2001–02 Los Angeles Clippers season

The 2001–02 NBA season was the 32nd season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, and their 18th season in Los Angeles, California. The Clippers received the second overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, and selected center and high school basketball star Tyson Chandler, but soon traded him to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Elton Brand.

With the acquisition of Brand, and the continued improvements of second-year guard Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette and Michael Olowokandi, the Clippers played their best basketball with a 15–11 start as of December 22, 2001. The team began to slip under .500, but still played competitive basketball through most of the first half of the regular season, holding a 25–26 record at the All-Star break, despite Lamar Odom only playing just 29 games due to a wrist injury, and second-year guard Keyon Dooling only playing just 14 games due to an ankle injury. However, after holding a 36–33 record in mid-March, the Clippers struggled and lost 10 of their final 13 games of the season, failing to qualify for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 39–43 record, which was ninth place in the Western Conference.

Brand averaged 18.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, and was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Jeff McInnis provided the team with 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game, and Richardson played an increased role as the team's sixth man, averaging 13.3 points per game off the bench. In addition, Maggette contributed 11.4 points per game, while Odom averaged 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, Olowokandi provided with 11.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, and second-year forward Darius Miles averaged 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game off the bench. Richardson also finished in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

Following the season, Miles was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and McInnis signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers.