,673 boys and girls represented their schools in interscholastic basketball competition, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations . The states of Illinois , Indiana and Kentucky are particularly well known for their residents' devotion to high school basketball, commonly called Hoosier Hysteria in Indiana; the critically acclaimed film Hoosiers shows high school basketball's depth of meaning to these communities. There
22320-578: The BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). By the 1950s, basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball. In 1959, a basketball hall of fame was founded in Springfield , Massachusetts, site of the first game. Its rosters include the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to
22560-522: The Braves to San Diego , something the league would have never allowed him to do with the Celtics. Asked about the move, Levin nominated a shorter commute for himself as a key reason. In 1978, San Diego welcomed the Braves franchise to the city. The city's previous NBA franchise, the San Diego Rockets , had relocated to Houston seven years earlier in 1971. In between, the city hosted an ABA franchise,
22800-556: The Bullets acquired Manute Bol in the 1985 NBA draft , whose specialty was blocking shots. That year, he blocked 397 shots (a Bullets record), part of a team that blocked 716 shots (a Bullets team record). However, the Bullets finished with a disappointing 39–43 record, and were eliminated by the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bullets acquired center Moses Malone from the Philadelphia 76ers for center Jeff Ruland
23040-615: The Bullets defeating the SuperSonics . The 60–22 Bullets made it back to the 1975 NBA playoffs . In the regular season , Washington posted a 36–5 home record at the Capital Centre. In the first round of the playoffs, they survived a seven-game series against the Buffalo Braves as both teams won all of their games at home. In the Eastern Conference finals, they beat the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in six games to advance to
23280-540: The Bullets officially became the Wizards. The new name generated some controversy because " wizard " is a rank in the Ku Klux Klan , and Washington has a large African American population. A new logo was unveiled and the team colors were changed from the traditional red, white and blue to a lighter shade of blue, black and bronze, the same colors as the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL), also owned by Pollin and changed from red, white and blue before
23520-408: The Bullets when they won their only NBA championship in 1978, was called upon to resurrect his former team. The Bullets responded, winning 16 of their final 21 games to finish 44–38 , their best record since 1978–79. The late surge enabled the Bullets to climb within reach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In a win-or-go-home game with the Cavaliers on
23760-453: The Bullets' Gus Johnson made a critical basket late in the game to lift the Bullets over the Knicks 93–91 and advance to their first NBA Finals . They were swept in four games by the powerful Milwaukee Bucks led by future Hall of Fame members Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known in 1971 as Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson . Even after the trades of Earl Monroe (to the Knicks) and Gus Johnson (to
24000-411: The Bullets. In the 1979–80 season , they barely made the playoffs as they captured the sixth and final playoff spot via a tiebreaker despite posting a 39–43 record. In the playoffs, they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in a two-game playoff series. The following year the Bullets failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Wes Unseld retired and Elvin Hayes was traded back to
24240-669: The Central Division title for the third straight year. The Bullets again faced the Knicks in the 1973 NBA playoffs , losing for the fourth time in five series against New York. In February 1973, the team announced its pending move 30 miles (50 km) southwest to the Capital Centre in Landover , a Washington, D.C. suburb, and became the Capital Bullets. After that 1973–74 season , they changed their geographic identifier name to
24480-615: The Clippers Media Day when the announcement of Chris Paul's trade reached the team. Griffin, after being told the news by Jordan, declared, "Yeah! It's going to be lob city!" In February 2012, the Clippers signed Kenyon Martin . An 11-year NBA veteran and former NBA All-Star (2004), Martin joined the Clippers after signing with the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association
24720-622: The Clippers begin to struggle, despite adding center Bill Walton , a San Diego native who was two years removed from winning an NBA Championship and the NBA Most Valuable Player Award with the Portland Trail Blazers . Walton missed 68 games in his first season in San Diego due to foot injuries (which he also suffered in his final years in Portland). San Diego finished 35–47, as Walton and other key players missed significant time due to injuries. Free again finished second in league scoring, with 30.2 points per game. Paul Silas replaced Shue as head coach
24960-558: The Clippers evened the series. In Game 5, Raja Bell made a key 3-pointer for the Suns with 1.1 seconds left in the first overtime to send the game into a second overtime. However, Phoenix won in double-overtime, 125–118. They bounced back with a series-saving 118–106 Game 6 win. Second-year defensive specialist Quinton Ross had a timely offensive game, scoring a then career-high 18 points. Brand had 30 points (his scoring average in this series), 12 rebounds, and five blocks. Corey Maggette came off
25200-598: The Clippers over the team's relocation to Los Angeles in exchange for Sterling dropping his case against the league, allowing him to keep the team in Los Angeles and decreasing his fine to $ 6 million. Forty years after the NBA Clippers left San Diego, the Ontario Clippers of the NBA G League would relocate from Ontario, California , starting with the 2024–25 season, adopting the San Diego Clippers name as well as
25440-622: The Clippers possibly coming to an abrupt end, Los Angeles went on a tear. The Clippers won 12 of their next 14 games, including road wins over the defending champions Dallas Mavericks and the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder , clinching their fifth playoff berth since their 1976 conference semifinals loss to the Boston Celtics (the last time they made the playoffs as the Buffalo Braves) before
25680-406: The Clippers saw minor improvement, finishing with ten more wins at 29–53, Hughes was fired as head coach at the end of the season. In July, former Chicago Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro was hired as the next head coach. In August, the team introduced new uniform designs at a photoshoot, at the team's practice facility. Griffin and DeAndre Jordan , who saw significant improvement in his two years with
25920-463: The Clippers was chosen to be Gene Shue , a respected tactician. He preferred a fast playing style with many scoring opportunities. Only three players from the Braves started in the team: Randy Smith , Swen Nater , and Scott Lloyd . Other starting players included Kermit Washington , and Sidney Wicks . World B. Free was also brought in from, the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a future first round pick. The 1978–79 season started poorly, with
26160-466: The Clippers' first win coming in their fourth game, against the Chicago Bulls . The team lost 12 of its 18 first games and dropped to the bottom of the Pacific Division . Player Kevin Kunnert argued they had the "killer instinct of a field mouse". The worst loss came against the San Antonio Spurs , with a loss of 163 to 125. Nevertheless, within weeks, Free had become the leading scorer, as well as becoming
