10 NBA Players You Forgot Played For The Los Angeles Clippers

Founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970, the Los Angeles Clippers are currently in their 53rd season in the NBA. Over these 70 years, many NBA stars and superstars have donned their uniforms. We already know about the greats such as Chris Paul, Bob McAdoo, Elton Brand, and Blake Griffin, but those aren’t the only recognizable players who have made their way to and through Clipper Nation. See, there is a difference between being an all-time great for a team and being an all-time great that has played for a team. The players today have been considered great or very good at one point in their careers, but not while they were a Clipper.

The players on our list today could have gone on to have Hall of Fame careers after their time with the team. Others were all-time greats whose final stop in their careers might have come through Los Angeles. The players below could have had flashes of greatness with the Clippers but never sustained anything. Our job today is to make you think and say, “Oh yeah, now I remember when he played for the Clippers,” or “Wow, I had no idea he made a stop in L.A. in his career.” None of these players will have come to your mind in the first place.

Here are 10 NBA players who you forgot played for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Moses Malone

Moses Malone is best known for his days as an MVP and NBA champion with the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers. Malone is one of the best rebounders and overall centers in NBA history. He won MVP with the Rockets in both 1979 and 1982. In 1983, Malone was traded to the 76ers. In his first season with the team, Malone once again won MVP and led the 76ers to an NBA Finals appearance. The 76ers would sweep the Lakers, with Moses Malone being named the Finals MVP.

Many NBA fans are under the impression that Malone began his career with the Rockets in 1977. The truth is, after 2 years in the ABA, Malone was drafted in 1976 by the Portland Trail Blazers and traded to the Buffalo Braves 2 months later. The crazy part is, Malone appeared in just 2 games for the Buffalo Braves and recorded no points in just 6 minutes played. The Braves, now known as the Clippers, clearly didn’t recognize the talent they had as Malone would become an All-Star by 1978 with the Rockets. The Braves allowed him to go to Houston for 2 1st-round draft picks instead of giving him a chance to be the Hall of Famer he turned out to be.

Tom Chambers

Tom Chambers is a 4-time NBA All-Star, 1-time All-Star MVP, and a 2-time All-NBA Team selection. He is well-known for his days as a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer with the Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns. In the 1989-90 season, Chambers peaked with the Suns as he averaged 27.2 PPG on 50.1% shooting. From 1990 through 1992 with Phoenix, Chambers averaged 24.4 PPG and 7.3 RPG and was selected to 3 straight All-Star games.

What many folks forget is the beginning of Chambers’ career. With the 8th pick overall in the 1981 NBA Draft, the San Diego Clippers selected Chambers out of Utah. He spent his first 2 seasons with the franchise and performed incredibly well. In his rookie season, Chambers averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 81 games for the Clippers. The following season was more of the same when Chambers averaged 17.6 PPG and 6.6 RPG. In August 1983, Chambers was traded from the Clippers to the SuperSonics for James Donaldson, Greg Kelser, Mark Wood, and a first-round draft pick. None of those players would amount to the career that Chambers had.

Kiki Vandeweghe

In his days with the Denver Nuggets during the 1980s, Kiki Vandeweghe was a key contributor to one of the most prolific offenses of the decade. From 1981 through 1984, Vandeweghe became a 2-time All-Star with the Denver Nuggets. In 1983, Vandeweghe averaged 26.7 PPG on 54.7% shooting to help the Nuggets win 45 games. The following season, Vandeweghe averaged 29.4 PPG on 55.8% shooting as well. He averaged at least 20.0 PPG every season from 1982 through 1988 with both the Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.

After 4 and a half seasons in Portland at over 20.0 PPG and 3 seasons with the Knicks that began the decline of his career, Vandeweghe ended up with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 1992-93 season. He signed as a free agent for the season and would appear in just 41 games. Only 3 of those games were as a starter, and Vandeweghe had reached the twilight of his career. He averaged 6.2 PPG and 1.2 RPG in his 41 games and retired from the game immediately following the season.

Mark Aguirre

As the No. 1 overall pick in 1981, Mark Aguirre had high expectations coming into the league with the Dallas Mavericks. Aguirre helped to put them on the map as a new franchise in the NBA and soon became the franchise cornerstone. From 1982 through 1988 with the Mavericks, Aguirre was a 3-time All-Star and averaged 24.9 PPG on 49.5% shooting over that 7-year span. In 1989, his trade to the Pistons put Detroit over the top as a team and led to 2 NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.

After 7 and a half seasons in Dallas and 4 and a half seasons in Detroit, Aguirre also signed as a free agent with the Clippers for the 1993-94 season. Aguirre was far from the player he once was at 34 years old, but he could still produce for his team in limited bursts. He played just 39 games off of the bench that season for the Clippers and averaged 10.6 PPG in 22.0 minutes played. After 13 seasons in the NBA, Mark Aguirre walked away from the game at the conclusion of the 1993-94 season.

