Los Angeles Clippers Basketball Team

The city of Burbank and a developer have selected three sites in the city for a proposed 20,000-seat sports arena that they hope the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team will make their new home. The basketball team has said it would move from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Exposition Park unless that facility is rebuilt. The team is also considering a site near Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

After playing three games in six days -- and five already in the new year -- the Clippers took the day off Thursday. Which is probably a good thing given the tough road ahead. And the emphasis there is on "road. " Because after Saturday's matinee against the Orlando Magic at Staples Center, the Clippers head out of town for three games in four days against teams that began Thursday a combined 14 games above .500. The last time the Clippers played consecutive games on the road against teams with winning records, they lost both of them, their only losses since November.

Competing plans to build indoor arenas in Anaheim and Santa Ana will not be affected by this week's announcement that the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team probably will not be moving to Orange County, officials involved with the projects said Thursday. Neither city was counting on a lease with the Clippers as a condition of building an arena, the officials said. "This really doesn't represent any kind of setback," Santa Ana Mayor Daniel H. Young said.

Looks like L.A. is going to need a few more paparazzi. You can't stroll Venice Beach or sit down to bacon-wrapped monkfish at Spago without spotting a superstar Laker or Clipper in the nation's new basketball capital. Here comes Dwight Howard, the latest in a long line of larger-than-life Lakers centers. There goes Steve Nash, the savviest point guard of his generation. And isn't that Kobe Bryant, the onetime star of stars who is now just one of the guys? Add the Lakers' Pau Gasol and the Clippers' Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and you have six All-Stars, three slam dunk contest champions and two most valuable players who call Staples Center home.

In two weeks, the Clippers will open the regular season after training camp and the dress rehearsals of exhibitions are over. After the first 2 1/2 weeks of practices and three exhibitions, at least in the eyes of guard Chris Paul, the Clippers have made the right strides to be ready for that Oct. 31 game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. "I think we're right where we need to be," Paul said after practice Tuesday. "We never want to peak too early. We're showing a lot of good signs in a few areas, but we still need a lot of work in other areas.

Students from John Adams Middle School in South-Central Los Angeles exchanged their textbooks for paintbrushes Thursday as they created a mural in a school hallway as apart of a program run by the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. The Clippers' TEAMup (program encourages schools to get involved with environmental and educational projects.

Burbank officials and developers have selected a site for a proposed $100-million sports arena that they hope the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team will make its new home. The 89-acre site owned by Lockheed Corp. was chosen over two other Burbank properties considered by the city and developer Lew Wolff, who formed a partnership with Warner Bros. to build an 18,000- to 22,000-seat arena.

Only the Clippers, it seems, could be involved in a fight in which a fair outcome is unattainable, and a rooting interest is impossible. It's Elgin Baylor suing Donald Sterling, a fallen general manager charging the falling owner of being racist and cheap, allegations that apparently occurred to Baylor only after working there for more than two decades. One cannot pick sides, only emotions. Sadness comes to mind. How do you back an owner who is now fighting two lawsuits accusing him of racism?

The Burbank City Council took the first step Tuesday toward possible construction of a 20,000-seat sports arena that could attract a professional sports team to the city. The council voted to negotiate exclusively with Lewis N. Wolff, co-owner of the Burbank Airport Hilton, and actor-investor Wayne Rogers, best known for his roles in the "MASH" and "House Calls" television series, on a contract to construct the arena at a to-be-determined site.

It's too early to write off the Clippers' season. Lamar Odom doesn't get that same benefit. He has failed. He let down his team, his fans, himself. When the Clippers need someone to take their hand and guide them in the right direction, their best player will wander off into a minimum five-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug program, the NBA announced Monday. That's twice now.

It's the most anticipated NBA season in Los Angeles history, so what are we waiting for? Oct. 30 -- The Lakers defeat the Dallas Mavericks by 55 points in the season opener. At least, this is the rumor. Nobody actually sees the game after it is revealed that Time Warner not only bought the Lakers' cable rights, but the live rights, meaning the entire home season will take place in Jim Buss' backyard while the neighbors are charged $3.95 per peek. Oct. 31 -- The Clippers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies by 55 points in the season opener.

They had the look of a Clippers team that's ready for the real season to begin. They played their final exhibition game like a Clippers team intent on showing the Denver Nuggets that L.A. will be a serious team to deal with in the Western Conference. With five players scoring in double figures and two others one point shy, the Clippers wrapped up their exhibition season with a 106-94 victory over Denver on Thursday night at the Pepsi Center. On Wednesday night, the real season begins for the Clippers when they play the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center in the regular-season opener for both teams.

In two weeks, the Clippers will open the regular season after training camp and the dress rehearsals of exhibitions are over. After the first 2 1/2 weeks of practices and three exhibitions, at least in the eyes of guard Chris Paul, the Clippers have made the right strides to be ready for that Oct. 31 game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. "I think we're right where we need to be," Paul said after practice Tuesday. "We never want to peak too early. We're showing a lot of good signs in a few areas, but we still need a lot of work in other areas.

The Clippers continued to put together an impressive roster, getting free-agent forward Grant Hill to agree to join the team Tuesday, according to NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The Clippers still are working out the details on a two-year deal for the 6-foot-8 forward, but it's expected to be done soon. The Clippers could use the biannual exception that's a maximum two-year deal for $3.875 million on Hill. Or they could use the veteran's minimum that would be $1.3 million for a player such as Hill, who has 17 years of experience.

If there was any doubt that the Clippers remain serious about changing the culture of their franchise, perhaps they put it to rest Thursday. Free-agent guard Jamal Crawford agreed to a contract with the Clippers and the team reached a deal to re-sign veteran Chauncey Billups, according to NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the situation. The deals will fill holes in the Clippers' backcourt. The Clippers used their full mid-level exception to offer the 6-foot-5 Crawford a four-year deal worth $21.7 million.

On one Los Angeles street corner, an NBA team is so giddy about the postseason, their players are growing unity beards. On another Los Angeles street corner, an NBA team is under so much pressure their hair is falling out. In one practice gym, surviving the first round would be a success. In another practice gym, anything less than surviving all of May would be a failure. In one Staples Center locker room this week, the Clippers are dancing into the playoffs with their best team in history and nothing to lose.

The Los Angeles Clippers basketball team announced Thursday that it will not move to the Pond of Anaheim, after negotiations with the company that manages the arena collapsed.

Burbank officials and developers have selected a site for a proposed $100-million sports arena that they hope the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team will make its new home. The 89-acre site, owned by Lockheed Corp., was chosen over two other Burbank properties for the proposed 18,000- to 22,000-seat arena.

They all say publicly that it's not a rivalry -- and it seems as if both the Clippers and Lakers are right. The Lakers say the Clippers have to win more games before it's truly a rivalry. The Clippers don't dispute that. The last of three regular-season games between the teams was as intense as the first two, as close as the first two, and ended with a 113-108 victory for the Lakers on Wednesday night that snapped the Clippers' six-game winning streak in a designated Clippers home game at Staples Center.

The Clippers had their hands full all game long with the beat-up Milwaukee Bucks. It wasn't until the final few possessions that the Clippers secured a 92-86 victory over the Bucks on Saturday night at Staples Center. It took 22 points and 14 rebounds from Blake Griffin for the Clippers to win their third straight game. It took a season-high 20 points and six rebounds from Caron Butler for the Clippers to break free of their first-half malaise. It took 19 points from Chauncey Billups for the Clippers to escape.