The Clippers have been trying to force their way into a new identity.
Ever since Steve Balmer took over the Los Angeles Clippers as owner in 2014, the tam has been desperate to forge a new identity.
Under Ballmer and all of the wealth that he had at his disposal, the Clippers built the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. and moved out of the stadium they shared with the Los Angeles Lakers for decades, rebranded the team to better reflect their San Diego roots and embarked on a new effort to add star power to their team.
But that ambition has proven to be their folly. After years of pursuing major stars like James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to try and bring at least one championship to the "other" Los Angeles team, the Clippers are in a worse spot than ever before.
LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer (right) and Vic Blends aka Victor Fontanez (right) after the game against the Houston Rockets at the Intuit Dome. Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesSacrifices and Big Swings
Trading for Paul George meant giving up five first-round picks and the future two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and signing Kawhi Leonard eventually led to an NBA investigation into salary cap circumvention that led to the forfeiture of another five first-round picks.
Their efforts to win a championship were all in vain as well, going as far as the Western Conference Finals once, but never making it further than that, all while Leonard missed over 200 games in his seven season with the team and will soon be traded back to the Toronto Raptors.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Norman Powell (24), guard Paul George (13) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) look on from the bench in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsThe series of moves that the Clippers have made during Ballmer's tenure as owner can be framed as either ambitious or desperate, but NBA insider Brian Windhorst sees the moves as a symptom of the Clippers' "little brother" syndrome that comes trying to stand out in a market dominated by a team as historically successful and culturally rooted as the Lakers.
Windhorst Sounds off on Clippers
“The Clippers are going through the same thing the Nets were; they have "little brother" syndrome. They both were so focused on not being the little brother anymore that they took way too big of gambles," Windhorst said (via SportsWithJay on X). "They shared the same arena, but the did an entire campaign. “LA our way” they changed their name from the Los Angeles Clippers to the LA Clippers. They were chasing the Lakers.”
LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reacts after the game against the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome. Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesIt would be hard not to feel that way in a market as dominated by one team as Los Angeles is with the Lakers. The Lakers stand out as the most popular team in the city, rivaled only by the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB, and have been rooted in the city for over 60 years, with no shortage of iconic stars coming through their doors.
Ballmer knew what the situation was when he bought the team and fought hard to reverse it. According to former Clipper Lou Williams, Ballmer renovated hundreds of basketball courts in the Los Angeles area to try and raise up new Clippers fans because he apparently knew that converting Laker fans wasn't going to be possible.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) passes the ball over Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) as guard Paul George (13) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) look on in the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsAll of the Clippers' big swings, which have led the Clippers down a path where they have a doubtful future and a half-rebuilt roster, have been rooted in an effort to make them stand out.
But in the mad rush to make that happen, they've instead only set themselves back while the Lakers look forward to a new era with yet another superstar in Luka Doncic.
