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Why a throwback to the Buffalo Braves era was necessary

By Garrett Chorpenning

(Original Caption) Buffalo's Bob McAdoo, (11) goes over Cavalier's Lenny Wilkens (19 and bending over) and John Johnson (32) to score a basket during half play here on November 3rd. The Cavaliers won their third straight game, dumping the Braves 124-97.
(Original Caption) Buffalo's Bob McAdoo, (11) goes over Cavalier's Lenny Wilkens (19 and bending over) and John Johnson (32) to score a basket during half play here on November 3rd. The Cavaliers won their third straight game, dumping the Braves 124-97. /
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With a new wave of fans hopping on board this summer, the LA Clippers couldn’t have chosen a better time to go back to their Buffalo roots.

Out of all 30 teams in the NBA, the LA Clippers aren’t typically one of the first mentioned in regards to having a storied history. The franchise hasn’t achieved any real success until this current decade, and before then, there weren’t many notable feats. That doesn’t mean their history isn’t worth remembering, though.

The Clippers, as we know them, didn’t become a thing until 1984. Before then, they were the San Diego Clippers, and before then, they were the Buffalo Braves. They were relatively successful for the duration of the eight seasons they spent in New York, reaching the postseason on three separate occasions.

The main reason for that success was Bob McAdoo, a 6-10 center and the first player to put the franchise on the map.

McAdoo wore No. 11 for the Braves, and after a successful rookie season in which he averaged 18.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, he went on to pace the league in scoring for each of the three seasons that followed. He was named League MVP for the 1974-1975 season after he averaged a career-high 34.5 points per game.

McAdoo didn’t stay with the Braves long — he was traded early in the 1976-1977 season to the New York Knicks — but his legacy is one that should be remembered by Clippers fans. According to Basketball Reference, his 50.9 win shares as a member of the franchise rank fifth, behind only Blake Griffin, Elton Brand, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul.

As great as McAdoo was, he wasn’t the only member of the team responsible for their early success. Randy Smith (who ranks sixth in franchise win shares) was another vital member of the early Buffao teams, and he was named an All-Star twice during his time with the Braves.

Smith is the franchise’s leader in both minutes played and field goals made, among other things. And while his history might not be as noteworthy as McAdoo’s, his impact has clearly stood the test of time.

The LA Clippers last honored the Braves during the 2005-2006 season, though those throwbacks aren’t the same ones we’ll be seeing this upcoming season — those uniforms, donned by the likes of Cuttino Mobley and Chris Kaman, featured an orange base. These new threads have the white base, as seen below:

https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/1167503020801683456

The reason for the throwback has to do with the fact that this year marks the franchise’s 50th in the NBA, but there’s hardly been a better time for the Clippers to go back to their roots.

Now that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have joined the team, the Clippers will attract plenty of new fans. What better way to introduce them to the team’s history than having their star players rock throwbacks?

Next. Why Andre Iguodala makes sense for this LA Clippers team. dark

Sure, there are other jerseys we would like to see again sometime soon. For me at least, the early-2000s look is one that I’d love to see brought back in the near future. But this is certainly an excellent start, and a perfect way to introduce new fans (and reintroduce the old ones) to the earliest days of the LA Clippers.

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