Clippers To Have Ontario-Based Minor League Affiliate

PLAYA VISTA, CA ― The Los Angeles Clippers announced Monday they will own and operate a minor league affiliate that will be known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.

The team will begin play in November in the NBA Gatorade League, known through its recently completed 2016-17 season as the NBA Development League. Its home court will be Citizens Business Bank Arena.

"There are so many ways we'll be able to use the D-League to our advantage," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said at the news conference at the Clippers practice facility in Playa Vista announcing the team.

"Just as far as player development, this is going to be terrific for us," Rivers said. "Coaching development, this is going to be terrific. Front office development, analytical development, being able to test plays out on the D-League level."

The team will be the 26th in the league, which began play in 2001 with eight teams. All the teams are owned or operated by an NBA team.

The Agua Caliente Clippers have a website, clippers.com/dleague, a Facebook page, Facebook.com/acclippers, a YouTube channel, and Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat accounts, twitter.com/acclippers, instagram.com/acclippers and snapchat.com/acclippers.

Season tickets are priced from $14 per game and are available by calling (909) 406-9090 or by email, tickets@aguacalienteclippers.com.

The minor league team is named for the Palm Springs-based Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Los Angeles Clippers presenting sponsor and official tribal casino partner.

The team is the first directly named after a tribe, tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe said.

Having a team named for the tribe is "something my tribe is very proud of," Grubbe said

"That's something that's going to have a positive ripple effect throughout the country," Grubbe said.

― City News Service, photo courtesy of the NBA