Dennis Johnson & Sam Perkins Era

Lore & Background

The Dennis Johnson & Sam Perkins Era (1987–1993) saw the Clippers struggle to find consistency, but the veteran leadership of Johnson—a three-time NBA champion—and the versatile play of Perkins helped stabilize a franchise that had long been adrift. Johnson, acquired in 1987, brought championship pedigree and defensive tenacity, while Perkins, drafted by the team in 1984 and returning after a stint with the Dallas Mavericks, provided reliable scoring and rebounding. Though the team never posted a winning record during this period, they improved from 12 wins in 1987–88 to 31 wins in 1990–91, showing signs of growth. The era ended with Johnson's retirement in 1990 and Perkins' departure in 1993, but it set the stage for the Clippers' eventual playoff return in the 1991–92 season.

Reader's Guide

The first football team fielded by UCLA took the field in 1919. The team was coached by Fred Cozens, and compiled a 2–6 record. UCLA did not participate in an athletic conference until 1920, so the 1919 football team played a schedule full of local high schools and other assorted teams. Cozens was UCLA's athletics director from 1919 to 1942. Harry Trotter took over the young UCLA football program after Cozens stepped down after guiding the Bruins in their first season. UCLA began to play in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) in 1920, and competed against Occidental College, California Institute of Technology, University of Redlands, Whittier College, and Pomona College. Coach Trotter's two wins were against Redlands and San Diego State, which did not join the SCIAC until 1926. Trotter left UCLA with a 2–13–1 record in three seasons (1920–1922). James J. Cline took over the Bruins football program as its third head coach in 1923. Coach Cline's two wins were against Loyola University and San Diego State. Cline was replaced after two seasons and a 2–10–3 record. William H. Spaulding came to UCLA from Minnesota in 1925. As the Bruins head coach, his overall record in 14 seasons was 72–51–8. During his tenure in Los Angeles, Spaulding led the Bruins to their first bowl appearance and victory, the 1938 Poi Bowl. Also during Spaulding's tenure, the Bruins left the SCIAC and joined the Pacific Coast Conference beginning in 1928. Spaulding's 72 wins rank him among the best in head coaching victories in Bruin football history. He retired after a successful fourteen-season tenure ended after the 1938 season. Edwin C. Horrell was promoted to head coach following Spaulding's retirement. His 1942 UCLA Bruins team lost to Georgia in the 1943 Rose Bowl. He was the first coach to lead a UCLA team to defeat rival USC. It was the first football victory in the UCLA–USC rivalry. The most notable player who played for Horrell at UCLA was Jackie Robinson, who went on to a Hall of Fame career in professional baseball. Horrell's 1939 team compiled a 6–0–4 and his 1941 team posted a 5–5–1 record. With the exception of the 1942 season, the combined record of the Bruins during Horrell's tenure outside the aforementioned seasons was 6–22–1. These struggles led to Horrell's firing after six seasons at the helm of UCLA football.

Did You Know?

• Dennis Johnson was a three-time NBA champion and Finals MVP with the Seattle SuperSonics and Boston Celtics before joining the Clippers.
• Perkins is one of only two players in NBA history to have played with both Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.