26400-645: The Conference Semifinals; the team reached the Conference Finals for the first time in 2021. To date, they are the oldest franchise in North American professional sports to have never played in a championship game. The franchise began in Western New York as the Buffalo Braves , one of three NBA expansion franchises that began play in the 1970–71 season , along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers . They played their home games at
26640-521: The Conference of Physical Training in Springfield to draw up general rules for women's basketball. Thus, the sport quickly spread throughout America's schools, colleges and universities with uniform rules for both sexes. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball . These round balls from " association football " were made, at the time, with a set of laces to close off the hole needed for inserting
26880-614: The Conference, they managed to win eight games in a row, and then another five games consecutively. Playing at the San Diego Sports Arena , the Clippers posted a record of 43–39 in their first season in California, leaving them two wins shy of the final playoff spot. It was also the first season in Southern California for long-time announcer Ralph Lawler , who began his association with the franchise. The 1979–80 season saw
27120-521: The Eastern Conference finals, they trailed the San Antonio Spurs 3–1, but they mounted a comeback by winning two straight games to force a game seven at the Capital Centre. The Bullets rallied again, overcoming a fourth–quarter deficit to beat George Gervin and the Spurs 107–105 in one of the NBA's all-time greatest games and advance to the NBA Finals and a rematch with the Seattle SuperSonics . In Game 1 of
27360-511: The Fitch era suffered tragic circumstances of their own; Brian Williams (who played for the Clippers during the 1995–96 season , and later became known as Bison Dele) was believed to have been murdered by his brother while the two were vacationing in 2002 while in the South Pacific, and Rodney Rogers became paralyzed after a dirt bike crash in 2008 in his native North Carolina. In December, Vaught,
27600-479: The G League has 31 teams. FIBA (International Basketball Federation) was formed in 1932 by eight founding nations: Argentina , Czechoslovakia , Greece , Italy , Latvia , Portugal , Romania and Switzerland . At this time, the organization only oversaw amateur players. Its acronym, derived from the French Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball Amateur , was thus "FIBA". Men's basketball
27840-630: The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). In 1910, that body changed its name to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The first Canadian interuniversity basketball game was played at YMCA in Kingston , Ontario on February 6, 1904, when McGill University – Naismith's alma mater – visited Queen's University . McGill won 9–7 in overtime;
28080-443: The Knicks in the 1984–85 season to finish third in the NBA in scoring with a 28.4 points per game. In 1990, the team named Susan O'Malley as its president, the first female president of a franchise in the history of the NBA, who is the daughter of Peter O'Malley, the prominent lawyer from Maryland and former president of the Washington Capitals . The Bullets continued to struggle due to injuries and inconsistent play. They posted
28320-505: The Miss Head's School. In 1899, a committee was established at the Conference of Physical Training in Springfield to draw up general rules for women's basketball. These rules, designed by Berenson, were published in 1899. In 1902 Berenson became the editor of A. G. Spalding 's first Women's Basketball Guide. The same year women of Mount Holyoke and Sophie Newcomb College (coached by Clara Gregory Baer ), began playing basketball. By 1895,
28560-460: The Mystics were sold to Lincoln Holdings (headed by Ted Leonsis ), parent company of the Capitals. However, upon the purchase of the Wizards by Leonsis in 2010, the Wizards and Mystics again became sibling teams. The newly named Wizards began the 1997–98 season playing five home games at the Capital Centre before moving to the new MCI Center on December 2, 1997. The Wizards finished the season with
28800-422: The NBA in steals with 2.89 per game. Arenas and Jamison were both named to the 2005 Eastern Conference All-Star team, marking the first time Washington had two players in the All-Star game since Jeff Malone and Moses Malone represented the Bullets in the 1987 All-Star Game. The 2004–05 season saw the team (now in the new Southeast Division) post its best regular season record in 26 years ( 45–37 ) and marked
29040-423: The NBA lottery in the 2007 NBA Draft, selecting Al Thornton . The 2007–08 season started off negatively, with Brand rupturing his left Achilles tendon. Brand missed most of the season, and the team struggled to stay competitive. Chris Kaman took advantage of a depleted roster by averaging 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, but was limited to playing 56 games, also due to various injuries. The Clippers ended
29280-481: The NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed. The game is controlled by the officials consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are
29520-404: The NBA, and U Sports (Canadian universities) play for both sexes, and 30 seconds in NCAA play for both sexes), holding the ball while closely guarded (5 seconds), and remaining in the restricted area known as the free-throw lane, (or the " key ") (3 seconds). These rules are designed to promote more offense. There are also limits on how players may block an opponent's field goal attempt or help
29760-673: The NBA. Top international players began coming into the NBA in the mid-1990s, including Croatians Dražen Petrović and Toni Kukoč , Serbian Vlade Divac , Lithuanians Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis , Dutchman Rik Smits and German Detlef Schrempf . In the Philippines, the Philippine Basketball Association 's first game was played on April 9, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao , Quezon City , Philippines. It
30000-451: The NFL's Los Angeles Rams (who relocated to St. Louis in 1995 for 21 seasons, before moving back to Los Angeles in 2016), was looking for a new professional team and began courting the Clippers, who struggled to carve out an identity competing against the popular Lakers for audience share. From 1994 to 1999 , the Clippers played several games annually (usually five to eight regular-season games
30240-711: The Pacific . The team had a 0–17 start and finished with a 9–41 record in the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. They were led by second-year forward Maurice Taylor , who averaged 16.8 points per game, and won the fourth overall pick in the following draft, which coincided with their move to the Staples Center. The Clippers would draft Lamar Odom , and then hired former All-Star (and Los Angeles native) Dennis Johnson as an assistant coach, as well as Hall of Fame former Laker great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help tutor Olowokandi during his second-year. Johnson remained an assistant coach until
30480-456: The Pond, while in Los Angeles, they drew in the neighborhood of 9,200 per home game. Anaheim officials and the Clippers had had on-going talks about moving to Anaheim full-time years before the Pond was eventually built, as Donald Sterling was pursuing options to play elsewhere in the Los Angeles metropolitan region if there was not a replacement for the Sports Arena being built. The Clippers, however, nearly moved to Anaheim permanently in time for
30720-578: The Savages : "Among other things, a game of skill is described in which balls must be thrown against a target woven from twigs, mounted high on a pole. There's a small reward for the player if the target is being hit." In December 1891, James Naismith , a Canadian-American professor of physical education and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College ) in Springfield, Massachusetts ,
