1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 27th season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, their 13th season in Los Angeles, California, and their third season in which they played occasional home games in Anaheim, California. The Clippers received the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected center Lorenzen Wright from the University of Memphis. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Darrick Martin, and former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth.

With the loss of Brian Williams to free agency, the Clippers were expected to sink in the bottom of the NBA again. After a 6–4 start to the regular season, the team lost ten of their next eleven games, as Duckworth only played just 26 games due to a sore heel injury, while Stanley Roberts only played just 18 games due to a back injury, and second-year guard Brent Barry only played 59 games due to thumb and ankle injuries. However, despite the injuries, the Clippers held a 19–25 record at the All-Star break, and finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 36–46 record, which was below .500 in winning percentage, but still good enough to earn the #8 seed in the Western Conference, as the team qualified for the NBA playoffs.

Loy Vaught led the team with 14.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while Malik Sealy averaged 13.5 points and 1.6 steals per game, and Rodney Rogers provided the team with 13.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. In addition, Martin contributed 10.9 points and 4.1 assists per game, and Wright provided with 7.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Roberts averaged 9.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, while Bo Outlaw provided with 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, plus leading the league shooting .609 in field-goal percentage, Barry contributed 7.5 points per game, and Lamond Murray contributed 7.4 points per game. Outlaw also finished tied in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and head coach Bill Fitch finished tied in sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.

However, in the Western Conference First Round of the 1997 NBA playoffs, the Clippers were swept by the top-seeded Utah Jazz in three straight games. The Jazz would reach the NBA Finals for the first time, but would lose to the defending champion Chicago Bulls in six games. This would also be the Clippers' final playoff appearance until 2006.

Following the season, Sealy signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons, while Roberts was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Outlaw signed with the Orlando Magic, Terry Dehere signed with the Sacramento Kings, and Duckworth retired.