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1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers season

NBA professional basketball team season

Field	Value
team	Los Angeles Clippers
league	National Basketball Association
end_year	1997
wins	36
losses	46
division	Pacific
division_place	5
conf_place	8
coach	Bill Fitch
arena	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Arrowhead Pond
owners	Donald Sterling
television	KCAL-TV
(Ralph Lawler, Bill Walton)
radio	KNNS
(Rory Markas)
playoffs	[West First Round](1997-nba-playoffs-bracket)
(lost to [Jazz](1996-97-utah-jazz-season) 0–3)
bbr_team	LAC

Arrowhead Pond (Ralph Lawler, Bill Walton) (Rory Markas) (lost to Jazz 0–3)

The 1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 27th season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, their 13th season in Los Angeles, California, and their third season in which they played occasional home games in Anaheim, California. The Clippers received the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected center Lorenzen Wright from the University of Memphis. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Darrick Martin, and former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth.

With the loss of Brian Williams to free agency, the Clippers were expected to sink in the bottom of the NBA again. After a 6–4 start to the regular season, the team lost ten of their next eleven games, as Duckworth only played just 26 games due to a sore heel injury, while Stanley Roberts only played just 18 games due to a back injury, and second-year guard Brent Barry only played 59 games due to thumb and ankle injuries. However, despite the injuries, the Clippers held a 19–25 record at the All-Star break, and finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 36–46 record, which was below .500 in winning percentage, but still good enough to earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference, as the team qualified for the NBA playoffs; this was the Clippers' third playoff appearance since relocating from San Diego, California to Los Angeles in 1984, and their first since the 1992–93 season.

Loy Vaught averaged 14.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while Malik Sealy averaged 13.5 points and 1.6 steals per game, and Rodney Rogers provided the team with 13.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. In addition, Martin contributed 10.9 points and 4.1 assists per game, and Wright provided with 7.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Roberts averaged 9.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, while Bo Outlaw provided with 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, plus leading the league shooting .609 in field-goal percentage, Barry contributed 7.5 points per game, and Lamond Murray contributed 7.4 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Wright was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Western Conference Rookie team. Outlaw finished tied in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, while head coach Bill Fitch finished tied in sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1997 NBA playoffs, the Clippers faced off against the top-seeded, and Midwest Division champion Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Jeff Hornacek. The Clippers lost the first two road games to the Jazz at the Delta Center, before losing Game 3 at home, 104–92 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep. The Jazz would reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, but would lose to the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls in six games in the 1997 NBA Finals. This would also be the Clippers' final NBA playoff appearance until the 2005–06 season, as what would follow was an eight-year playoff drought.

The Clippers finished last in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 232,895 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena during the regular season, which was 29th in the league. Following the season, Sealy signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons, while Roberts was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Outlaw signed with the Orlando Magic, Terry Dehere signed with the Sacramento Kings, and Duckworth retired.

Draft picks

Main article: 1996 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	7	Lorenzen Wright	C/PF	United States	Memphis
2	36	Doron Sheffer	F		UConn

Roster

Bill Fitch
Jim Brewer
Barry Hecker
Rex Kalamian

Roster Notes

A number of players from the 1996–97 roster have either died prematurely and/or ended up in unfortunate circumstances; these players are:

Center Stanley Roberts (banned from the NBA for drug use in 1999).
Guard Malik Sealy (died in an automobile accident in 2000 at age 30).
Center Kevin Duckworth (died of heart failure in 2008 at age 44).
Forward Rodney Rogers (became paralyzed after a dirt bike accident in 2008 at age 37; died in 2025 at age 54).
Center Lorenzen Wright (murdered by his ex-wife in 2010 at age 34).
Center Dwayne Schintzius (died from cancer complications in 2012 at age 43).

Interestingly enough, one player, Brent Barry, would enjoy a long and productive career in the NBA, winning two titles (2005 and 2007) with the San Antonio Spurs, as well as being a consistent starter for the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2000s, but was divorced from his wife Erin in 2011, allegedly due to an extra-marital affair with his Spurs teammate Tony Parker.

Regular season

Season standings

:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Playoffs

0–3

Player statistics

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
	59	0	18.5	.409	.324	.817	1.9	2.6	.9	.3	7.5
	73	3	14.4	.386	.325	.824	1.3	2.2	.4	.0	6.4
	26	22	14.8	.437	.750	.688	2.3	.6	.3	.4	4.0
	10	1	7.3	.412	.000	.500	1.6	.1	.1	.1	3.1
****	82	64	22.2	.407	.389	.872	1.4	4.1	.7	.0	10.9
	74	1	17.5	.416	.341	.739	3.1	.8	.7	.4	7.4
	82	25	26.8	.609	.000	.504	5.5	1.9	1.1	1.7	7.6
	65	0	11.5	.450	.425	.821	1.6	.8	.5	.2	6.0
	59	18	18.1	.381	.328	.605	1.7	2.9	.9	.1	5.6
	18	2	21.0	.426	.	.703	5.1	.5	.4	1.3	9.5
****		81	62	30.6	.462	.361	.663	5.1	2.7	1.1	.8	13.2
	15	0	7.7	.361	.500	.875	1.5	.3	.1	.6	2.3
****		80	79	30.7	.396	.356	.876	3.0	2.1	1.6	.6	13.5
****	82	82	34.6	.500	.167	.702	10.0	1.3	1.0	.3	14.9
****		77	51	25.1	.481	.250	.587	6.1	.6	.6	.8	7.3

