The Los Angeles Clippers are returning to Hawaii for their fourth preseason training camp in the islands since 2017, the NBA organization and Hawaii Tourism Authority announced Wednesday.

Their camp, starting Oct. 3, will be capped with a game against the Utah Jazz at the Stan Sheriff Center on Oct. 8. Full proceeds from the game will go toward the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund to assist in wildfire recovery, the Clippers said.

What You Need To Know

  • The Los Angeles Clippers are returning to Hawaii for preseason training camp Oct. 3 to 9 at the Stan Sheriff Center, their first visit to the islands since 2019

  • The Clippers will face the Utah Jazz in an exhibition game at the Sheriff at 3 p.m. on Oct. 8 with full proceeds going toward the Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund

  • Forwards Paul George and Kawhi Leonard headline the Clippers for the fifth straight season, though they did not play in the team's two exhibitions in Hawaii in 2019

  • Tickets are not yet on sale

The Clippers’ two previous preseason games in Hawaii against NBA competition sold out the Sheriff’s 10,300 seats.

The Clippers held training camp in Hawaii for the first time in 2017 and made it three straight in 2019. At that point, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted plans for a return.

The Jazz will be the third NBA opponent the Clippers have faced in a Hawaii preseason game. They played the Toronto Raptors in 2017 and the Houston Rockets in 2019. They’ve also played the Sydney Kings of Australia’s NBL (2018) and the Shanghai Sharks of China’s CBA (2019).

The Clippers had just acquired superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason prior to their 2019 visit. However, neither Leonard nor George played as they were eased into the season.

Those two still headline the Clippers’ roster. They both have missed extensive time with various injuries, including in the 2023 playoffs when the fifth-seeded Clippers were eliminated in five games by the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns.

Doc Rivers was the Clippers' coach on each of the team's previous visits. Rivers is now an ESPN analyst and the Clippers have been coached by Tyronn Lue since 2020.

As they have in the past, the Clippers will visit a school during their trip and provide it support for renovations. The franchise said it will also assist with wildfire recovery efforts, though did not specify how beyond the proceeds from the exhibition.

“The Clippers organization, under (owner) Steve Ballmer, has always prioritized making a positive impact beyond the basketball court, and HTA is proud to work alongside them to malama Hawaii – to care for our beloved home,” said Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana, HTA’s chief brand officer, in a statement. 

The Utah Jazz, who didn't make the playoffs last season, last came to Hawaii for a pair of games in 2015, when Kobe Bryant was in his final preseason with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tickets are not yet available for the Clippers Hawaii Classic but will appear here once they go on sale.

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.