30960-549: The Suns), the Bullets remained a playoff contender throughout the 1970s. Following a less than spectacular 1971–72 season , Baltimore acquired Elvin Hayes from the Houston Rockets and drafted Kevin Porter in the third round of the 1972 NBA draft , out of St. Francis . After a slow start in 1972–73 , Baltimore made their charge in December, posting a 10–4 record on the way to capturing
31200-428: The United States, and it quickly spread through the United States and Canada. By 1895, it was well established at several women's high schools. While YMCA was responsible for initially developing and spreading the game, within a decade it discouraged the new sport, as rough play and rowdy crowds began to detract from YMCA's primary mission. However, other amateur sports clubs, colleges, and professional clubs quickly filled
31440-459: The United States, basketball has evolved to become one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition (drawing most of its talent from U.S. college basketball ). Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as
31680-450: The WNBA to break even this year." Measurements and time limits discussed in this section often vary among tournaments and organizations; international and NBA rules are used in this section. The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way
31920-664: The Washington Bullets. The Bullets would return to Baltimore to play a few home games per season during the late 1980s and 1990s. During November 1973, while waiting for the completion of their new arena in Landover, the Bullets played their home games at Cole Field House on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park . The Capital Centre (later known as the US Airways Arena) opened on December 2, 1973, with
32160-417: The Wizards a 94–91 win and the team's first playoff series win in 23 years. They were only the 12th team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being down 0–2. This playoff series victory ended the second longest streak with no postseason series wins in NBA history. In the conference semifinals, the Wizards were swept by the Miami Heat , the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The 2005–06 season
32400-409: The Wizards concluded the season with a 37–45 record but could not make the Eastern Conference playoffs. Jordan announced he would return for the 2002–03 season , and this time he was determined to be equipped with reinforcements, as he traded for All-Star Jerry Stackhouse and signed budding star Larry Hughes . Jordan even accepted a sixth-man role on the bench in order for his knee to survive
32640-454: The Wizards heat up again, as Arenas scored 20 in the fourth quarter after claiming he changed his jersey, shorts, shoes and tights in the room and the Wizards won 106–96. Yet in games five and six, the Cavs took control of the series, both games decided by one point in overtime. In game five, despite the Wizards being down 107–100 with 1:18 to play, the team drove back and eventually tied the game on Butler's layup with 7.5 seconds remaining to send
32880-421: The act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line 15 feet (4.6 m) from the basket. Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of
33120-407: The allotted game time, typically about two hours. Five players from each team may be on the court at one time. Substitutions are unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors and trainers. For both men's and women's teams,
33360-412: The arena and priority on game dates over the Braves, with the next best dates in turn taken by the more successful Sabres. At a time where the NBA was nearing a nadir and the league did not have its current prestige, the Griffins saw the Braves as a threat to their own success, and purposely scheduled better dates at the arena to prevent the Braves from succeeding. As a result, after a failed attempt to sell
33600-415: The ball from a dribbler, intercept passes, or block shots; either offense or defense may collect a rebound , that is, a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard. It is a violation to lift or drag one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball , to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling . The five players on each side fall into five playing positions . The tallest player
33840-490: The basket if one is scored. The defense gains possession in all cases of goaltending or basket interference. An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through certain types of physical contact is illegal and is called a personal foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more free throws if they are fouled in
34080-414: The basketball is also regulated. For men, the official ball is 29.5 inches (75 cm) in circumference (size 7, or a "295 ball") and weighs 22 oz (620 g). If women are playing, the official basketball size is 28.5 inches (72 cm) in circumference (size 6, or a "285 ball") with a weight of 20 oz (570 g). In 3x3 , a formalized version of the halfcourt 3-on-3 game, a dedicated ball with
34320-437: The bench including a 50-point game against Golden State. Off-court distractions led to the trade of Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe in May 1998. The Wizards finished the lockout-shortened season of 1998–99 with a record of 18–32 . Mitch Richmond led the team in scoring with a 19.7 ppg average. In the 1999–2000 season , the Wizards finished with a 29–53 record. Mitch Richmond led
34560-429: The bench to score 25 points, with 7–8 shooting from the field, and 9–9 from the free-throw line. Kaman and Cassell each scored 15 points. However, the Clippers lost the seventh game, 127–107. General Manager (and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member) Elgin Baylor won the NBA Executive of the Year award for leading the Clippers' playoff run. The 2006 off-season started as the team drafted Paul Davis in
34800-474: The best supporting cast in the league, the Clippers threatened a potential playoff run. However, poor team chemistry and injuries (the Clippers lost 293 man-games to injury), they finished with a disappointing 27–55 record. Coach Alvin Gentry was also replaced, with Dennis Johnson entering midway through the 2002–03 season . After the dismal season prior, the team lost several of its core players, with Miller, Odom, Olowakandi, and forward Eric Piatkowski (who
35040-516: The champion dwindled after 1954 when Brown v. Board of Education began an integration of schools. The last tournaments were held at Alabama State College from 1964 to 1967. Teams abounded throughout the 1920s. There were hundreds of men's professional basketball teams in towns and cities all over the United States, and little organization of the professional game. Players jumped from team to team and teams played in armories and smoky dance halls. Leagues came and went. Barnstorming squads such as
35280-434: The choice to exchange second round picks with the Clippers in 2010. The Clippers also acquired guard Jason Hart from the Utah Jazz, in exchange for guard Brevin Knight , and signed Ricky Davis to a one-year deal. They continued an active off-season by re-signing former Clippers player Brian Skinner in July, while trading for Steve Novak . The team would also sign Jason Williams to a one-year deal. However, just prior to
35520-419: The circumference of a size 6 ball but the weight of a size 7 ball is used in all competitions (men's, women's, and mixed teams). The ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running). The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball
