Hall of Fame center Bill Walton still feels guilty for the Clippers leaving San Diego to become the LA Clippers in 1984.
In 1979, reigning NBA MVP Bill Walton signed with the San Diego Clippers. Five years later in 1984, the franchise relocated and became the LA Clippers. And upon the end of the team’s first year in Los Angeles, Walton was traded to the Boston Celtics for Cedric Maxwell and a 1986 first round draft pick. As the 1977 Finals MVP and 1978 league MVP just a few seasons earlier, an awful lot changed in a hurry for both Walton and his Clippers.
ESPN’s Arash Markazi has spoken with Walton, and the Hall of Famer still feels a sense of regret and guilt for the way things worked out for the Clippers in San Diego, just nine miles away from his hometown of La Mesa:
"“When you fail in your hometown, that’s as bad as it gets, and I love my hometown. I wish we had NBA basketball here, and we don’t because of me… It’s my greatest failure as a professional in my entire life. I could not get the job done in my hometown. It is a stain and stigma on my soul that is indelible. I’ll never be able to wash that off, and I carry it with me forever.”"
The emotion Walton still feels after what happen in the mid 1980s is clear. But from a basketball standpoint, there wasn’t much more he could do.
He was at the top of the league just one year before coming to San Diego, but he played just 14 games in his first season with the Clippers in 1979-80.
Injuries had always bothered Walton, and multiple reconstructive foot surgeries forced him to completely miss the next two seasons.
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After returning, he played in 88 games over his next two seasons in San Diego and played 67 in his first and last season in L.A.
Walton added more to Markazi:
"“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it. I was injured literally the whole time. If I could have played we would still have NBA basketball in San Diego. If I was any kind of a man I would have just quit on the spot when the team moved to Los Angeles and said, ‘I’m staying here.’ But I wasn’t in a good place. I wasn’t healthy. I was not strong enough to stand up for what was right. I should have stayed in San Diego and done something else. I was very sad.”"
Whether or not the Clippers franchise would have stayed in San Diego is unknown. But Walton is right that if he, a former MVP and star, had stayed in place and proceeded to be the leader to more success or a championship for the Clippers, the franchise may have had a far better chance of staying in place. With success and such a figure for the fan base to support, there’s more incentive to stay put.
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Instead, the Clippers touched down in L.A., beginning decades of disappointing play as one of the NBA’s most destined-to-fail franchises.
Sadly for Walton, his performance and production still struggled after he left the Clippers. Heading into his thirties with three missed seasons and so many injuries holding back his body, his numbers and role fell. Even still, he was a highly valued player off the bench for the Celtics in 1985-86, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award and claiming his second championship.
Thankfully for his former team, the LA Clippers are enjoying the most success in their history in the era of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
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However, exactly how long the duo stays together may be in question once free agency arrives next summer.