The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. The team started out as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 and was one of three teams to join the National Basketball Association that year, then relocated to San Diego and became the Clippers before ultimately relocating to Los Angeles. The San Diego relocation was due in part to an unusual deal between owners: the West Coast-based owner of the Boston Celtics wanted to own a team closer to his home, but as the NBA would never have allowed the Celtics (one of the NBA's premier and successful franchises) to relocate: the Celtics and Braves owners simply swapped their franchises between themselves, whereupon the Braves (who weren't successful in Buffalo) relocated to San Diego.
They are one of six teams in the NBA who have not played in the NBA Finals; until 2021 they had not even made a conference final.
The team's home games are played in the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, which they share with their more famous and accomplished co-tenants, the Lakers.
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