35760-460: The club, averaging 29.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 37.9 minutes per game. After one year on the job, Weiss was fired, Wilkins left in free agency, and veteran head coach Bill Fitch was brought in to guide a new roster of young and inexperienced players. Anaheim , a suburb approximately thirty miles (48 km) south of Downtown Los Angeles in Orange County , expressed interest in obtaining an NBA franchise. The city, expecting to lose
36000-439: The court and backboard, it is considered important for the basket to be of the correct height – a rim that is off by just a few inches can have an adverse effect on shooting. The net must "check the ball momentarily as it passes through the basket" to aid the visual confirmation that the ball went through. The act of checking the ball has the further advantage of slowing down the ball so the rebound does not go as far. The size of
36240-400: The court despite Walton finally returning to action, finishing 25–57 in 1982–83 and 30–52 in 1983–84 . In 1984, Sterling, after again being denied permission from the NBA to do so, moved the Clippers to Los Angeles. The NBA subsequently fined Sterling $ 25 million for violating league rules and filed a lawsuit demanding the franchise be returned to San Diego. The league threatened to dissolve
36480-486: The development of the game. The hall of fame has people who have accomplished many goals in their career in basketball. An upstart organization, the American Basketball Association , emerged in 1967 and briefly threatened the NBA's dominance until the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Today the NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition. The NBA has featured many famous players, including George Mikan ,
36720-420: The end of the game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play ( overtime ) is mandated. Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or by passing it to a teammate, both of which require considerable skill. On offense, players may use a variety of shots – the layup , the jump shot , or a dunk ; on defense, they may steal
36960-472: The ending of the game was replayed three times until the Soviet Union finally came out on top. In 1950 the first FIBA World Championship for men, now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup , was held in Argentina. Three years later, the first FIBA World Championship for women, now known as the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup , was held in Chile. Women's basketball was added to the Olympics in 1976, which were held in Montreal , Quebec, Canada with teams such as
37200-414: The entire season, and the team limped to a 17–65 record. Rumors of a move to Sterling's hometown of Los Angeles and franchise mismanagement plagued the team immediately from the onset of Sterling's acquisition. On one occasion, Sterling was fined $ 10,000 by the NBA, the largest sum ever levied by the NBA against an owner at the time, for publicly guaranteeing the Clippers would lose enough games to contend for
37440-407: The entire season. The result was a 24–58 record for the 1993–94 season. Don MacLean was named 1994 Most Improved Player of the season, leading the Bullets with 18.2 points per game (tied with Chapman). The Bullets selected Juwan Howard in the 1994 NBA draft and traded Gugliotta along with three first-round draft picks to the Golden State Warriors for the rights to Chris Webber . While
37680-417: The finals, the Bullets defeated the SuperSonics, 99–97, on two game-winning free throws. They lost the next four games, and the series, to Seattle. The Bullets were the only team to play in the NBA Finals four times during the 1970s. In August 1979, the Bullets became the first NBA team to visit China, where they defeated the Bayi Rockets and the Shanghai Sharks . Age and injuries finally caught up with
37920-418: The first decades of the 20th century, basketball quickly became the ideal interscholastic sport due to its modest equipment and personnel requirements. In the days before widespread television coverage of professional and college sports, the popularity of high school basketball was unrivaled in many parts of America. Perhaps the most legendary of high school teams was Indiana's Franklin Wonder Five , which took
38160-747: The first dominating "big man"; ball-handling wizard Bob Cousy and defensive genius Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics ; charismatic center Wilt Chamberlain , who originally played for the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters ; all-around stars Oscar Robertson and Jerry West ; more recent big men Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Shaquille O'Neal , Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone ; playmakers John Stockton , Isiah Thomas and Steve Nash ; crowd-pleasing forwards Julius Erving and Charles Barkley ; European stars Dirk Nowitzki , Pau Gasol and Tony Parker ; Latin American stars Manu Ginobili , more recent superstars, Allen Iverson , Kobe Bryant , Tim Duncan , LeBron James , Stephen Curry , Giannis Antetokounmpo , etc.; and
38400-433: The first four games with the Los Angeles Lakers before losing the series 4–2. Within the first two months of that season, the Bullets were purchased from original franchise managing partner Dave Trager by Abe Pollin , Earl Foreman and real estate investor and former NBA referee Arnold Heft for $ 1.1 million, on November 23, 1964. In the late 1960s, the Bullets drafted two future Hall of Fame members: Earl Monroe , in
38640-437: The first of 35 regular season "home" games the Bullets played in Baltimore from 1989 to 1997. They finished with a 31–51 record despite stellar seasons by Jeff Malone and Bernard King , who averaged 24.3 and 22.3 points per game respectively to lead the team. The lone highlight of the Bullets' 30-win 1990–91 season was the successful comeback effort by Bernard King as he recovered from knee surgery he suffered while playing for
38880-486: The first round of the 1988 NBA playoffs to the Detroit Pistons , the Bullets fought back and forced a fifth game with two home wins. They would lose game 5 by 21 points. It would be nine seasons before Washington would return to the NBA Playoffs. The Bullets got off to a 5–1 start in 1988–89, but they lost 16 of 18 games from mid-December to mid-January. On January 6, 1989, the Bullets franchise played its first regular season game in Baltimore since 1973 ; this would be
39120-414: The first round, this time to the Rockets. Brown left to become the Indiana Pacers ' head coach after the season and Bob Weiss was brought in to replace him. That 1993–94 season proved to be one of the worst in Los Angeles history, with the Clippers and Lakers going a combined 60–104. In February 1994, the Clippers traded Manning to the Atlanta Hawks for Dominique Wilkins . Wilkins played 25 games for
39360-443: The first time in franchise history. They lost Game 3, won Game 4, and on May 1, they won Game 5 in Los Angeles. This would mark their first playoff series win since they moved from Buffalo. In the next round, the team faced the Phoenix Suns . After losing a close Game 1, they won Game 2, 122–97. The series shifted to Staples Center for Game 3, but the Suns won, 94–91. In Game 4, Brand posted 30 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists as
39600-446: The first time the franchise had ever made the playoffs as the Wizards. With a 93–82 win over the Chicago Bulls on April 13, 2005, the Wizards clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1996–97. Long-suffering fans celebrated by buying over 16,000 playoff tickets in two and a half hours the day tickets went on sale. In game three of the first round against the Bulls, the Wizards won their first playoff game since 1988. Adding to
39840-406: The first-ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" were "dispersed to the league's teams." In a March 12, 2009, article, NBA commissioner David Stern said that in the bad economy, "the NBA is far less profitable than the WNBA. We're losing a lot of money among a large number of teams. We're budgeting
