List of Los Angeles Clippers seasons

The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and are a member of the NBA Western Conference's Pacific Division. The Clippers were founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves. They were one of three franchises that joined the NBA as an expansion team in the 1970–71 season. The Braves moved to San Diego, California after the 1977–78 season, and became known as the San Diego Clippers.[1] For the 1984–85 NBA season, the Clippers moved north to Los Angeles and became known as the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers hosting the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2015 NBA playoffs first round series.

On October 14, 1970, the Braves beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107–92 in their first game.[1] In the 1972 NBA draft, the Braves selected Bob McAdoo,[2] who later won such awards as Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.[3] During McAdoo's years (1972–76) with the franchise,[4] the Braves reached the post-season three times and had a record of nine wins and 13 losses during that time.

Overall, the Clippers have qualified for the post-season sixteen times; most recently in the 2020–21 season. They passed the first round of the playoffs seven times (1975–76, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2019–20 and 2020–21). The Clippers have never won league or Conference titles. Their 51-year drought between entering Western Conference finals (before doing so in 2020–21) is one of the longest in league history and the 30-year drought between winning a playoffs round (before doing so in 2005–06) is the longest in league history.[5] They also have only sixteen seasons with a winning percentage of .500 or better, and as a result, in their April 17, 2000 issue, the Sports Illustrated had three Clippers fans on the cover that stated "The worst franchise in sports history".[6] A decade later, the additions of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul helped them win their first division title during the 2012–13 season, their 43rd year in the league, and they repeated the feat the following year.[7] Paul and Griffin departed in 2017, and after a short transition period, the Clippers signed All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in 2019.

Table key

Sam Cassell was the co-captain of the Clippers during their 2005–06 post-season appearance.[8]
FinishFinal position in league or division standings
GBGames behind first-place team in division[a]
ASG MVPAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player
EOYExecutive of the Year
MVPMost Valuable Player
ROYRookie of the Year
MIPMost Improved Player
WNumber of regular season wins
LNumber of regular season losses

Seasons

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2022–23 season.

