Again Hip to Clip

By Jan Garcia Sports Central Columnist

Growing up in the Los Angeles area, I was always torn between the Lakers and the Clippers. For many of us who live here, it was an easy choice: go with the champions. But it isn't always fun to root for the winners. Although they were a great team to watch, the Lakers were followed by everyone and their grandmothers. I always knew about the Clippers, but I also new that they were always terrible. But for a brief time in the early nineties, I was a Clippers fan. They actually showed the fans something to cheer about. Heck, I even bought a road-red Danny Manning jersey and wore it to school.

In 1991, Larry Brown turned the clippers into a quality team. And no, that is not a misprint! If there is any proof that he is undeniably one of the best coaches in the league, that is it. Clippers and winning never used to belong in the same sentence - until he came to town. Then, there was actually some excitement during those games. Danny Manning, Ron Harper, Ken Norman, and company were playing fun and exciting basketball; I even loved watching big Stanley Roberts rumble down the court. These Clippers gave kids like me another team to cheer for in Southern California.

Then reality set in. Larry Brown vanished into the world of respectable franchises and the Clippers organization fell back into their old ways. After years of disappointment, no one really cared what the Clippers did. Did you say Draft? LeRon Ellis, Randy Woods, Elmore Spencer, and Terry Dehere. Who are these, you say? All taken in the first round. Even drafting Michael Olowokandi with the first pick in 1998 was questionable. Then you have Lamond Murray, Antonio McDyess, Lorenzen Wright, and Maurice Taylor. Quality players who left the franchise or were traded. With all of these terrible happenings, who could bare to be a fan?

Then things started to change. It began with the drafting of Lamar Odom in 1999. Considered to be the top pick by many, he fell to the Clippers in the fourth slot. The drafting of Darius Miles and the hiring of Alvin Gentry in 2000. The Clippers became hip again. They were a young, run-and-gun team. Fun to watch, but still prone to many mistakes. Of course, they ended up playing in the Staples Center, the same building as that other team in town, who ended up winning the NBA championship. It was still tough to be a fan.

Everyone would agree that the future looks bright for the Clips. With the second pick in the upcoming draft, it seems even more promising. The odd thing is through all the good and bad times, there have been two constants: owner, Donald Sterling and GM Elgin Baylor. They have been blamed for so many of the negatives that have followed the franchise, some merited and some not. In all likeliness, success will follow them in the near future just to prove that the victory bug is not that fickle and that they are not incompetent. Even though they did draft Elmore Spencer.

Maybe I can even wipe off the dust and wear my Danny Manning jersey.

Article courtesy of Sports Central