Ranking the 5 best LA Clippers players in history
Though the LA Clippers are yet to win an NBA Championship or hoist any player's jersey to the rafters, they have had their fair share of superstars in the league.
Currently, All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have the hopes of a franchise resting on their shoulders. They go into the 2021-22 campaign among the contenders for the title should the former return from injury. Winning a chip would certainly earn them a place in Clippers history and a jersey retirement.
Before the current roster of LA Clippers stars, though, the 'Lob City' sides of the past decade helped lay the foundations for success and put the franchise on the map. The three leaders of those teams are recognized as some of the best players in the organization's history, as too are All-Stars of the past that fans may not be aware of.
In this article, we will rank who we believe are the best LA Clippers players of all time and why. Let's get into it.
Who should be classified as the LA Clippers best ever players?
#5 Elton Brand
Prior to 'Lob City's' creation, Elton Brand was responsible for keeping the LA Clippers relevant in the Western Conference. In seven seasons with the ball club, Brand appeared in the postseason just once but still ranks among the best in franchise folklore for his scoring and rebounding.
Arriving at the LA Clippers aged 22, Brand immediately enamored himself with the team's fanbase, averaging 18.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and two blocks per game in his first season while making his first All-Star appearance. He would go on to earn another All-Star call-up in 2006 and ended his time with the franchise with staggering averages of 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting at 51% from the field.
In the ball club's history books, Brand ranks in the top five players for points, rebounds, blocks and minutes played. While he may not have achieved the success that those later down the line would, he should certainly be recognized for his scoring. Brand was a precursor of what was to come in terms of the LA Clippers dunk specialists.
#4 DeAndre Jordan
Though a number of players could have made it onto the LA Clippers' greatest list, there had to be a spot for DeAndre Jordan. The 6-11 center was one of the most dominant big men in the league while in LA and led all players in field-goal percentage for five consecutive campaigns.
He is the longest tenured player on this list (10 seasons), has played the most number of games for the franchise, has the most rebounds and blocks and ranks eighth in points.
Jordan was the first member of 'Lob City', having been drafted by the LA Clippers in 2008, but it took until Chris Paul and Blake Griffin arrived for him to really show his worth. After the 2012-13 campaign, Jordan would average a double-double in every game for the ensuing five seasons, twice leading the NBA in rebounds.
His connection with both Griffin and Paul was second nature, but Jordan had to do a lot of the unseen work down low for them to wow the crowd on offense. Some of his dunks while with the LA Clippers are still among the best of the 21st century, particularly his posterization of Brandon Knight.