Like many team nicknames, “Clippers” grew out of a name-the-team contest. Fan input was solicited when the franchise, which began as the Buffalo Braves in 1970, moved to San Diego in 1978. The team wanted a fresh, new identity, so selected Clippers since great sailing ships were often seen in San Diego Bay. Just as the Lakers once kept their nickname upon moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, so too did the Clippers in moving up the coast to L.A. in 1984.

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe goes to the basket during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, April 27, 2013.