The San Diego Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Oceanside, California, that competes in the NBA G League. The Clippers began play in the 2017–18 season. The team plays their home games at Frontwave Arena. The Clippers are the affiliate team of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Los Angeles Clippers.
| San Diego Clippers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Western |
| League | NBA G League |
| Founded | 2017 |
| History | Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario 2017–2022 Ontario Clippers 2022–2024 San Diego Clippers 2024–present |
| Arena | Frontwave Arena |
| Location | San Diego, California |
| Team colors | Red,Blue,Silver[a][2] |
| General manager | Dee Brown |
| Head coach | Paul Hewitt |
| Ownership | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Affiliation(s) | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Website | ontario |
History
From 2009 to 2014, the LA Clippers had been affiliated with the former Bakersfield Jam (now Motor City Cruise) before the Jam switched to a single affiliation with the Phoenix Suns. In December 2015, Doc Rivers, head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, mentioned the need for the Clippers to own an NBA Development League team.[3]
In April 2017, the Clippers were reported to be looking to add a minor league affiliate in the NBA Development League either in nearby Ontario or Bakersfield for the 2017–18 season.[4][5] In May 2017, the Clippers reportedly had settled on the Ontario location; possibly calling the team the Agua Caliente Clippers.[6][7] On May 15, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario were announced.[8] The team was named after the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a federally recognized tribe with resorts and casinos in Palm Springs and are the presenting sponsor of the Clippers.
In 2021, Paul Hewitt was named the head coach of the team. In the 2021-22 season, the Clippers appeared in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
On July 5, 2022, the team officially changed their name to the Ontario Clippers.[9]
On December 22, 2022, the Clippers won the 2022 NBA G League Winter Showcase Cup by defeating the Windy City Bulls 99–97.
On March 11, 2024, it was announced the Clippers would be relocating to the San Diego County city of Oceanside, rebranding as the San Diego Clippers, using its NBA affiliate's former identity from 1978 to 1984.[10][11] The announcement was made at Frontwave Arena, a 7,500 capacity venue that will serve as the team's new home arena.
Since moving to San Diego, the Clippers joined Halo Sports & Entertainment, Steve Ballmer’s umbrella brand that also encompasses the Los Angeles Clippers, Intuit Dome, and the Kia Forum.
Season-by-season
| Season | Conference | Division | Regular season | Playoffs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Pct. | ||||
| Agua Caliente Clippers | |||||||
| 2017–18 | Western | Pacific | 5th | 23 | 27 | .460 | |
| 2018–19 | Western | Pacific | 3rd | 26 | 24 | .520 | |
| 2019–20 | Western | Pacific | 3rd | 22 | 22 | .500 | Season cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | — | — | 16th | 5 | 10 | .333 | |
| 2021–22 | Western | — | 2nd | 22 | 11 | .667 | Won Conference Semifinal (South Bay) 112–110 Lost Conference Final (Rio Grande Valley) 114–125 |
| Ontario Clippers | |||||||
| 2022–23 | Western | — | 9th | 17 | 15 | .531 | |
| 2023–24 | Western | — | 12th | 15 | 19 | .441 | |
| San Diego Clippers | |||||||
| 2024–25 | Western | — | |||||
| Regular season record | 130 | 128 | .504 | ||||
| Playoff record | 1 | 1 | .500 | ||||
Current roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
Radio and television
Play-by-play Brian S. Arrington and Analyst Eddie Talbert Jr. of Fox Sports 1350 AM/Riverside comprise the television broadcast team.
Coaches
| # | Head coach | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Achievements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | Win% | G | W | L | Win% | ||||
| 1 | Casey Hill[12] | 2017–2018 | 50 | 23 | 27 | .460 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 | Brian Adams | 2018–2020 | 50 | 26 | 24 | .520 | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 | Paul Hewitt[13] | 2021–present | 80 | 44 | 36 | .550 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | |
NBA affiliates
San Diego Clippers
- Los Angeles Clippers (2024–present)
Ontario Clippers
- Los Angeles Clippers (2022–2024)
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario
- Los Angeles Clippers (2017–2022)