The influential names of the Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers were once the laughing stock of the NBA. When orchestrated by ex-owner Donald Sterling, playoff appearances were scarce, facilities were rusty, and the organization functioned like it was the Los Angeles Lakers' junior varsity team. Fast forward to 2022, the list of players wanting and choosing to play for the Clippers is growing.

Here's a look at some recent influential names contributing to the long line outside the Clippers' harbor.

Lob City

Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is the trio put the Clippers on the map, bringing slam dunks and victories to the other side of LA like never before. Before 2011, the Clippers only had seven playoff appearances in their entire history. However, pairing draft picks Jordan and Griffin with Hall of Fame point guard CP3 from New Orleans gave the Clippers life. Making the playoffs every year they played together, fans of the city's stepchild were never happier. Although they never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, the joy felt from simply not routinely being a lottery team meant the world to Clipper Nation. "Lob City" broke apart after Paul's trade to Houston, but the squad's impact will remain lasting.

V. Stiviano

Stiviano was the former Clippers owner's girlfriend. She is most famous for leaking her phone conversation with Sterling, allowing the public to hear his racist remarks and hatred for Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Los Angeles was operated in bad faith during the Sterling years, and Stiviano's likely biggest play in the franchise's history saved the team from more years of incompetence. Stiviano removed Sterling from Clipper conversations, as he was banned for life by the NBA's commissioner Adam Silver. What happened next for Los Angeles was monumental.

Steve Ballmer

Ballmer was the CEO of Microsoft for over a decade.  The Harvard graduate has pockets bigger than states and wasn't shy when exchanging many zeroes for an NBA team. Fortunately for Los Angeles, they couldn't have recovered stronger from their 2014 internal disaster as they were sold to Ballmer for over $2 billion. The list of positives derived from Ballmer is endless; however, a new arena, superstar acquisitions and a Western Conference Finals appearance highlight the bunch. Ballmer intended to turn the Clippers into a competitive, favorable destination for fans and players around the league. From front office decisions to repairing courts across LA, it's clear Ballmer has succeeded and is hungry for more excellence. Los Angeles truly went from zero to 100 in terms of ownership.

Wingstop

Signing and trading for the duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George was the dream for Ballmer when he purchased the team almost a decade ago. Two cornerstone pieces, versatile superstars who wanted to play in Los Angeles -- for the Clippers. Together, George and Leonard have broken the organization's curse which kept them from extending past the second round of postseason games, in addition to luring other great hoopers away from their old clubs. Considering LeBron James and Anthony Davis share the same address, it's remarkable how many players want to wear the white and blue uniforms. In general, the tandem nicknamed "Wingstop," for defensive-oriented wings has the Clippers as a top organization in the NBA. For a team who had a horrible owner for decades, Los Angeles shaped out pretty well for today's era.

Intuit Dome

Being built in Inglewood, California, Clipper Nation is making noise as they inch closer to their move-in next to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and the Chargers. The future arena serves as a major accomplishment for the Ballmer regime.  With state-of-the-art designs and ridiculous funding, NBA fans can't wait to behold the spectacle which Los Angeles' second basketball team will call home. For Lakers fans, they welcome the extra space as their historic banners won't have to be hidden before tip off of Clippers games. More importantly, Ty Lue's team will no longer have to compete for scheduling scraps in their new house.

Larry O'Brien Trophy

Ballmer's Clippers have a lot going for them. Free agents want to be in LA, the team is deep and a new arena is en route. All that's missing is the "Larry O'B," as Leonard puts it.