HONOLULU — Before the Los Angeles Clippers truly embark on a new era, they plan to use their week in Hawaii to take stock of assets.
The oft-overlooked NBA franchise in Southern California has reasons not to be: a $2 billion arena that rivals the best in the league, and a slick redesign of colors with a nautical-inspired team logo to show off to their fans in Inglewood.
But all that will have to wait. Ahead of their much-anticipated 2024-25 regular-season opener Oct. 23 at the Intuit Dome, the Clippers have again made Honolulu their preseason home. Day 1 of practices at the University of Hawaii’s climate-controlled Gym II on Tuesday marked the fifth time in the last eight years that the Clippers made camp here.
[Note: See below for more photos of Day 1 of L.A. Clippers preseason camp in Hawaii.]
Coach Tyronn Lue, a veteran of the 1997 Rainbow Classic with Nebraska, welcomed the opportunity to come back after his first Clippers experience here in 2023. The team arrived in Honolulu on Monday night following media day activities in Los Angeles.
Defense and rebounding were the underpinnings of everything that would happen on Day 1 for a team with a new ethos, he said to local and L.A. media before Tuesday’s session got fully underway.
As for being in Hawaii, it is “Very beneficial, just being away for camp when it’s just us, I think it’s always a good start,” Lue said. “I think it sets a great tone, the guys want to get in (practice) together, go on runs together, (do) things together.”
The Clippers cap their week with a 1 p.m. exhibition Saturday against the Golden State Warriors at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Warriors have pitched camp on Oahu’s North Shore, with BYU-Hawaii’s Cannon Activities Center their base of operations in their first appearance in Hawaii since 2007.
The game had already sold out by Tuesday night, according to UH’s ticket sales website. It made it the fourth sellout in four Clippers exhibitions against another NBA team at the Sheriff.
“It was a great reception,” Lue said of last year’s game at the 10,300-seat arena. “Steve Kerr and Steph (Curry) coming in, it’s definitely gonna be crazy. I’m looking forward to that on Saturday.”
But for the designated home team of the matchup, there is an unmistakable shift from the identity of the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard-led squad of the last five years.
George, a three-time All-Star in L.A. who put up 22.6 points per game last season, walked in free agency, accepting a four-year, $212 million max deal from the Philadelphia 76ers. And Leonard, while present Tuesday, is recovering from his latest right knee injury that kept him out of April’s first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
It is unclear when he will be available, though Leonard, 33, said at media day he "felt good" and plans to play in the Oct. 23 opener. The two-time Finals MVP will focus on rehab work on his surgically repaired right knee, Lue said. It is expected that is the extent of what Leonard will do this week.
Another big name and fan favorite at last year’s camp, former league MVP Russell Westbrook, is now with the Denver Nuggets.
There are jobs up for grabs. The Clippers expect to play a less star-dominant style – though 35-year-old James Harden will likely soak up plenty of shots. Lue called it an “open competition.”
Center Ivica Zubac said “I’m ready” when asked about talk of a more post-driven offense.
“We all know what we’re missing now with PG gone,” Zubac said. “There’s a big gap, big void we gotta fill and everyone’s going to have to step up. It’s going to be in different ways.”
Prime candidates to pick up some of that slack are wings Norman Powell, Terance Mann and Derrick Jones Jr., forward Nicolas Batum and guards Kris Dunn and Bones Hyland.
Already putting Clippers youngsters through their paces was former New York Knicks head coach and ex-ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, a June acquisition as lead assistant. While Lue spoke in the media scrum, Van Gundy frantically worked his way between players close to twice his height, offering feedback.
“He’ll be the guy making sure we set the tone, making sure we’re talking defensively,” Lue said. “We gotta be a loud talk team.”
Dunn was a Jazz player last fall and was wowed by the passionate Hawaii fan base as Utah won last year's preseason matchup, 101-96. On Tuesday, he called the 2023 game atmosphere “second to none” for a preseason contest.
“That was my first time in Hawaii,” Dunn said. “I enjoyed my time. The vibes were high. The people of Hawaii were unreal, the workouts were fun and the sightseeing was unimaginable.”
Dunn said the team’s new jerseys are “fire” and that the amenities at the Intuit Dome makes him “feel like I’m in (NBA) 2K.” But, the competitive guard added, “The new arena’s unbelievable, but in order to make the full experience (for the fans), we’ve got to win games for them."
One of the Clippers’ offseason losses still lingers: Jerry West, “The Logo,” who died in June at age 86. West routinely made trips to Hawaii, first as a Lakers legend, and later as a Clippers executive.
West was a regular at all of the Clippers practices and games, including at the Sheriff Center.
“He means a lot. To me personally, because he’s my mentor,” Lue said. “It’s a tough situation. I think about him every day. Miss him every day. Just think he’s going to walk through the door and be here, but he’s not. The good thing about Jerry West is he’s The Logo – he’ll never be forgotten. No matter what, he’ll be right here on our chest, our shoulder. I’m thankful for that.”
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.