Dominique Wilkins

One of the best overall players of the 1980s was Dominique Wilkins. They dubbed him the “Human Highlight Reel” for his high-flying play style and knack for producing highlights on a nightly basis. Wilkins was a prolific scorer who became a 9-time All-Star and rival to the likes of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Wilkins had one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history with the Hawks in the 1992-93 season. After tearing his Achilles during the 1992 season, Wilkins came back for the entirety of the 1993 season. He changed his game completely and adapted to his lack of athleticism to average 29.9 PPG on 44.0% shooting.

Midway through his 9th straight All-Star season, Wilkins was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Los Angeles Clippers. Wilkins was sent to Los Angeles along with a first-round pick in exchange for Danny Manning. In 25 games for the Clippers, Wilkins showed signs of his former self, averaging 29.5 PPG on 45.3% shooting. He would sign with the Celtics in the offseason before going overseas in 1996. He went back and forth with the NBA and overseas until he retired for good in 1999.

Glen Rice

Before the league was the 3-point barrage it is today, one of its best shooters during the 90s was Glen Rice. With the Miami Heat from 1990 through 1995, Rice became an avid shooter and scorer who was a threat to light it up any given night. After moving on to the Charlotte Hornets in 1995-96, Rice hit his peak. He would go to 3 straight All-Star Games from 1996 through 1998 and be named MVP of the festivities as well. Rice averaged a career-high 26.8 PPG in 1997 and shot 44.4% from three over those 3 years with the Hornets. He led the league in 3-point percentage in 1997, when he shot 47.0% from deep on 6.5 attempts per game.

After his time with Charlotte, Rice became an integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers for their 2000 NBA title run. He would make stops with the Knicks and Rockets as well from 2001 through 2003. In the 2003-04 season, Rice played the last NBA basketball of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Rice appeared in just 18 games and averaged 3.7 PPG in 14.6 minutes of play. After 15 seasons, Rice would retire from the NBA after being waived by the Clippers in January 2004.

Kenyon Martin

Known for his intense and physical play and wild body artwork, Kenyon Martin enjoyed a 16-year career in the NBA. He was drafted 1st overall by the New Jersey Nets in 2000 and became an All-Star by the 2003-04 season. Martin was the anchor of 2 Nets teams that appeared in the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals. He stayed in the spotlight when he played for the Denver Nuggets from 2005 through 2011 as well. He was still an intense defender, a great rebounder, and a double-digit scorer.

Martin was a free agent for the first time in his career following the 2011 season with the Nuggets. He signed a free-agent deal with the Clippers in February 2012. Marting was struggling with knee issues by this time in his career and appeared in just 42 games off the bench for L.A. that season. He averaged 5.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG in those 42 games. He would play 2 seasons with the Knicks and one season with the Bucks before retiring after the 2015 season.

Grant Hill

From the moment he debuted for the Detroit Pistons in the 1994-95 season, he was destined to be the next great NBA superstar. Hill became an All-Star during his rookie year, and many thought the NBA would be his for the taking after Michael Jordan inevitably stepped away from the game. Unfortunately for Hill, he suffered an ankle injury that would derail the rest of his NBA career forever. He would make an All-star appearance once again with the Magic in 2001 and 2005, but it was clear that the injuries had taken their toll.

After he was done in Orlando, Hill would put in 5 seasons for the Phoenix Suns. In July 2012, Hill would sign a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. The attempt to squeeze the last bit of success out of Hill fell wildly short as Hill appeared in just 29 games off the bench for L.A. and averaged 3.2 PPG. At 40 years old, Hill decided to finally call it quits after 19 seasons in the NBA.

Antawn Jamison

Real NBA fans remember just how good Antawn Jamison was during the 2000s and 2010s. With the Warriors and Wizards during the 2000s, Jamison became one of the best stretch-forwards in basketball, being selected to 2 All-Star teams and winning the 2004 Sixth Man of the Year award. Jamison was a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer and an avid defender that could switch onto any player he wanted on that end of the floor.

After 11 seasons with the Warriors, Mavericks, and Wizards, Jamison spent 3 and a half seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a one-year stint in Los Angeles with the Lakers in 2013, Jamison decided to switch sides of the rivalry for the 2013-14 season. He would be able to appear in just 22 games for the Clippers that season at 37 years old and averaged just 3.2 PPG. After a 16-season NBA career, Jamison retired from the NBA following his stint with the Clippers in 2013-14.

Paul Pierce

Coming out of Kansas in 1998, Paul Pierce was selected by the Boston Celtics as the 10th overall pick. Over the next 15 seasons, Pierce would cement his name among the greats atop the legendary Celtics franchise. Pierce Pierce would be selected to 10 All-Star teams in his career with Boston and 4 All-NBA Teams as well. In 2008, Pierce led the Celtics to an NBA championship alongside Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Pierce would claim Finals MVP that series as well, with a win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Pierce and Garnett were dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in a mega trade before the 2013-14 season. The trade imploded so much that Pierce was gone from the Nets by 2014-15. He would then spend one season with the Washington Wizards before settling on the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015. Pierce spent the final 2 seasons of his career with the Clippers and appeared in 73 games over those 2 years. He averaged 5.4 PPG and saw just 16.2 minutes of action. After the 2016-17 season, Pierce retired after 19 seasons of NBA service. 

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