40080-419: The floor while Brendan Haywood gave James a hard foul in the first quarter that many cited as the key to shaking up the rest of James's game. In game three at the Verizon Center, James hit a 4-footer on the way down with 5.7 seconds left to take the game and the series lead for the Cavs with a 97–96 win. Arenas missed a potential game-winning three-pointer on the other end to seal the win for the Cavs. Game 4 saw
40320-477: The following season for hope of improvement. Malone would lead the team in scoring with a 24.1 points per game as he would be joined by Jeff Malone who averaged 22.0 points per game. The Bullets' 42–40 record would be their last winning season until 1996–97 . Washington was eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in three games in the playoffs. Twelfth overall in the 1987 NBA draft , the Bullets selected Muggsy Bogues , who at 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm)
40560-502: The following season, and the Clippers finished 36–46, again missing the postseason. Walton missed the entire season due to foot injuries, while Free was traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for guard Phil Smith . The 1981–82 season brought ultimately unwelcome changes to the franchise as Levin sold the team to Los Angeles –area real estate developer and attorney Donald Sterling for $ 12.5 million. The Clippers experienced poor play, as foot injuries again caused Walton to miss
40800-441: The fourth quarter. In the second round of the playoffs, the team was swept by the San Antonio Spurs . The following off-season, GM Neil Olshey reached an agreement to become General Manager of the Portland Trail Blazers . Olshey was replaced by Gary Sacks. On draft night , the team re-acquired Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks as part of a four-team deal that also sent Mo Williams and Furkan Aldemir , their 2012 draftee, to
41040-427: The franchise if ownership did not comply and return the team to San Diego. Sterling then filed another antitrust lawsuit against the league (for $ 100 million). This time, thanks to the recent court decision that allowed Al Davis to move the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) to Los Angeles, it appeared Sterling would win his case. In September 1987, the league agreed to drop their lawsuit against
41280-416: The franchise's new home. The attempted move, combined with the franchise mismanagement issues, prompted an investigation of the Clippers by an NBA committee of other owners. In September of that year, the committee recommended that Sterling's ownership be terminated, having found that he was late in paying creditors and players. Days before a league scheduled vote in October to remove Sterling, he agreed to sell
41520-425: The game had spread to colleges across the country, including Wellesley , Vassar , and Bryn Mawr . The first intercollegiate women's game was on April 4, 1896. Stanford women played Berkeley , 9-on-9, ending in a 2–1 Stanford victory. Women's basketball development was more structured than that for men in the early years. In 1905, the executive committee on Basket Ball Rules (National Women's Basketball Committee)
41760-470: The game to overtime, where James scored with 0.9 seconds left to send the Cavs to a 121–120 win. The series returned to the Verizon Center for game six, where the game went back and forth all night. The Wizards blew a 14-point first-quarter lead, then for 24 minutes, from early in the second quarter to early in the fourth, neither team led by more than five points at any time. The Wizards blew a seven-point lead with just under five to play and needed Arenas to hit
42000-489: The inflatable bladder after the other sewn-together segments of the ball's cover had been flipped outside-in. These laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith (whereas in American football , the lace construction proved to be advantageous for gripping and remains to this day). The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it
42240-404: The league in assists with 8.9 per game. Mureşan dominated the middle and led the NBA in field goal percentage (.599). Washington received contributions from Calbert Cheaney (10.6 ppg) and Tracy Murray (10.0 ppg). In November 1995, owner Abe Pollin announced he was changing the team's nickname, because Bullets had acquired violent overtones that had made him increasingly uncomfortable over
42480-477: The league's popularity and level of competition. Other professional women's basketball leagues in the United States, such as the American Basketball League (1996–98) , have folded in part because of the popularity of the WNBA. The WNBA has been looked at by many as a niche league. However, the league has recently taken steps forward. In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN . The new television deal ran from 2009 to 2016. Along with this deal, came
42720-460: The longest tenures in professional sports history. The Clippers indicated that Baylor had retired from his post, and as a result, head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr. assumed the role of General Manager, while director of player personnel Neil Olshey was promoted to assistant general manager. However, several other reports indicated Baylor had been fired or resigned, and when questioned, Baylor responded he had been advised by his attorneys not to comment on
42960-416: The matter. This prompted speculation that the team and Baylor were in negotiations to work out a settlement agreement for his departure, with Baylor reportedly working without a formal contract since the early 1990s. The 2008–09 season ended with the team 14th in the Western Conference, with a record of 19–63. They were then awarded the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft . With the first overall pick,
43200-423: The mezzanine balcony of the playing court, but this proved impractical when spectators in the balcony began to interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional effect of allowing rebound shots. Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006, indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from
43440-436: The middle of the 2002–03 season , when he took over as head coach. Abdul-Jabbar remained only one season, detailing a lack of improvement in Olowokandi, who is largely considered one of the biggest draft busts in league history. During the 1999 off-season, Rodney Rogers signed with the Phoenix Suns . The Clippers also sent Lamond Murray to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Derek Anderson and Johnny Newman . However, Newman
43680-489: The nation by storm during the 1920s, dominating Indiana basketball and earning national recognition. Today virtually every high school in the United States fields a basketball team in varsity competition. Basketball's popularity remains high, both in rural areas where they carry the identification of the entire community, as well as at some larger schools known for their basketball teams where many players go on to participate at higher levels of competition after graduation. In
43920-402: The nearby Smith College , went to Naismith to learn more about the game. Fascinated by the new sport and the values it could teach, she started to organize games with her pupils, following adjusted rules. The first official women's interinstitutional game was played barely 11 months later, between the University of California and the Miss Head's School. In 1899, a committee was established at
44160-400: The new sport and the values it could teach, she instantly introduced the game as a class exercise and soon after teams were organized. The first women's collegiate basketball game was played on March 21, 1893, when her Smith freshmen and sophomores played against one another. The first official women's interinstitutional game was played later that year between the University of California and
