Prior to the previous decade, the Los Angeles Clippers were always known as L.A.’s other team. They have long been ridiculed for their consistently poor season performances, and at one point, this team was even the laughing stock of the league. There’s no denying that it has been a long and hard road for the Clippers faithful. Things have been looking up of late — particularly this current season — so it seems that at this point, their darkest days are now far behind them.

Despite having a generally rough past, however, there is still a fair amount of great players that have played for the Clippers at one point in their respective careers. Right now, they have arguably the best two-way player in the game today in Kawhi Leonard, but a discussion of the reigning Finals MVP’s greatness is reserved for another day. Right now, what we have for you are the greatest point guards in Los Angeles Clippers franchise history.

3. Ron Harper

Rounding out our Top 3 list is 6-foot-6 point guard Ron Harper. While the former eighth overall pick is more widely known for his role in five out of the six Michael Jordan titles with the Chicago Bulls, Harper was actually a pretty good player prior to making the move to the Windy City.

Harper played four and a half seasons with the Clippers between 1989 and 1994. At that time, the former Miami University standout was a tremendous all-around player for L.A. So much so, that he actually helped the Clippers to back-to-back playoff appearances in 1992 and 1993 — the first time they had reached the postseason since the mid-70’s.

During his time in L.A., Harper averaged 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per contest. In 1994, he became an unrestricted free agent, and he jumped at the opportunity to join Jordan in Chicago. His role took a significant hit while with the Bulls, playing in one of the greatest teams ever. We’re pretty sure he wasn’t complaining though.

2. World B. Free

As far as names go, there is probably none greater than Lloyd Bernard Free aka World B. Free. He was an outstanding baller too, and he arguably had his best stint of his career during his short-lived tenure with the Clippers.

In 1978, the Philadelphia 76ers traded a 24-year-old Free to what was then the San Diego Clippers. The 6-foot-2 point guard made an immediate impact on his arrival, averaging 28.8 points per game in his first season with the team. He would take it to another level in his second year, putting up an astounding 30.2 points per contest, along with 3.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks. This earned him his one and only All-Star team call-up, which he deserved completely.

Despite standing just 6-foot-2 Free had an aerial prowess that electrified the entire league. His highlight reel dunks were truly a joy to behold. Perhaps the only downside of his spell with the Clippers is how short it was.

1. Chris Paul

Chris Paul will certainly go down in history as one of the best point guards of the sport, so it should come to no surprise that he is at the very top of our list here.

After establishing himself as an elite point guard during his time with the New Orleans Hornets, Paul joined the Clippers in 2011 in the oddest of ways. Having committed himself to the Clippers’ cross-town rivals, the Lakers, Paul would ultimately end up signing for the Clippers after then-league commissioner David Stern controversially vetoed his move to join the Purple & Gold.

This obviously worked in the benefit of the Clippers, with Paul joining the duo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form the “Lob City” Clippers. The 6-foot-1 guard’s second-to-none passing and playmaking ability proved to be a perfect match for the high-flying pair, making this team one of the most exciting sides to watch during the 2010’s.

In six seasons with L.A., Paul averaged 18.8 points (on 47.5 percent shooting), 4.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.5 triples per game. He was an All-Star in all of the six years he was with the Clippers, maintaining his stature as one of the best point guards in the league.

His epic run with the team ended in 2018 when Paul signed with the Houston Rockets. It is a known fact that the former Rookie of the Year’s title aspirations — something that he eventually learned that he could not achieve in L.A. — served as one of his primary motivations in joining James Harden in Houston, but as fate may have it, Paul still remains ringless to this day.