In the city of Los Angeles, the Clippers are doing everything they can to re-make their identity and become a respectable group in the eyes of the community.
Unfortunately, they haven’t yet become a team people take seriously, and Kawhi Leonard’s recent trademark did not do much to help that endeavor.
According to a report by CNN’s Josh Gerben, the “Fun Guy” filed a trademark for the phrase “CLIP GANG,” signaling an intent by Kawhi to use the phrase in merchandise later.
It could also allude to the adoption of a new slogan, which Kawhi actually premiered back in September: “CLIP GANG OR DON’T BANG.”
Kawhi Leonard has filed a trademark for "CLIP GANG."
The filing, made on Oct 11, indicates that Kawhi will sell a CLIP GANG-branded line of clothing.
The Clippers star caused a buzz on social media in September by wearing a "CLIP GANG OR DON'T BANG" hoodie.#clippernation pic.twitter.com/kdgUElOcOH
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) October 15, 2021
It’s an ambitious move that, unfortunately for Kawhi, is getting clowned on social media.
Upon hearing the news of his plans to trademark the words, Kawhi and the Clippers community got trolled by social media users for the apparently “corny” new slogan.
https://twitter.com/skinnypaulie/status/1449113664120766466https://twitter.com/zayischillinn/status/1449108035184390144
By far, the worst of it was on Reddit, where droves of people shared their unfiltered thoughts…
Obviously, there are some who are all about the idea, and, at the very least, it’s a good sign that Kawhi is all-in as a member of the Clippers.
Needless to say though, most aren’t exactly fond of this phrase, for one reason or another. It’s definitely not going to be something that appeals to everyone.
Regardless, despite all the hate and jokes aimed in their direction, it’s all just a part of the Clippers continuing to battle for respect and relevancy in the NBA, and they’re closer than ever to achieving that goal.
“Well, we’ve gotten pretty good. We’re actually serious, you can see we’re serious,” said team owner Steve Ballmer. “…we’re not the old screwed-up franchise in town, we’re getting our act together and I think because we’re getting our act together, it gets people like, ‘C’mon, you can’t get your act together, it’s just my team, my team is the only one that matters’
I have been surprised by animus from Lakers fans, and my message has sort of been, why, you don’t have enough confidence in your guys? There are 29 other teams you have to beat to win a championship, but you must be pretty worried about us. The Lakers are a great organization, a great franchise, but Laker fans, you must be a little worried about us.
For decades, the Clippers have existed as a laughing stock of the league, a “shadow” organization destined to watch their big brother succeed.
But now, they are charting their own path. Whatever their slogan might be, or how corny you might think it is, they’re out there building their own culture for perhaps the first time in the franchise’s history. And that deserves some serious respect.