44400-407: The offense, a violation of these rules results in loss of possession; for the defense, most leagues reset the shot clock and the offensive team is given possession of the ball out of bounds. There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in FIBA and the NBA; 10 seconds in NCAA and high school for both sexes), before attempting a shot (24 seconds in FIBA,
44640-425: The only NBA title won by the team as of 2024. In the 1978–79 season the Bullets moved to the Atlantic Division, capturing the title in their first season there. They entered the 1979 NBA playoffs having lost eight of the final 11 games to finish the regular season at 54–28. In the playoffs the Bullets nearly blew a 3–1 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks , but managed to hold off the Hawks in seven games. In
44880-411: The organization changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs and played its home games at the Chicago Coliseum (Saperstein's ABL Majors prevented the team from playing in the larger Chicago Stadium ). In their only season as the Zephyrs, former Purdue star Terry Dischinger was on the roster, and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors. In 1963 the franchise moved to Baltimore , Maryland, and became
45120-420: The ouster of Sterling was no longer being pursued. Later in 1983, Larry Fleisher , then the general counsel of the National Basketball Players Association , stated ''in all my years of involvement with the NBA, no team ever provided as much difficulties for the players than the Clippers under Sterling." "He almost caused three strikes last season.'' The team's final two seasons in San Diego were not much better on
45360-417: The playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. Washington, boasting the league's tallest player (Mureșan, whose height is 7 feet 7 inches or 231 centimetres), two very athletic forwards (Howard and Webber) and one of the league's top point guards ( Rod Strickland ), started the 1996–97 season at 22–24. That led to the dismissal of head coach Jim Lynam . Bernie Bickerstaff , an assistant coach with
45600-417: The playoffs for the first time in 16 years (since the franchise's Buffalo heyday), but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz , 3–2. Due to the late April 1992 Los Angeles riots , the Anaheim Convention Center was the site of Game 4 of the series, which the Clippers won. The team made the playoffs again in the 1992–93 season with a 41–41 record, but lost again in five games in
45840-419: The playoffs three times in a row, losing twice to the eventual Eastern Conference champions (the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976, and the Washington Bullets in 1975). Despite the team's modest success in Buffalo, Braves owner Paul Snyder and the league found it impossible to schedule home games at the auditorium because of the Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball team, which had a pre-existing lease on
46080-510: The previous summer. On February 6, 2012, during a game against the Orlando Magic , Billups tore his Achilles tendon and missed the remainder of the season. In March 2012, Nick Young joined the Clippers as part of a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and the Denver Nuggets . He became the eighth player to debut in the 2011–12 season. After a stretch that saw the Clippers lose 12 of 19 games after Billups's season-ending injury, with rumors of Vinny Del Negro 's career as head coach of
46320-495: The rigors of an 82-game season. A combination of numerous team injuries and uninspired play led to Jordan's return to the starting lineup , where he tried to rebound the franchise from its early-season struggles. By the end of the season, the Wizards finished with a 37–45 record once again. Jordan ended the season as the only Wizard to play in all 82 games, as he averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes per game. Jordan retired from playing for
46560-443: The sale of the franchise led to their relocation from Buffalo to San Diego, California , in 1978 and subsequent rebranding as the San Diego Clippers , in reference to the sailing ships seen in San Diego Bay . The team saw little success on the court and missed the playoffs during all six of their years in San Diego. In 1984, owner Donald Sterling controversially relocated the franchise to Los Angeles without NBA approval, which
46800-439: The score was 7–7 at the end of regulation play, and a ten-minute overtime period settled the outcome. A good turnout of spectators watched the game. The first men's national championship tournament, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball tournament, which still exists as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament , was organized in 1937. The first national championship for NCAA teams,
47040-434: The season 23–59, and the team aimed to rebuild for the following season . Both Brand and Maggette were allowed to depart, while ten players were acquired. Brand stated his desire to stay, but the contract faltered, allowing him to move to the Philadelphia 76ers . Baron Davis , a Los Angeles native and formerly of the Golden State Warriors , signed a five-year contract with the Clippers, worth an estimated $ 65 million. In
47280-409: The season included the selection of Rasheed Wallace in the 1995 NBA draft and the All-Star play of Howard. Howard averaged a career-best 22.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg and kept the Bullets slim playoff hopes alive until the end of the season. Center Gheorghe Mureșan was named Most Improved Player of The Year, averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. The Bullets improved to 39–43 but just missed
47520-422: The season started out with promise, a shoulder injury to Chris Webber (ironically against the Warriors) caused him to miss 19 games, and the Bullets struggled through the rest of the season finishing a then franchise-worst (percentage-wise) 21–61. Webber averaged 20.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, but declined surgery for his dislocated shoulder. This would prove costly for the next season. The Bullets released
47760-486: The season's final day, the Bullets squeezed past Cleveland 85–81 to end the franchise's longest playoff drought. Whilst the Bullets were swept by the Bulls in the first round, they lost the three games by a total of 18 points. Webber led the way in scoring (20.1 ppg), rebounding (10.3) and blocks (1.9) and shot 51.8 percent from the floor to make his first All-Star team. Howard averaged 19.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 1.74 spg and finished fifth in
48000-444: The season, but won only 3 of the last 12 games and finished 39–43, five games out of the playoffs. In order to seriously challenge for playoff contention in 2003, the franchise traded Miles to the Cavaliers for Andre Miller , who led the NBA in assists in 2001–02 with 11 per game. With a seasoned point guard in Miller, Lamar Odom at small forward, one of the league's best power forwards in Brand, and center Olowokandi, as well as having
48240-401: The season, the Bullets fired head coach K.C. Jones , despite having a career 62 percent winning percentage as the Bullets head coach. In 1976–77 , under new head coach Dick Motta , the Bullets again fell short of the Central Division title for the second straight year. Elvin Hayes finished sixth in the league in rebounds with 12.5 rebounds per game. After opening the 1977 NBA playoffs with
48480-409: The second round of the 2006 NBA draft , as the 34th overall pick. The pick was acquired by the Clippers by way of a 2004 trade for Melvin Ely . The team also drafted Guillermo Diaz as the 52nd overall pick. While Davis signed with the team, Diaz decided to play overseas. However, the team still holds his draft rights. Meanwhile, in free agency, they signed Tim Thomas away from divisional Phoenix, in
