OCEANSIDE — World B. Free — the San Diego Clippers’ most unapologetic volume scorer from the baby-blue era — didn’t make an appearance Thursday night, but the Los Angeles Clippers still poured in plenty of points, rolling to a 142-95 win over the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association at Frontwave Arena.
Thursday night’s game was the Clippers’ first of a four-game preseason slate and part of the Loong Lions’ three-game U.S. tour, which also included matchups against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 6 and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 13.
“It feels good to change venues a little bit, get outside our comfort zone of Intuit, and just come here, and have the kids here and be able to enjoy it, so it’s just a good feeling,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said.
The game was tight at halftime, with the Clippers leading 69-64, but a decisive third quarter — in which the Loong Lions were outscored 42-8 — broke the game open. Clippers veteran point guard Chris Paul notched 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes in the preseason opener.
“Early on in the first half, I just thought we went through the motions,” Lue said. “I didn’t think we really locked in and had that defensive mindset to start the game. They ran around too free, got whatever shot they wanted. We didn’t really take them seriously. So, I just told the guys, we’re working on ourselves. We’re not working on playing against them. We have to get better, have that mindset every night. In the first half, I didn’t think we did that.”
Led by SDSU alum and North County resident Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers — with an average age of 33 years and two months — head into the regular season as the oldest team in NBA history. Leonard played nearly 18 minutes — all in the first half — and poured in a team-high 18 points, hitting five three-pointers.
“It’s chill,” Leonard said Thursday after the win, reflecting on living in Rancho Santa Fe. “Everybody shows love. It’s not a lot of high-profile stuff going on. Everybody’s pretty much chill, no matter who you are. They let you live a little bit. And that’s great.”
With only one player taller than 6-foot-7, Guangzhou faced a notable size disadvantage.
“We could have went to [center Ivica Zubac] Zu every time down the floor, they were so small, but we didn’t want to do that,” Lue said. “We kind of wanted to work on some things. If this had been a regular game, we’d post Zu 40 times tonight.”
Across the court, the Loong Lions received contributions from former NBA players Frank Kaminsky, Tim Frazier, Justin Holiday, Deonte Burton, George King, and, most notably, Victor Oladipo, who signed a short-term deal with the team for the exhibition tour.
Oladipo, 33, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since 2023 and boasts a career average of 16.9 points per game over nine seasons, led Guangzhou with 24 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting night, even showing flashes of his former self on a fast-break alley-oop in the first half.
“Honestly, if we [were] in a practice gym or in the back of a dump truck, it don’t matter,” Oladipo said after the game. “As long as there’s a rectangle and people there competing, I’m going to play at the highest level I can. The NBA is where I’m supposed to be at. And if the opportunity presents itself, I’m going to be ready.”
Between poorly officiated games, aging American expats lighting up the scoreboard like Wilt Chamberlain, archaic training routines, and a Loong Lions suspension in January after a player tried to smuggle a companion into the team dormitory (exposed via social media), the CBA sometimes feels more like the ‘Crazy Basketball Association.’
“Smh it was a crazy year playing in China! Shanghai Sharks by far worst organization l’ve ever been a part of…Very unprofessional. They still owe me my playoff bonus from 21/22 season. They also still owe me the remaining balance of my salary for 23-24,” former NBA player Noah Vonleh posted on social media in 2024.
The Clippers wrap up their preseason with games against the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Golden State Warriors before opening the regular season on the road against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 22.
The NBA G League’s San Diego Clippers, based at Frontwave Arena, open their season in Stockton on November 9 before hosting the Salt Lake City Stars for their home opener on Nov. 14.
