The NBA season is approaching, and the LA Clippers are making their presence felt in San Diego County. The Clippers have ramped up efforts in recent years to actively reach out to fans south of Los Angeles, including holding a practice on Pechanga tribal land in Temecula on Thursday morning to be followed by a preseason game at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside against the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.
With young fans providing extra motivation, the Clippers took the floor at the Pechanga Recreation Center, breaking up the monotony after more than a week of training camp.
"It feels good to change venues a little bit, get outside our comfort zone of Intuit, and just come here, and have the kids here and be able to enjoy it, so it's just a good feeling," head coach Tyronn Lue said.
Players like Jordan Miller and Kobe Brown say the team is excited to take their basketball show on the road.
"It means a lot, it means a lot. Pechanga definitely has a lot of space in our hearts, for sure. This place is beautiful. The fans, the people here are awesome, and the fan support is great," Brown said.
The game in Oceanside serves as the preseason opener for the Clippers, who weren't taking their opponent from China lightly.
"You know, they have some U.S. guys that are pretty good players, so we have to make sure we're locked in with them, but we gotta make sure we're getting better at what we're trying to get better at, too," Lue said.
Lue also discussed how the G-League San Diego Clippers, who begin their second season at Frontwave Arena next month, play an important role for the organization.
"Being able to learn and teach what we're teaching up here, and take it to our younger guys, so when they come up and play, they don't miss a beat," Lue said.
The Clippers are once again projected to be a playoff team, but it largely depends on keeping former San Diego State star Kawhi Leonard on the floor as much as possible.
"When Kawhi is healthy, we're a totally different team," Lue said.
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