INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue reflects on this season’s journey, he can barely contain his emotions.
“A lot,” Lue simply stated when asked about the challenges his team has faced.
Following a devastating 6-21 opening to the season, the Clippers battled back to secure a play-in tournament berth. Their final 42-40 record preserved the NBA’s longest active streak of winning seasons at 15 years. The franchise made history by becoming the first team ever to fall 15 or more games below .500 and still finish above the break-even mark.
“Usually a team deals with adversity maybe once or twice throughout a season,” Lue explained, “but not five or six times.”
Los Angeles will welcome Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors for Wednesday evening’s play-in matchup. The victorious team advances to Friday’s elimination contest, while the defeated squad heads into the offseason.
“Pretty remarkable turnaround,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged. “I know Ty well. One of his strengths is just staying the course and really keeping the guys on an even keel, and that’s not easy to do when you’re 6-21.”
The franchise’s struggles extended beyond game performance.
Kawhi Leonard and the organization continue facing an NBA probe that launched last September, examining potential salary cap violations related to Leonard’s compensation through an endorsement agreement with a now-defunct sponsor. The external legal team conducting the review has not announced a completion timeline.
Team officials have embraced the inquiry and rejected any misconduct allegations.
“It doesn’t impact anything we do on a daily basis,” basketball operations president Lawrence Frank stated in February. “We know it’s out there, we know at some point there’ll be a decision made.”
The roster suffered an early setback when Bradley Beal sustained a season-ending fracture requiring surgical intervention.
Despite enthusiastically bringing Chris Paul back to the organization last autumn, the team dismissed him in December.
Management sent him away during a road trip in an unexpected decision. The 40-year-old future Hall of Fame floor general had hoped to conclude his 21st NBA campaign by retiring as a Clipper.
February’s trade deadline brought additional changes as the Clippers eliminated their status as the league’s most veteran squad by dealing 36-year-old James Harden and beloved player Ivica Zubac.
The constant changes threatened to eclipse their hosting duties for All-Star weekend at their two-year-old facility.
Lue praised his roster’s determination in weathering the tumultuous campaign.
“To not give up, not give in, it just shows a lot about the guys in the locker room that care to what they bring every single day,” he noted.
Kerr drew parallels between the Clippers’ revival and the 1977-78 Seattle SuperSonics, who started 5-17 before firing their coach and finishing 47-35 under new leader Lenny Wilkens. That Seattle team reached the NBA Finals before capturing the franchise’s sole title the next season.
While nobody expects such a deep playoff push from Los Angeles, they’ve already overcome extraordinary obstacles.
“We always knew we were a better team that what we were showing,” veteran Brook Lopez commented, “but to go out there and prove it, it’s a nice little honor.”
