Los Angeles Clippers: 15 best draft picks of all-time
By John Buhler
To date, the only Basketball Hall of Famer that played a significant part of his career with the Braves/Clippers franchise is center/power forward Bob McAdoo. The Braves selected McAdoo No. 2 overall in the 1972 out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. McAdoo spent 4.5 of his 14 hall of fame seasons in Buffalo.
More from Clipperholics
- Grade the trade: Clippers shockingly land Trae Young in wild proposal
- 3 of the most overpaid players on the LA Clippers’ roster
- Trading for this player covers the Clippers’ biggest weakness
- How will the LA Clippers fare in the in-season tournament?
- Why the LA Clippers should steer clear of recent gold medalist waiver
His time with the Braves was short, but tremendous. McAdoo won 1973 NBA Rookie of the Year. He made five straight All-Star Games from 1974 to 1978, the first four as a member of the Braves.
In 1974, McAdoo would be named to the All-NBA second team. The following year, he would be named 1975 NBA MVP, obviously making his only All-NBA first team.
In February 1979, McAdoo was traded to the New York Knicks for Tom Barker and three first-round picks.
Sadly, his 2.5-year tenure with the Knicks was short-lived and injury-riddled. McAdoo would bounce around the NBA through the 1985-86 NBA season. He would win two NBA titles as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Next: Los Angeles Clippers: Top 5 Point Guards of All Time
McAdoo would play overseas as a star in EuroLeague until 1993. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. His Basketball Hall of Fame classmates include Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas and Tennessee Lady Volunteers coach Pat Summitt. In his Braves career, McAdoo averaged 28.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in 40.1 minutes per contest. He had been a longtime assistant coach for the Miami Heat through the 2013-14 NBA season.