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
	3	0	28.0	.407	.455	.889	2.3	3.3	1.3	.0	11.7
	2	0	2.5	.000	.000	.	.5	.0	.0	.0	.0
	3	0	7.0	.222	.	.833	1.3	.3	.0	.3	3.0
****	3	3	25.7	.440	.556	.667	.7	4.3	.0	.0	11.0
	3	0	21.7	.300	.250	1.000	3.7	1.0	.7	1.0	7.0
	3	0	22.0	.545	.000	.300	4.7	1.3	.3	.7	5.0
	3	0	12.7	.364	.400	.857	.7	.0	.3	.0	5.3
	2	0	9.0	.500	.000	.000	.0	1.5	.5	.0	2.0
****	3	3	28.3	.414	.200	.750	2.3	2.0	1.3	1.0	10.7
****	3	3	26.3	.480	.200	.733	1.0	1.7	.0	.0	12.0
****	3	3	30.0	.613	.333	.667	9.0	.7	1.0	.7	15.0
****	3	3	30.7	.406	.	1.000	7.3	.7	1.0	.7	10.3

Player statistics citation:

Transactions

The Clippers have been involved in the following transactions during the 1996–97 season.

Trades

No trades occurred for this team this season.

Free agents

Additions

Rich Manning	April 1	Vancouver Grizzlies

Subtractions

Brian Williams	free agency, April 2	Chicago Bulls

Player Transactions Citation:

References

[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAC/1997.html 1996-97 Los Angeles Clippers]
Brown, Clifton. (June 27, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; Big Trade and Some Twists in N.B.A. Youth Parade". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times.
"1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
Baker, Chris. (September 20, 1996). "Clippers Sign Former Bruin". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (February 11, 1997). "He's Tiny, But His Presence Is Huge". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (October 11, 1996). "They Cut to the Fat--Sign Duckworth". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (November 1, 1996). "Long Season? Try an Eternity". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (December 4, 1996). "Roberts Missing on Next Trip". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (December 24, 1996). "Fitch Extends Holiday Break". Los Angeles Times.
Heisler, Mark. (December 28, 1996). "Wright Script, Wrong Result for Clippers". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (October 18, 1996). "Barry's Injured Thumb Put in a Cast". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (October 22, 1996). "Thumb Injury Sidelines Barry". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (January 28, 1997). "Barry Suffering Another Setback". Los Angeles Times.
"NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
"1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
"1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
Fry, Darrell. (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times.
"1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference.
"1996–97 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
(April 29, 1997). "Jazz Gets a Sweep of Its Own". The New York Times.
Plaschke, Bill. (April 29, 1997). "It's Over, But at Least There Is Hope Now". Los Angeles Times.
"1997 NBA Western Conference First Round: Clippers vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference.
Wise, Mike. (June 14, 1997). "A Fistful of Rings: Bulls Grab Fifth Title of 90's". The New York Times.
Howard-Cooper, Scott. (June 14, 1997). "Bulls Get Fifth Element". Los Angeles Times.
"1997 NBA Finals: Jazz vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference.
"1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
(August 26, 1997). "Pistons Sign Sealy". The New York Times.
(August 26, 1997). "Robinson Takes Pay Cut to Sign with Suns". Los Angeles Times.
Thompson, Jack. (August 26, 1997). "Suns Sign Clifford Robinson". Chicago Tribune.
Gardner, Kris. (June 25, 1997). "ARCHIVE: Houston Roundball Review NBA Trade Analyses -- 1997 NBA Draft Day Deals". The Houston Roundball Review.
Howard-Cooper, Scott. (June 26, 1997). "Draft Over, But Not Finished". Los Angeles Times.
Howard-Cooper, Scott. (June 27, 1997). "Goodbye, Stanley, We Barely Knew You". Los Angeles Times.
Baker, Chris. (September 6, 1997). "Just Like Magic, Versatile Outlaw Leaves Clippers". Los Angeles Times.
(September 6, 1997). "Magic Corrals Outlaw". Tampa Bay Times.
(November 9, 1997). "Outlaw Breaks Free to Spark Magic". Orlando Sentinel.
(August 2, 1997). "Barkley Is Cleared in Cleveland Brawl". The Washington Post.
Popper, Steve. (August 10, 1997). "Two Guys from Jersey on Same Road Again". The New York Times.
(February 2014). "1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers Tragic Team".
"1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers Transactions". Basketball-Reference.

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