The Curse of the Clipper

Is there a franchise in professional sports more synonymous with self-inflicted wounds than the Los Angeles Clippers? For decades, the Clippers have been a case study in organizational misfortune—changing cities, changing eras, and changing expectations, yet somehow never changing their signature pattern of collapse.

In Episode 2 of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition, host Callan McClurg unravels the sprawling, multi-city mythology of a franchise forever fighting ghosts of its own creation. Beginning with their origins as the Buffalo Braves—a team dismantled by ownership feuds despite flashes of brilliance—the story moves west to their forgotten years in San Diego, where relocation upheaval and front-office chaos buried the team before it ever had a chance to take root. Even their move to Los Angeles couldn’t shake the turbulence, thanks to the toxic, oppressive tenure of owner Donald Sterling, whose mismanagement turned the team into the league’s long-running punchline.

Yet even after the Sterling era ended and the franchise entered its most talented period—led by stars like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard—the Clippers still managed to find new ways to fall short. This episode digs deep into the most recent and most bizarre chapter: the Kawhi Leonard “no-show” endorsement scandal. McClurg examines allegations of a covert deal meant to circumvent NBA salary rules, and how it reignited questions about whether the Clippers can ever escape the trap of self-sabotage, even with elite players and one of the league’s most ambitious owners.

With historical context, fan accounts, cultural perspective, and an exploration of the psychological toll of rooting for a team that always seems cursed, The Curse of the Clipper paints a full, unfiltered portrait of the Clippers’ legacy. It’s a story of unrealized potential, repeating cycles, and the uncomfortable truth that some franchises may carry their failures with them no matter where they go.

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