"The team that spent its first four decades of existence as a punch line and a purgatory has now had 14 consecutive winning seasons with a succession of basketball greats wearing its uniform. After decades of playing in dingy gyms from Buffalo to San Diego to downtown Los Angeles, the Clippers now hold court in a lavish, futuristic new arena built by the richest owner in professional sports,"
"Yet perhaps it's cosmically appropriate for this crowning All-Star moment to arrive in the middle of a profoundly chaotic season for the Clippers, whose newer fans have been getting a taste of the bad old days from a team that once spent almost every year mired in some kind of mess. "We've dealt with a lot this year," said Clippers guard Kris Dunn, whose team closed the first half of the season Wednesday with a 105-102 victory in Houston."
The Clippers reversed decades of losing and compiled 14 consecutive winning seasons while attracting high-profile players. The franchise moved from dingy gyms in Buffalo, San Diego and downtown Los Angeles into a lavish, futuristic arena funded by owner Steve Ballmer. The current season has been turbulent, beginning with an NBA investigation into a suspicious endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard that could lead to penalties. The team then started 6-21 and removed franchise icon Chris Paul during his farewell season. The roster later began to rebound, and players emphasized a mentality of finding a way amid ongoing challenges.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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