LA’s draft history: Ranking every #8 overall pick

LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1982: Tom Chambers #22 of the San Diego Clippers shoots a free throw against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1982 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Chambers played for the Clippers from 1981-83. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1982: Tom Chambers #22 of the San Diego Clippers shoots a free throw against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1982 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Chambers played for the Clippers from 1981-83. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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Tom Chambers
Tom Chambers (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty ImagesTom chambers

1. Tom chambers

LA Clippers stats: 17.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 49.8 fg%

A true franchise building block in every sense of the word, Tom Chambers proudly wore his Clipper uniform after being taken with the eighth overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft.

From the very beginning, Chambers established himself as an all-out hustle player, an energy guy, and a ball player who would do whatever it took to reel in the victory.

During their first year together, LA managed only 17 wins in the regular season. Although victories came few and far between, Chambers proved to his newly drafted team that he was a valuable player. The first-year forward averaged 17.2 points a night and crashed the glass with 6.9 rebounds a game.

Year two was much of the same as Chambers would average 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. While his numbers were nearly identical, his impact on winning became noticeable. With LA nabbing eight more wins than the previous year, they appeared to be moving in the right direction. However, in true Clipper-like fashion, Chambers was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics, where he would eventually become a four-time All-Star, and a 20-point per game scorer, getting as high as 27.2 points per game during the 1989-90 season.