LOS ANGELES — I am going to admit this to you, and it is the source of shame for me. For my entire life, I’ve been a New York Knicks fan. As you may know, the Knicks have been perhaps the worst organization in sports for many years. When I tell people I’m a Knicks fan, they express condolences.
So this season, I thought, what would it be like to follow and write about a team with great ownership and with great talent? What would it be like to cover a team that goes about its business the right way?
The LA Clippers are that team — the most fascinating organization in basketball on and off the court.
A recent survey by the Athletic ranked Clippers owner Steve Ballmer as the best owner in the NBA (Knicks owner James Dolan was among the worst, as he is every year). The Clippers do so much good work around Los Angeles — they do not get into fights and ban their former stars. And the Clippers are building a new arena in Inglewood, former home of the Lakers. Ballmer has even purchased the former Inglewood home of the Lakers, the Forum, from — yes, James Dolan.
Yes, of course it is true that in this town, the Lakers that are the most popular team. They moved here from Minneapolis way before the Clippers moved from Buffalo to San Diego and then, eventually, to Los Angeles. The Lakers win titles, often and recently. They have deep roots in the City and a history of great fandom. They deserve their following.
However, Los Angeles is a city of four million and LA County has more than 10 million residents. There should be plenty of room on the bandwagon for a second team, one that has smart leadership and star talent.
And while the Clippers spent plenty of years as unloved losers, with ownership comparable to that of the Knicks and a fan base that only admitted their favoritism under threat of water torture, the Clippers have turned into consistent winners worthy of fanatacism.
The Chris Paul–Blake Griffin–DeAndre Jordan term ended. When a team ends an era that has seen some success, there is no guarantee of future triumphs. But the Clippers have successfully moved onto the next chapter. With Ballmer as the owner, there is every reason to believe that the Clippers actually know what they are doing and how to sustain this winning culture.
On the court, if you are a fan of basketball at all, you know the deal. The Clippers may have the most talented roster in the league but, last season, they did not go as far as that talent should have taken them, which resulted in the exit of coach Doc Rivers and a bit of roster turnover.
Chips should be on the shoulders of everyone on this team.
The Chippers are Kawhi Leonard, in a contract year. Paul George, after underperforming last season. Patrick Beverly and Lou Williams, the specialists — Beverly on D, Williams on O. There’s been addition, too — Serge Ibaka and Luke Kennard are significant new pieces. There is every reason to believe a healthy Clippers team will compete for a title.
Can they do it? Can they attract fans along the way? Does the good karma of a smart organization and the amazing philanthropic work of Ballmer — the LA Times did a lengthy piece on Ballmer’s good deeds. Does this matter?
This is why the Clippers fascinate me, why I am going to cover this team and why I hope you’ll join me on this journey. Let’s see what a really good, professional franchise can do.
