The Buffalo Braves: The NBA Team That Became the Clippers
For eight seasons Buffalo had an NBA team, an MVP and a playoff contender. Then an unusual ownership swap sent the franchise west, where it became today's Clippers.
In this article
The Buffalo Braves were an NBA franchise that played in Buffalo, New York, from 1970 to 1978. In that short time they produced a league MVP, three playoff appearances and one of the most unusual ownership deals in sports history. The franchise still exists today, more than 2,000 miles away, as the Los Angeles Clippers.
Braves history at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Years in Buffalo | 1970–1978 (eight seasons) |
| Home arena | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium ("the Aud") |
| Playoff appearances | Three (1974, 1975, 1976) |
| Best-known player | Bob McAdoo, 1975 NBA MVP |
| Notable coach | Jack Ramsay |
| What happened next | Moved to San Diego as the Clippers in 1978, then to Los Angeles in 1984 |
An expansion team in a hockey town
The Braves joined the NBA in 1970 as one of three expansion teams, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. Buffalo already had a strong sports identity with the NFL's Bills, and the same year brought the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. The Braves and Sabres shared the Memorial Auditorium, which caused scheduling headaches for the basketball team throughout its time in the city.
Like most expansion teams, the Braves struggled at first. Their early rosters were built from players other teams made available, and the team lost far more games than it won in its first seasons.
The Bob McAdoo era
Everything changed when the Braves drafted Bob McAdoo out of North Carolina in 1972. McAdoo was a big man who could shoot from the outside, a rare combination at the time, and he quickly became one of the most dangerous scorers in the league.
- He was named Rookie of the Year for the 1972–73 season.
- He led the NBA in scoring three straight seasons, from 1973–74 through 1975–76.
- He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the 1974–75 season.
Under coach Jack Ramsay, who later won a championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Braves became a playoff team. They reached the postseason three years in a row from 1974 to 1976. Their 1974 series against the Boston Celtics, the eventual champions, is still remembered in Buffalo as the moment the city believed it had a real contender. Guard Ernie DiGregorio, the 1974 Rookie of the Year, and the high-flying Randy Smith gave the team one of the most exciting backcourts of the era.
The decline
The good years did not last. Ramsay left after the 1975–76 season, and the team traded McAdoo to the New York Knicks during the 1976–77 season. Attendance fell, arena dates remained a problem and there were growing concerns that the team could leave Buffalo. A lease agreement included conditions that made a move possible if season-ticket sales fell short.
The strangest deal in NBA history
The Braves' final chapter is one of the oddest in sports. In the mid-1970s, original owner Paul Snyder sold the team to businessman John Y. Brown. In 1978, Brown and Irv Levin, then owner of the Boston Celtics, effectively swapped franchises: Brown took over the Celtics and Levin took over the Braves. The deal even included a large player trade between the two teams before the swap.
Levin, a California businessman, wanted a team on the West Coast. With the league's approval, he moved the franchise to San Diego for the 1978–79 season and renamed it the Clippers. Buffalo lost its NBA team without the club ever being sold to a buyer from outside the league.
From Buffalo to Los Angeles
The Clippers played in San Diego until 1984, when owner Donald Sterling moved the team to Los Angeles. For decades the franchise struggled for wins and attention in a city dominated by the Lakers, before becoming a regular playoff team in the 2010s. Few fans watching the Clippers today know that the franchise's record books begin with eight seasons in western New York.
The Braves' legacy
Buffalo has not had an NBA team since 1978, and the Braves are remembered with real nostalgia in the city. Vintage Braves jerseys and the team's logo remain popular, and Bob McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. For basketball fans, the Braves are a reminder of how much the NBA's map has changed, and how close Buffalo came to being a permanent basketball city.
Frequently asked questions
What NBA team did the Buffalo Braves become?
The Los Angeles Clippers. The franchise moved to San Diego as the Clippers in 1978 and to Los Angeles in 1984.
Why did the Buffalo Braves leave Buffalo?
Falling attendance, arena scheduling conflicts and an owner who wanted a West Coast team. A 1978 franchise swap between the Braves' and Celtics' owners allowed the team to move to San Diego.
Who was the best Buffalo Braves player?
Bob McAdoo. He won Rookie of the Year, three straight scoring titles and the 1975 NBA MVP award while playing for the Braves.
Where did the Buffalo Braves play?
At the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, which they shared with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.