<P> In 1978 , San Diego welcomed the relocation of the Buffalo Braves franchise because the city had lost their Rockets to Houston seven years earlier . San Diego team officials did not think Braves was a representative nickname for the club and a contest decided on `` Clippers '' , because the city was known for the great sailing ships that passed through San Diego Bay . When the Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984 , they kept their nickname . </P>
where did the la clippers get their name
the great sailing ships that passed through San Diego Bay