48720-411: The sport in Australia. The Women's National Basketball League began in 1981. Women began to play basketball in the fall of 1892 at Smith College through Senda Berenson , substitute director of the newly opened gymnasium and physical education teacher, after having modified the rules for women. Shortly after Berenson was hired at Smith, she visited Naismith to learn more about the game. Fascinated by
48960-476: The start of training camp in September, Williams announced his retirement. Other mid-season acquisitions came in the form of Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins , who arrived from the New York Knicks in exchange for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. This trade made Kaman the sole member still on the team from their playoff run two years prior. In October 2008, Baylor ended his 22-year reign as vice president and general manager of basketball operations. It remains one of
49200-473: The team also signed veteran Aaron Williams to an undisclosed deal. In September, the Clippers also announced a radio broadcast deal with KSPN-AM , the local ESPN Radio -operated outlet. Despite several additions, the team did not perform to expectations, with a lack of team chemistry and injuries to several key players, including Cassell, Thomas, and Kaman, forcing the team to sign journeymen Luke Jackson , Alvin Williams , and Doug Christie to help solidify
49440-466: The team missing the playoffs, although, they posted a better record than the Lakers for the first time since 1993. Bobby Simmons , a former second-round pick, won the 2004–05 NBA Most Improved Player award after averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. As a result, Simmons signed a 5-year, $ 47 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks . To counter Simmons' defection, the Clippers announced they would sign Cuttino Mobley . Mobley's contract
49680-403: The team selected Blake Griffin . To clear a spot in the lineup for him, they traded Zach Randolph to Memphis for Quentin Richardson. Richardson was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Sebastian Telfair , Craig Smith , and Mark Madsen . Griffin immediately impressed in training camp and preseason. On October 23, he broke his kneecap during the Clippers' final exhibition game against
49920-450: The team to an owner who intended to move it to South Florida, Snyder sold the team to Kentucky Colonels owner John Y. Brown, Jr. , who decimated the team's roster, traded away all of its stars, and drove attendance down to the point where they could break their own lease on the arena. Eventually, Brown met with Celtics owner Irv Levin in 1978 so they could trade franchise ownerships. Southern California resident Levin then decided to move
50160-428: The team to miss a scheduled regular-season game that day against the New Jersey Nets . Sterling attempted to relocate the franchise to Los Angeles in June 1982 but the NBA denied his request. Sterling then filed an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against the league, which subsequently filed a countersuit against the club and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena , which Sterling had a tentative agreement with to become
50400-422: The team was 39–35 and looking to close in on the 45-win mark achieved the previous year, until Butler suffered a thumb sprain and the Wizards lost all five games without him. Butler returned and the team pulled out their final three games, against the Pistons, Cavaliers and Bucks, all playoff-bound teams, to finish the year at 42–40 and clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference . They averaged 101.7 points
50640-453: The team with 17.4 ppg. In the 2000–01 season , under newly hired coach Leonard Hamilton , 1999 NBA draft pick Richard Hamilton led the team in scoring with 18.1 ppg, but the team finished with a 19–63 record, the most losses the team had ever suffered in one season. On February 23, 2001, the Wizards were involved in a blockbuster trade days before the trading deadline. The team sent Juwan Howard , Obinna Ekezie and Calvin Booth to
50880-418: The team's bench. The season disappointment extended as Shaun Livingston suffered a dislocated left knee in which he tore every ligament in his knee. This was one of the most devastating injuries that season, and considered one of the worst in league history. The extent of the injury was so severe, local news outlets such as KCBS-TV / KCAL-TV and KNBC-TV elected not to air the clip of the injury. According to
51120-426: The team's first-round draft pick on high schooler Kwame Brown . The Wizards replaced Jordan's managerial role with general manager Ernie Grunfeld . Without Jordan in the fold the following year, the Washington Wizards were not expected to win, and they did not. Despite the signing of future All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas , in a move that was ironically made possible by Jordan's prior cap-clearing maneuvers as
51360-421: The team's lead physician, Dr. Tony Daly, Livingston's prognosis for him to return to basketball activity was eight months (which was around the first week of the upcoming season ) to a full calendar year. The Clippers finished the season 40–42, two games behind the eighth-seed, while the Lakers finished with a better record for the first time since the 2003–04 season . The Clippers received the 14th draft pick from
51600-399: The team's leading scorer for the past three seasons, had season-ending back surgery. Without Vaught, the Clippers finished 17–65, the third-worst record in the league. Fitch was fired after the 1997–98 season (and later sued the team to recover the remaining money on his contract), and was replaced by one of his proteges, former Celtics and Bucks coach Chris Ford . Meanwhile, Vaught's career as
51840-427: The team, and the league sought buyers who would keep the franchise in San Diego. At the suggestion of David Stern , then the league's vice president, Sterling was able to make a deal to maintain his position as owner, by instead handing over operations duties of the franchise to Alan Rothenberg , who became the team's president. A few months later in February 1983, Stern called the Clippers a "first-class" franchise, and
52080-418: The team, modeled the new uniforms, which were re-designed for the first time since the 2000–01 season. The Clippers' primary and secondary logos, which are modifications of the previous ones, were introduced to the public weeks earlier, on the night of the 2010 NBA draft , where the Clippers selected Al-Farouq Aminu eighth overall. With an improved Gordon, stalwart Kaman, rookie Aminu, starting center Jordan,
52320-416: The three players who many credit with ushering the professional game to its highest level of popularity during the 1980s and 1990s: Larry Bird , Earvin "Magic" Johnson , and Michael Jordan . In 2001, the NBA formed a developmental league, the National Basketball Development League (later known as the NBA D-League and then the NBA G League after a branding deal with Gatorade ). As of the 2023–24 season,
52560-406: The upcoming draft, the Clippers obtained the seventh pick, and selected Eric Gordon . They also selected DeAndre Jordan , who was picked 35th overall. Mike Taylor , the 55th overall pick, was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a future second-round pick. In July 2008, they acquired Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets in return for a $ 10 million trade exception and
52800-411: The void. In the years before World War I , the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (forerunner of the NCAA ) vied for control over the rules for the game. The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years. James Naismith
53040-453: The years after, the Clippers' scheduling at Staples Center became gradually more favorable (especially given the popularity of the team in recent years) in their lease renewals in 2004 and 2013, with the team receiving increased profits, including more of a share of luxury suite and concession revenue. Since February 2011, the Clippers have sold out every regular season and postseason home game. The 2000–01 season brought changes. Derek Strong
