The Los Angeles Clippers are looking to embrace their maritime roots in San Diego with the reveal of a new look starting in their next season, and USC students have mixed opinions.
Despite the billions of dollars spent on a new arena and rebranding, the Clippers have long struggled to break out from the Los Angeles Lakers’ shadow. The Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics with 17 national championships, while the Clippers have never won league or conference titles.
“The Lakers overshadow them a lot,” said junior communication major Tatiana Sigg, an NBA fan. “I think that even if the Lakers are doing bad, and the Clippers are doing better, the Lakers will always get much more attention.”
This season, the Clippers are performing at a high level with a record of 37-19, putting them 4th in the Western Conference standings, just three wins behind first place. The Lakers stand at 9th place with a record of 31-28.
The new branding may be meant to distance the team from the Lakers, but since its announcement yesterday, the change has received mixed reactions.
The new logo features a Clippers “C” that surrounds the point of a compass with a ship that has etched basketball seams on the hull. The silhouette of an impending ship signifies the team’s origins in the San Diego Harbour.
The Clippers got their name from fast-moving sailboats popularized in the 1800s. They were predominately popular in San Diego, where the team played from 1978 to 1984. When they relocated to Los Angeles, they brought their name with them.
“It’s sweet that it’s paying homage to San Diego, and I can totally understand that, but it is the Los Angeles Clippers now,” Sigg said. “I feel like the old logo was kind of cooler. This one is a little confusing.”
Priscilla Tune, a customer service representative at USC, grew up following the Clippers organization. Her mother became the seamstress for the Clippers cheerleaders in 1994, and at the young age of nine, the team offered her floor tickets. She has been a lifelong fan since.
“I do love the new logo and uniform,” Tune said. “It truly gives patriotism to our country, almost as though they were calling themselves America’s Team.”
While some fans contemplate the new look, others anticipate the new beginnings in the Intuit Dome, a $2 billion arena that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has worked towards for the past decade. His investment, which he claims to be a “basketball mecca,” will finally give the Clippers their own home after sharing the Crypto.com Arena with their rivals.
The Intuit Dome will be located in Inglewood, California, just south of SoFi stadium.
“A new stadium with new uniforms and logos creates a new identity,” said business administration sophomore Cooper Reif. “This is the next generation of Clippers fans.”