Matt Barnes told Steve Ballmer to change the Clippers’ name when he bought the team in 2014.
Everybody laughed at Barnes, but he thinks the franchise is cursed and the idea might be worth revisiting following the salary cap scandal.
“I do think the Clippers are cursed,” Barnes said to TMZ Sports. “I told [Steve] Ballmer to change the name when he first got here and everyone kind of laughed at me.
“They definitely need to change the name. This…energy is still on this franchise.”
A makeover certainly wouldn’t harm the Clippers as the franchise strives to reclaim the trust of its fans.
Beyond the NBA’s punishments for circumventing the salary cap — which included five first-round picks being taken away, a $30,000 fine and a one-year suspension for Ballmer — the organization lost its franchise player in Kawhi Leonard.
There’s much work to be done and the Clippers have already started the repair process at the team’s media day.
“Our fans deserve to hear from us before this, and for that we’re sorry,” interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden said. “We’ve been listening to the thoughts, the concerns, and feeling the emotions of our fan base. They mean everything to us. … We hope to fulfill our promises to them, to build their trust and move forward through this time.
“This franchise often has done its best work with its back against the wall … We hope to represent our fans the same way we always have in dark times, by coming out fighting.”
The Clippers have been clothed in scandal before Ballmer owned the team. The NBA banned Donald Sterling for life following leaked racist remarks, which pushed the $2 billion sale of the team forward for Ballmer.
The organization hasn’t been able to escape its stained past, but a name change doesn’t seem like it could cause any more harm than what’s already been done.
