Don’t tell me you didn’t see this coming.

With only six winning seasons in their entire history, LA’s perennial “other team” reigns supreme as the absolute worst.

The franchise, initially known as the Buffalo Braves, has been a loser since its very inception. They joined the NBA just prior to the 1970-71 season, along with the Portland Trailblazers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Things did not get off to a good start for the Braves. In their first draft, they passed on future hall-of-famer and hometown favorite Calvin Murphy. As most expansion teams do, the squad finished with a poor record. 22-60 was the best they could muster.

They finished their second year with the exact same record, after replacing their head coach one game into the season. The Braves would do nothing truly noteworthy until the 1973-74 season, which saw them making their first playoff appearance.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, their opponent was none other than the Boston Celtics. The Braves would lose the series, though they did manage to go six games.

The Clippers eventually moved to San Diego prior to the 1978-79 season, where they would enjoy a winning record of 43-39. They would ultimately fare no better there, however. Continued blunders in the front office resulted in poor player moves, prompting a lack of interest from the fans. The team was purchased by Los Angeles attorney Donald Sterling, who saw potential in a team drawing only 4,500 spectators per game. The Clippers moved to their new owner’s hometown in 1984.

The relocation maneuver didn’t seem to work the second time, either. There have been a few playoff appearances since, but the overall picture remains the same.

The bottom line is this: The Clippers have never been to the NBA Finals. They’ve also never won either a conference or division title.

To be a Clippers fan is truly one of the hardest ordeals in sports. For sheer level of continued disappointment, I’d place them only behind the followers of the Chicago Cubs in their appetite for punishment.

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | Basketball, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, Worst NBA Franchise