The 1981–82 NBA season was the Clippers' 12th season in the NBA and their fourth season in the city of San Diego.[1]
Donald Sterling took over control of the franchise during this season, beginning what would be a 33-year stewardship.
Draft picks
Roster
1981–82 San Diego Clippers roster
| Players
|
Coaches
|
|
|
Head coach
Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
Injured
|
Roster Notes
- Center Bill Walton missed the entire season again due to another left foot injury.
- This is Jerome Whitehead's second tour of duty with the Clippers. He previously played with the team during the 1978–79 season.
- Guard Armond Hill later became an assistant coach with the franchise from 2013 to 2020.
Regular season
Season standings
Notes
- z, y – division champions
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
| 1981-82 NBA Records
|
| Team
|
ATL
|
BOS
|
CHI
|
CLE
|
DAL
|
DEN
|
DET
|
GSW
|
HOU
|
IND
|
KCK
|
LAL
|
MIL
|
NYN
|
NYK
|
PHI
|
PHO
|
POR
|
SAS
|
SDC
|
SEA
|
UTA
|
WAS
|
| Atlanta
|
— |
1–5 |
2–3 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
3–2 |
5–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–4
|
| Boston
|
5–1 |
— |
4–2 |
5–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
6–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
5–1 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
6–0
|
| Chicago
|
3–2 |
2–4 |
— |
5–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–6 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–5 |
2–4 |
3–2 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–4
|
| Cleveland
|
2–4 |
0–5 |
1–5 |
— |
2–0 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
0–6 |
0–6 |
0–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–5
|
| Dallas
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
— |
1–5 |
1–1 |
0–5 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
1–4 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
2–3 |
1–5 |
2–3 |
1–4 |
3–3 |
1–1
|
| Denver
|
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
— |
1–1 |
3–2 |
5–1 |
0–2 |
4–2 |
1–4 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
2–3 |
2–4 |
5–0 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
2–0
|
| Detroit
|
4–2 |
0–6 |
6–0 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
— |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–4 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
2–4 |
3–3 |
2–3 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–4
|
| Golden State
|
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
5–0 |
2–3 |
0–2 |
— |
1–4 |
2–0 |
3–2 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
4–2 |
2–4 |
3–2 |
5–1 |
1–5 |
3–2 |
1–1
|
| Houston
|
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
4–1 |
— |
2–0 |
3–3 |
1–4 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
4–1 |
3–3 |
4–1 |
2–3 |
6–0 |
2–0
|
| Indiana
|
2–4 |
1–5 |
3–3 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
— |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
4–2 |
3–2 |
0–6 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–5
|
| Kansas City
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
— |
1–4 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
0–5 |
1–5 |
4–1 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
0–2
|
| Los Angeles
|
2–0 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
4–1 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
4–1 |
— |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
5–1 |
2–3 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
5–0 |
2–0
|
| Milwaukee
|
3–3 |
3–3 |
5–1 |
6–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
6–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
— |
4–1 |
3–3 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
3–2
|
| New Jersey
|
2–3 |
1–5 |
4–2 |
6–0 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
— |
4–2 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
4–2
|
| New York
|
1–5 |
1–5 |
2–3 |
6–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
2–4 |
— |
1–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–5
|
| Philadelphia
|
3–3 |
2–4 |
5–1 |
5–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