53280-427: The years, particularly given the high homicide and crime rate in the early 1990s in Washington, D.C. The name change was widely and incorrectly believed to be related to the assassination of Pollin's longtime friend, Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin . A contest was held to choose a new name and the choices were narrowed to the Dragons , Express , Stallions , Sea Dogs , and the Wizards . On May 15, 1997,
53520-417: Was chosen as a Western Conference Reserve in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game , a rare honor for a rookie, the first chosen by the coaches for the game since Tim Duncan in 1997. He also won the NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, and was named the Rookie of the Year as the team finished with a record of 32–50. As the trade deadline approached, the Clippers sent Baron Davis along with their 2011 first-round draft pick to
53760-403: Was common by 1896, with a rule against the double dribble by 1898. The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket, his team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game. The baskets were originally nailed to
54000-461: Was created by the American Physical Education Association . These rules called for six to nine players per team and 11 officials. The International Women's Sports Federation (1924) included a women's basketball competition. 37 women's high school varsity basketball or state tournaments were held by 1925. And in 1926, the Amateur Athletic Union backed the first national women's basketball championship , complete with men's rules. The Edmonton Grads ,
54240-440: Was filled with ups and downs. During the off-season, Washington acquired Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels . During the regular season, the Wizards again had the best scoring trio in the NBA, this time consisting of Arenas, Jamison and Butler as the "Big Three". The Wizards started the 2005–06 season at 5–1, but went on an 8–17 funk to go to 13–18 through 31 games. Then, they went 13–5 in the next eighteen games. On April 5, 2006,
54480-401: Was first included at the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics , although a demonstration tournament was held in 1904. The United States defeated Canada in the first final, played outdoors. This competition has usually been dominated by the United States, whose team has won all but three titles. The first of these came in a controversial final game in Munich in 1972 against the Soviet Union, in which
54720-474: Was founded as a "rebellion" of several teams from the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, which was tightly controlled by the Basketball Association of the Philippines (now defunct), the then-FIBA recognized national association. Nine teams from the MICAA participated in the league's first season that opened on April 9, 1975. The NBL is Australia's pre-eminent men's professional basketball league. The league commenced in 1979 , playing
54960-406: Was hired as the team's head coach in late January 1992. He replaced Mike Schuler , who had led the team to a 22–25 record before his firing. Brown finished the season with a 23–12 mark, for a 45–37 overall—the franchise's first winning season in 13 years. For the first time since moving to Los Angeles, they finished with a better record than the crosstown Los Angeles Lakers . The Clippers advanced to
55200-429: Was identical in length, but for five million less than Simmons', and marked the first significant free-agent signing from outside the organization since Walton in the late 1970s. The Clippers also completed the building of a practice facility (the first NBA practice facility within the four corners of the City of Los Angeles) in the Playa Vista development. Midway through the season, the Clippers traded Marko Jarić (in
55440-418: Was instrumental in establishing college basketball . His colleague C. O. Beamis fielded the first college basketball team just a year after the Springfield YMCA game at the suburban Pittsburgh Geneva College . Naismith himself later coached at the University of Kansas for six years, before handing the reins to renowned coach Forrest "Phog" Allen . Naismith's disciple Amos Alonzo Stagg brought basketball to
55680-437: Was named the league Rookie of the Year, but the team finished with the NBA's worst record at 18–62. The team's original name was a reference to Chicago's meatpacking industry; their home arena, the International Amphitheater , was next door to the Union Stock Yards . However, it was extremely unpopular since it was the same name used by the NFL's Green Bay Packers , bitter rivals of the Chicago Bears . After only one year,
55920-412: Was not an official Olympic sport until 1976. The Grads' players were unpaid, and had to remain single. The Grads' style focused on team play, without overly emphasizing skills of individual players. The first women's AAU All-America team was chosen in 1929. Women's industrial leagues sprang up throughout the United States, producing famous athletes, including Babe Didrikson of the Golden Cyclones , and
56160-430: Was one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history) departing via free agency prior to the 2003–04 season . The team opted to retain Brand and Maggette with long-term contracts. They, along with Richardson, made up one of the NBA's best high-scoring trios, with a combined 58 points per game. With new head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr. , they finished 28–54, due to inexperience and injuries. The following season again saw
56400-424: Was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle , searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling
56640-414: Was permitted following legal action between the league and Sterling. Over the course of their first 27 seasons in Los Angeles, the Clippers qualified for the postseason only four times and won a single playoff round. They were frequently considered a perennial loser in American professional sports, drawing unfavorable comparisons to the historically successful Lakers. The Clippers' reputation improved during
56880-418: Was returning "for the love of the game". Because of NBA rules, he had to divest himself of any ownership of the team. Before the All-Star break, Jordan was one of only two players to average more than 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds as he led the Wizards to a 26–21 record. After the All-Star break, Jordan's knee could not handle the workload of a full-season as he ended the season on the injured list, and
57120-404: Was sent to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Corey Maggette and the draft rights to Keyon Dooling . The Clippers' two draft picks that year were childhood friends from Illinois: high schooler Darius Miles (3rd overall pick) and Quentin Richardson (18th overall pick). The team became popular among fans with its high-flying style of basketball and the Clippers did improve slightly, registering
57360-472: Was then traded to the New Jersey Nets for Eric Murdock a month later without ever playing a game for the Clippers. The team finished with the worst record in the league (15–67) in the 1999–2000 season, while the Lakers had the best record that year (67–15), and won the NBA championship. In what was supposed to be a counter-move, the Coliseum Commission, the management entity that managed the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena and Coliseum , had planned to build
57600-402: Was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums , he invented a new game in which players would pass a ball to teammates and try to score points by tossing the ball into
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