League championsConference championsDivision championsPlayoff berthPlay-in berth
SeasonTeamLeagueConferenceFinishDivisionFinishWinsLossesWin%GBPlayoffsAwardsHead Coach
Buffalo Braves
1970–711970–71NBAEastern7thAtlantic4th2260.26830Dolph Schayes
1971–721971–72NBAEastern8thAtlantic4th2260.26834Dolph Schayes
Johnny McCarthy
1972–731972–73NBAEastern7thAtlantic3rd2161.25647Bob McAdoo (ROY)Jack Ramsay
1973–741973–74NBAEastern4thAtlantic3rd4240.51214Lost conference semifinals (Celtics) 4–2[9]Ernie DiGregorio (ROY)
Eddie Donovan (EOY)
1974–751974–75NBAEastern3rdAtlantic2nd4933.59811Lost conference semifinals (Bullets) 4–3[10]Bob McAdoo (MVP)
1975–761975–76NBAEastern5thAtlantic2nd4636.5618Won First round (76ers) 2–1
Lost conference semifinals (Celtics) 4–2[11]
1976–771976–77NBAEastern10thAtlantic4th3052.36620Adrian Dantley (ROY)Tates Locke
Bob MacKinnon
Joe Mullaney
1977–781977–78NBAEastern10thAtlantic4th2755.32928Randy Smith (ASG MVP)Cotton Fitzsimmons
San Diego Clippers
1978–791978–79[b]NBAWestern7thPacific5th4339.5249Gene Shue
1979–801979–80NBAWestern7thPacific5th3547.42725
1980–811980–81NBAWestern9thPacific5th3646.43921Paul Silas
1981–821981–82NBAWestern12thPacific6th1765.20740
1982–831982–83NBAWestern11thPacific6th2557.30533Terry Cummings (ROY)
1983–841983–84NBAWestern11thPacific6th3052.36624Jim Lynam
Los Angeles Clippers
1984–851984–85[c]NBAWestern11thPacific4th3151.37831Jim Lynam
Don Chaney
1985–861985–86NBAWestern10thPacific3rd3250.39030Don Chaney
1986–871986–87NBAWestern12thPacific6th1270.14653
1987–881987–88NBAWestern12thPacific6th1765.20745Gene Shue
1988–891988–89NBAWestern11thPacific7th2161.25636Gene Shue
Don Casey
1989–901989–90NBAWestern11thPacific6th3052.36633Don Casey
1990–911990–91NBAWestern10thPacific6th3151.37832Mike Schuler
1991–921991–92NBAWestern7thPacific5th4537.54912Lost First round (Jazz) 3–2[12]Mike Schuler
Mack Calvin
Larry Brown
1992–931992–93NBAWestern7thPacific4th4141.50021Lost First round (Rockets) 3–2[13]Larry Brown
1993–941993–94NBAWestern11thPacific7th2755.32936Bob Weiss
1994–951994–95NBAWestern13thPacific7th1765.20742Bill Fitch
1995–961995–96NBAWestern11thPacific7th2953.35435
1996–971996–97NBAWestern8thPacific5th3646.43921Lost First round (Jazz) 3–0[14]
1997–981997–98NBAWestern13thPacific7th1765.20744
1998–99[d]1998–99NBAWestern13thPacific7th941.18026Chris Ford
1999–001999–2000NBAWestern14thPacific7th1567.18352Chris Ford
Jim Todd
2000–012000–01NBAWestern12thPacific6th3151.37825Alvin Gentry
2001–022001–02NBAWestern9thPacific5th3943.47622
2002–032002–03NBAWestern13thPacific7th2755.32932Alvin Gentry
Dennis Johnson
2003–042003–04NBAWestern14thPacific7th2854.34128Mike Dunleavy
2004–052004–05NBAWestern10thPacific3rd3745.45125Bobby Simmons (MIP)
2005–062005–06NBAWestern6thPacific2nd4735.5737Won First round (Nuggets) 4–1
Lost conference semifinals (Suns) 4–3[16]
Elgin Baylor (EOY)
Elton Brand (SPOR)
2006–072006–07NBAWestern9thPacific4th4042.48821
2007–082007–08NBAWestern12thPacific5th2359.28034
2008–092008–09NBAWestern14thPacific4th1963.23246
2009–102009–10NBAWestern12thPacific3rd2953.35428Mike Dunleavy
Kim Hughes
2010–112010–11NBAWestern13thPacific4th3250.39025Blake Griffin (ROY)Vinny Del Negro
2011–12[e]2011–12NBAWestern5thPacific2nd4026.6061Won First round (Grizzlies) 4–3
Lost conference semifinals (Spurs) 4–0[18]
2012–132012–13NBAWestern4thPacific1st5626.683Lost First round (Grizzlies) 4–2[19]Chris Paul (ASG MVP)
2013–142013–14NBAWestern3rdPacific1st5725.695Won First round (Warriors) 4–3
Lost conference semifinals (Thunder) 4–2[20]
Jamal Crawford (SIX)Doc Rivers
2014–152014–15NBAWestern3rdPacific2nd5626.68311Won First round (Spurs) 4–3
Lost conference semifinals (Rockets) 4–3[21]
2015–162015–16NBAWestern4thPacific2nd5329.64620Lost First round (Trail Blazers) 4–2[22]Jamal Crawford (SIX)
2016–172016–17NBAWestern4thPacific2nd5131.62216Lost First round (Jazz) 4–3[23]
2017–182017–18NBAWestern10thPacific2nd4240.51216Lou Williams (SIX)
2018–192018-19NBAWestern8thPacific2nd4834.5859Lost First round (Warriors) 4–2[24]Lou Williams (SIX)
2019–202019–20NBAWestern2ndPacific2nd4923.6813.5Won First round (Mavericks) 4–2
Lost conference semifinals (Nuggets) 4–3[25]
Montrezl Harrell (SIX)
Lawrence Frank (EOY)
Kawhi Leonard (ASG MVP)
2020–212020–21NBAWestern4thPacific2nd4725.6534Won First round (Mavericks) 4–3
Won conference semifinals (Jazz) 4–2
Lost conference finals (Suns) 4–2[26]
Tyronn Lue
2021–222021–22NBAWestern9th[f]Pacific3rd4240.51222
2022–232022–23NBAWestern5thPacific3rd4438.5374Lost First round (Suns) 4–1[28]
2023–242023–24NBAWestern4thPacific1st5131.622First round (Mavericks)

All-time records

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2022–23 season.

StatisticWinsLossesW–L%
Buffalo Braves regular season record (1970–1978)259397.395
San Diego Clippers regular season record (1978–1984)186306.378
Los Angeles Clippers regular season record (1984–present)1,3471,783.430
All-time regular season record1,7922,486.419
Buffalo Braves post-season record (1970–1978)913.409
San Diego Clippers post-season record (1978–1984)00
Los Angeles Clippers post-season record (1984–present)5466.450
All-time post-season record6379.444
All-time regular and post-season record1,8552,565.420

Notes

References

General
  • "Los Angeles Clippers". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  • "Season Recaps". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
Specific