Topic summary
San Diego Clippers
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Los Angeles Clippers.
1978–1984: San Diego Clippers
In 1978, San Diego welcomed the Braves franchise to the city. The city's previous NBA franchise, the San Diego Rockets, had relocated to Houston seven years earlier in 1971. In between, the city hosted an ABA franchise, the San Diego Conquistadors, though that team folded partway through its fourth season after they had been renamed the Sails. San Diego team officials did not think "Braves" was a proper representative nickname for the club in San Diego, and a local naming contest ultimately decided on "Clippers", in reference to the city being known for the great sailing ships that passed through San Diego Bay. The first head coach of the Clippers was chosen to be Gene Shue, a respected tactician. He preferred a fast playing style with many scoring opportunities. Only three players from the Braves started in the team: Randy Smith, Swen Nater, and Scott Lloyd. Other starting players included Kermit Washington, and Sidney Wicks. World B. Free was also brought in from, the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a future first round pick.