California Sports Fan Blog

As NBA fans turn their attention to Los Angeles, where the Lakers are preparing to battle the Celtics for the second time in three years, it’s easy to overlook Los Angeles’ other franchise, the Clippers. For years, the Clippers have lived in the shadow of the Lakers, compiling losing seasons, and watching as their best players either left town or got hurt.

This past season was no different, as the Clippers limped to a 29-53 record. To make matters worse, Blake Griffin, the first pick of the 2009 draft and the player who was expected to lead the Clippers’ turnaround, was injured and was unable to play a single game. To make matters worse, the Clippers only received the 8th pick in the draft, where they are unlikely to land a game-changing player.

In many ways, the Clipper franchise appears to be cursed, as they have a record of bad luck and poor personnel decisions, in addition to one of the more controversial owners in sports, Donald Sterling. Why, then, might there be reason for optimism for Los Angeles’ 2nd team?

The primary reason for optimism amongst Clippers fans is an economic one. Next season, the Clippers only have 5 players under contract, and they have freed up enough money to offer a max contract to an established superstar. Despite the available money, however, is there a reason for a great player to head to leave their previous teams and head to a team without any prior track record of success.

Surprisingly, the answer might be yes. While the Clippers have been a doormat of the league for quite some time, they do have a talented roster that could lure a talented player to Los Angeles. First and foremost, the Clippers boast Eric Gordon, one of the most talented young shooting guards in the NBA. Although he is only finishing his second year, he has already established himself as one of the top jump-shooters in the league, and he has also shown solid athleticism. For a great player looking for a complimentary second player, they would be unlikely to find a better sidekick than Gordon.

In addition, the Clippers also boast a solid veteran presence in Chris Kaman and Baron Davis. Although Kaman is not regarded as an elite player, he provides a solid and dependable presence at the center position, which few other teams can offer. Like Kaman, Baron Davis also provides veteran leadership and solid production. Although Davis is no longer an elite point guard, he still has the ability to effectively distribue the basketball and control the tempo of a game.

With the presence of Blake Griffin, whose potential is considered to be nearly unlimited, it is fair to say that no other team could offer a better situation for a free agent looking to win and win immediately. Although Lebron James doesn’t appear likely to head to Los Angeles, there are a number of other talented players, such as Rudy Gay or Joe Johnson, who could contribute to the Clippers success for the 2010 season.  Although the Clippers must contend with decades of futility, there appears to be, for the first time, reasons for optimism in the future.

by Nathan Eagan at the Sports Fan Blog Network

The Los Angeles Clippers may not have won the NBA draft lottery for the second year in a row, but they are getting the No. 1 pick.

Blake Griffin, the Oklahoma star who missed all of his rookie season with a stress fracture in his left kneecap, has been fully cleared for all basketball activities.

“Right now Blake is working out with no restrictions, at full speed, 100 percent to the point where [strength coach] Rich Williams asked me to talk to Blake about dialing it back a little bit,” Clippers general manager Neil Olshey said.

“He’s working out in May like we were ready to tip off in October. The only guy I feel bad for is the first one of his teammates that shows up and wants to play one-on-one with him.”

Griffin injured his knee in the Clippers’ final preseason game on October 23. He rested for a few weeks and was hoping to return by the middle of the season. But the recovery process did not go as hoped and he was forced to have season-ending surgery.

Click here to read the full article – By Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com

The top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will take on their Staples Center co-tenant tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers, in a tuneup before the playoffs.

The Lakers haven’t been playing like a playoff team, however, having lost three of their last five games, but are coming off Tuesday’s 106-100 win versus the Sacramento Kings in Hollywood. With Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum sitting out the final games of the regular season for the Lakers, Pau Gasol stepped up with 28 points and Shannon Brown added 24 in the win.

Sasha Vujacic added 13 points for LA, which is slated to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.

“We got the ball moving tonight, everybody got touches,” Brown said. “I am taking shots, what’s given to me. I’m just trying to get a nice rhythm for the playoffs.”

The Pacific Division-champion Lakers are 23-17 as the guest this season.

Click here to read the full article – By of http://www.sportsnetwork.com

Clippers show promise in exhibition games, but the veteran urges restraint even as he remains cautiously optimistic about the team’s chances this season.

The incumbent Chris Kaman, veteran of those flickers, urged caution after back-to-back exhibition wins and a fresh air of hope in Clippers’ training camp.

It took one word to get that thought across: Fresno.

“Don’t read into it so much,” Kaman said Tuesday after practice. “It’s basketball. See how it goes. It happened last year. We beat the Lakers in the preseason up in Fresno.”

In fact, it was Oct. 9 of last year when the Clippers crushed the Lakers in Fresno, 107-80, in their exhibition opener. And you know the injury-marred rest of the story.


Click here to read the full article – By Lisa Dillman of Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Clippers Gifts and Collectibles

The Clippers, most notably Blake Griffin, are a little banged up on the eve of their exhibition opener, but that’s hardly unusual.


There was an injury to their No. 1 draft pick before training camp started, and, once the official practices started, there was one to the oldest player on the roster and another to the backup point guard.

Bring it on.

The games, that is.

The Clippers are familiar with this sort of thing, of course. They can only try to keep it under control, hoping the injury damage is confined to the preseason.

They will play their first game in nearly six months — their regular-season finale was back on April 15 — Sunday night at Golden State against the Warriors, at 6 p.m.

There was summer league in Las Vegas, in July, but that mainly featured an anonymous cast and the Clippers’ kids, No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin and the three rookies last season, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and Mike Taylor (waived shortly thereafter).

Griffin, who injured his left knee four days before camp opened, will not play against the Warriors but could be cleared for contact in practice in a few days. Also sitting out will be backup point guard Sebastian Telfair, who was acquired in a four-player deal with Minnesota in July. Telfair injured his left foot during a drill at camp.


Click here to read the full article – By Lisa Dillman of LAtimes.com

Los Angeles Clippers Jerseys
and other Clippers Apparel

Los Angeles Clippers Jersey Dress

Los Angeles Clippers Jersey Dress with Laces

The makeover of the Los Angeles Clippers may include a former scoring champion.

The team is in “very serious” talks with Allen Iverson on a contract, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported on Sunday that Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, while still hopeful of signing Iverson, regards the Miami Heat as the “odds-on favorite” to land the former MVP. The Charlotte Bobcats were also reported to have interest.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets Sports Memorabilia
and other Denver Nuggets Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Allen Iverson.

Poor Blake Griffin. The biggest day of his life up to this point became a footnote.

On the day the entertainment world lost Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett and the NBA saw Shaq and LeBron James united by trade, Griffin became the No. 1 overall pick Thursday night in the NBA draft. Griffin, the much-heralded sophomore from Oklahoma, is the fourth straight player from the Big 12 selected in the draft’s first two picks.

Article by The Kansas City Star on June 25, 2009
Click here for full article