Hubbard: Magic Johnson could “Lakerize” the Clippers

The procedure to terminate Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Clippers has produced a number of amusing ironies. When the 30 NBA team executives vote on June 3, Sterling cannot vote. Even though he still owns the team, he has been banned for life under NBA bylaws.

The league has appointed Dick Parsons, who once was chairman of Time-Warner, to run the Clippers. So how do you think Parsons will vote?

That means Sterling’s banishment from the league will likely be by a vote of 30-0 and it does seem that Sterling will accede to the league’s wishes. A report on ESPN.com indicates Sterling, for the first time, has indicated he will sell the team.

If he does in fact go gently into the night, his bizarre behavior – well, bizarre for the average man; unsurprising for him – will have a lasting effect. In particular, Sterling’s obsession with criticizing Magic Johnson – first in the damaging audio tape that was released on TMZ, then the interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper – has created a wonderful irony for Magic.

It has almost ensured that Magic will be the front man of the group that Sterling has authorized his wife to sell. The NBA undoubtedly takes notice when people like Larry Ellison (worth $51.2 billion according to Forbes), David Geffen ($6.2 billion) and Oprah Winfrey ($2.9 billion) express interest, and we are very likely to see a spirited bidding war.

But even though Oprah is Magic’s equal as a one-name icon, this is the NBA and this is Magic Johnson. Tie goes to the basketball legend, who is backed by plenty of money. And don’t think for a second that NBA officials do not see and embrace the irony of a black man wresting control of a team from a man who loses the team because of his disdain for black men.

If Magic does emerge as the front man for the Clippers, there is little doubt that the franchise will quickly be, well, Lakerized. That will happen in a variety of ways, and it should start with responding to Sterling in a way that is dramatic and decisive.

First order of business: Ditch the name “Clippers.”

Although Sterling did not choose the team name – the Buffalo Braves became the Clippers when they moved to San Diego in 1978, three years before he became owner – he has been the face of the Clippers for the last 33 years. That’s an ugly face. Time to exorcise that demon.

In short, Magic needs to lead a Clippers renaissance. And who better to assist him with that than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who in 2011 created “On the Shoulders of Giants,” a sports documentary about the Harlem Renaissance Big Five, aka the Harlem Rens, who began playing as a barnstorming team in 1923.

I’m sure Abdul-Jabbar would enthusiastically approve if Magic adopted the Renaissance nickname, and wouldn’t that be the ultimate response to Sterling? Not only was the franchise sold to a group fronted by a black man, but the team name was also changed to that of perhaps the greatest black team in basketball history.

The Los Angeles Renaissance. Rens for those tight one-column headlines. Slap on a new logo, electrify the colors and suddenly, you have a new era and a connection with a proud rather than embarrassing tradition.

The ornery among you might be tempted to point out that in pure technical terms, the Clippers can’t be part of a revitalization because they were never vital at any point of Sterling’s ownership — except for the last three years.

But, hey, work with me here. The Harlem Rens were named after a nightclub. So a little creative freedom is not too much to ask.

Magic could have some fun with Rens history. Connect the current group of young black players to the likes of William “Pop” Gates and Charles “Tarzan” Cooper, each of whom is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Unlike the Clippers, the Rens were winners. Consider the 88-game winning streak they once had. The Clippers once had a period when they won 72 games, but, well, it took them four years to do it (1997-98 to 2000-01).

When the Rens, the first all-black team to win the World Basketball Championship, finally disbanded in 1949, they had a franchise record of 2,588-529. As a team, they are also in the Hall of Fame. Under Sterling, the Clippers are 915-1497 in Los Angeles.

The Rens would be only a part of the Lakerization of the new franchise. Imagine the number of ex-Lakers who would suddenly become a part of the franchise, coming to games and practices, working in the front office.

It would not be a surprise if Abdul-Jabbar had some sort of official role. Instead of consulting for the Golden State Warriors, Jerry West could return to LA in the same role with Magic. Maybe Mitch Kupchak is frustrated with the Lakers and would make a move. Guys like Michael Cooper, Norm Nixon and A.C. Green would add to the scenery and staff. Who knows? Magic could even bring the iconic Josh Rosenfeld back as PR director.

With a name change – and obviously, Rens isn’t the only possibility; the point is Magic should change it and change it fast – the franchise would no longer be haunted by the negativism attached to the name. And with Magic in charge, the team would finally have a chance to move a little closer in status to the Lakers.

It’s difficult to believe they will ever catch the Lakers, who are too established and too popular in Los Angeles. But Magic bridges the gap.

The Rens are a favorite subject for me, and I’ve written about them more than once. When the Nets moved to Brooklyn, I suggested adopting the Rens nickname but in retrospect, I’m glad Mikhail Prokhorov listened to Jay-Z instead of me. (I understand it wasn’t that close.) With the hiring of Jason Kidd, who led the Nets to two NBA Finals in New Jersey, the Brooklyn Nets have a positive connection with the past and they even have a certain amount of cool – at least in Brooklyn.

But I once edited an NBA Encyclopedia and spent many hours researching and reading about the Rens and other teams. And I believe connecting with the past for young players is good. Consider some of the guys who will be drafted this year – they never saw Larry Bird or Magic play, and when Michael Jordan retired, they were still in preschool.

It would do them good to read about the hardship the Rens experienced when the world was full of Donald Sterlings. The Rens were booed and pelted with projectiles in arenas, could not eat or sleep at whites-only establishments and sometimes felt their lives were in danger. But it never affected their basketball. The great John Wooden, who played against the Rens when he was a member of a touring team called the Indianapolis Kautskys, said this before his death a few years ago:

“To this day, I have never seen a team play better team basketball. They had great athletes, but they weren’t as impressive as their team play. The way they handled and passed the ball was just amazing to me then, and I believe it would be today.”

I think the Rens would be a cool name. And Lakerizing the Clippers would be great. Magic would overrule Doc Rivers and uncover those Lakers retired jersey numbers at Clippers games – especially since his jersey is one of those being uncovered. There would be a connection between the Lakers success and the possibilities for their co-tenants.

If the Sterlings do follow through with the sale of the team and Magic gets it, he should move on the Clippers nickname as soon as possible. The NBA usually requires two years to change names and logos, but there are exceptions. In the case of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team announced it was moving from Seattle in July and the Thunder logo and gear were in place in October.

When Sterling is officially, and finally, gone and Magic is firmly in place, Los Angeles will finally have a chance to become a two-team town. And that will start with not only the Lakerization of the Clippers, but also the emasculation of the sorry image that Sterling created for them.

CHECK OUT JAN HUBBARD’S ARCHIVE FROM SHERIDAN HOOPS.COM. TERRIFIC STUFF ON THE NBA, PAST AND PRESENT.

Jan Hubbard has written about basketball since 1976 and worked in the NBA league office for eight years between media stints. Follow him on Twitter at @whyhub.