6–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
3–3 |
5–1 |
— |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
6–0
|
| Phoenix
|
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
3–2 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
2–4 |
2–3 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
— |
3–3 |
4–1 |
4–2 |
3–3 |
3–2 |
1–1
|
| Portland
|
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
1–4 |
1–1 |
5–0 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
— |
3–2 |
4–2 |
3–3 |
4–1 |
0–2
|
| San Antonio
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
0–2 |
5–1 |
3–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–4 |
2–3 |
— |
3–2 |
4–1 |
3–3 |
1–1
|
| San Diego
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
0–5 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
1–4 |
0–2 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
2–4 |
2–3 |
— |
1–5 |
1–4 |
0–2
|
| Seattle
|
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
4–1 |
3–2 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
3–2 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
3–3 |
1–4 |
5–1 |
— |
5–0 |
1–1
|
| Utah
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
0–6 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
0–5 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
1–4 |
3–3 |
4–1 |
0–5 |
— |
1–1
|
| Washington
|
4–2 |
0–6 |
4–2 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
4–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
5–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
2–4 |
5–1 |
0–6 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
—
|
Game log
Player statistics
| Player
|
GP
|
GS
|
MPG
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
FT%
|
RPG
|
APG
|
SPG
|
BPG
|
PPG
|
| Jim Brogan
|
63 |
19 |
16.3 |
.453 |
.281 |
.726 |
1.9 |
2.5 |
0.8 |
0.2 |
6.3
|
| Michael Brooks
|
82 |
73 |
33.5 |
.504 |
.000 |
.757 |
7.6 |
2.9 |
1.4 |
0.5 |
15.6
|
| Joe Bryant
|
75 |
49 |
26.5 |
.486 |
.267 |
.785 |
3.7 |
2.5 |
1.0 |
0.4 |
11.8
|
| Tom Chambers
|
81 |
58 |
33.1 |
.525 |
.000 |
.620 |
6.9 |
1.8 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
17.2
|
| Charlie Criss
|
28 |
20 |
30.0 |
.479 |
.381 |
.884 |
1.6 |
4.0 |
0.8 |
0.1 |
12.9
|
| Ron Davis
|
7 |
0 |
9.6 |
.400 |
|
.500 |
1.9 |
0.6 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
3.3
|
| John Douglas
|
64 |
9 |
16.1 |
.465 |
.305 |
.657 |
1.4 |
2.3 |
0.8 |
0.1 |
7.0
|
| Armond Hill
|
19 |
14 |
25.3 |
.382 |
.000 |
.688 |
1.4 |
4.3 |
0.8 |
0.2 |
4.7
|
| Rock Lee
|
2 |
0 |
5.0 |
.500 |
|
.000 |
0.5 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.0
|
| Swen Nater
|
21 |
7 |
27.4 |
.577 |
1.000 |
.747 |
9.1 |
1.4 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
12.5
|
| Jim Smith
|
72 |
3 |
11.9 |
.509 |
|
.459 |
2.5 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
2.9
|
| Phil Smith
|
48 |
39 |
30.1 |
.440 |
.208 |
.732 |
2.4 |
4.9 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
13.2
|
| Brian Taylor
|
41 |
40 |
31.1 |
.503 |
.365 |
.818 |
2.3 |
5.6 |
1.1 |
0.2 |
10.8
|
| Jerome Whitehead
|
72 |
63 |
30.8 |
.559 |
|
.763 |
9.2 |
1.4 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
13.8
|
| Michael Wiley
|
61 |
1 |
16.6 |
.565 |
.000 |
.695 |
3.0 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.3 |
8.3
|
| Freeman Williams
|
37 |
10 |
21.8 |
.456 |
.324 |
.843 |
1.4 |
1.8 |
0.6 |
0.0 |
16.5
|
| Al Wood
|
29 |
5 |
23.9 |
.518 |
.167 |
.802 |
3.1 |
1.6 |
0.8 |
0.3 |
12.5
|
Awards, records and milestones
Transactions
The Clippers were involved in the following transactions during the 1981–82 season.
Trades
Free agents
References
|
|---|
|
| Franchise | |
|---|
| Arenas | |
|---|
| Personnel | |
|---|
| G League affiliate | |
|---|
| Rivalries | |
|---|
| Culture and lore | |
|---|
Category
|
|
|---|
|
| 1970s | |
|---|
| 1980s | |
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| 1990s | |
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| 2000s | |
|---|
| 2010s | |
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| 2020s | |
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