The Clippers Unveiled Their New Jerseys, Logo + Court, And Surprisingly They Aren't Terrible

Adam Pantozzi. Getty Images.

If there's one thing Steve Ballmer is determined to do, it's get out of the Lakers shadow in LA. It's why he continues to write blank checks to sign players, it's why he greenlights massive trades to bring in star talent, it's why he dropped a couple billion on a new arena so the team would no longer have to share the same building as the Lakers, and as we learned today the rebrand is in full effect after the team released their new logo/jerseys/court designs.

How do they look? Well..

I'll admit, I was a little confused when I first saw the logo. When you close your eyes and think "Los Angeles Clippers" do you think of a cruise ship? Probably not, but here's the thinking behind it

Advertisement

Once you see the details, I don't hate it as much. It's not the best team logo I've ever seen, but certainly not the worst. It's "fine". There are going to be some that hate it, some that think it's pretty cool, and like most things that have a sudden change, everyone will get used to it eventually.

When it comes to the jerseys, this is an area I think the team nailed. Those are sweet. I like bringing back the red jersey, something we saw during the not so great Darius Miles/Elton Brand era and the very awesome to watch Lob City era. I like that color scheme more than what they currently have, and I like how they are clean and simple. None of that annoying futuristic shit that you see all the time in these new jersey designs. 

The court is simplistic as well which I like. I do think it looks a little weird to have two shades of blue on the floor, one with the dark navy and then the Inuit logo being a brighter blue, but whatever. 

Listen, when you're trying to finally win your first title and get away from the stink that has been the Clippers curse essentially since they were created, I don't hate the idea of going as far away from he current logo/feel/theme as you can while also paying tribute to your past. That's how you truly turn a new page in your franchise's history, and for all we know the new look and feel will do wonders.

The flip side of course is if things don't work out. You're asking for sinking ship memes, Titantic references etc if the Clippers never actually win a title. Granted being made fun of is nothing new for this franchise, only now the team is giving fans even more ammo to be creative in how they troll. I can't imagine the team gave two shits about that while thinking through this rebrand, but it's definitely going to happen should the Clippers fall short this year. Especially given he fact that they finally have a healthy Kawhi again

While having a new look and a new arena is cool and all, the biggest difference when talking about this era of Clippers basketball is what takes place on the court. This is a team that is still within striking distance of a top 3 seed in the West and sits just 2.5 games out of the top spot in the conference. It doesn't matter what court they play on or what jersey they wear, these are not your Clippers of old. Their +4.7 point differential is the 3rd best in the West. The Harden trade is clearly a success up until this point (playoffs TBD), Kawhi/PG13 look great, the team has legit depth and might have the greatest collection of talent 1-15, their coach is good, their front office is good, and they have an owner who will spend whatever it takes to win.

That itself is an extreme rebrand when talking about Clippers basketball. Even during the Lob City years, there were still signs of being the same old Clippers. You don't really get that sense anymore outside of some Lakers trolls who are sensitive that the Clippers kick their ass every time they play. To me, this new branding is just the next piece of the puzzle to help fans forget all about the dark times when it comes to this franchise.

Advertisement

So what say you? Terrible? Great? Surprisingly not terrible but doesn't blow your dick off?

I think I'm in the final camp, but at the end of the day what truly matters when it comes to the Clippers new identity is whether or not they can finally reach the top of the mountain.