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The Los Angeles Clippers made some big splashes this offseason, none bigger than the guy nicknamed “Splash Mountain” himself in Brook Lopez. The former NBA champion left the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency and headed West to Los Angeles.
Now that he's back home, Lopez is hoping to have another chance at an NBA Championship with his new-look squad.
Brook Lopez sends message to Bucks after free agency decision
Brook Lopez made the difficult decision to leave the Bucks this summer after spending seven seasons alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
The big man joined the Bucks in free agency back in the summer of 2018 and was a significant contributor to multiple playoff runs for Milwaukee, including one that culminated with the NBA Championship back in July 2021.
In his introductory press conference with a contingent of media members from Los Angeles, Lopez took time to reflect on his time with the Milwaukee Bucks and ending a 50-year NBA Championship drought.
“I'm obviously proud of winning the championship,” Brook Lopez said in Las Vegas. “But I'm thankful to all the players I played with, the coaches and staff, physical therapists, strength and conditioning people, all the people that helped put me in the position to be successful. Those guys took care of me, and we have such a special bond beyond the basketball court. That's never going to go away, and I'm just very thankful for them.”
Lopez will be entering his 18th year in the NBA next season, but has still been a very impactful player at the age of 37. The motivation for the new Clippers big man: winning.
“The money is nice,” Lopez joked. “But that's not what it's about for me. I love playing, I love hooping, and I've loved it since I was a little kid. I watched my older brothers play, I just always been around it. And I love winning just as much. I just want to keep winning. I got got a great taste for it in Milwaukee, and these guys are all about that here and I'm all about it, so it's a perfect fit.”
Brook Lopez grew up in North Hollywood, California, smack dab in the middle of the San Fernando Valley. So not many have had a chance to see how far the Clippers have come, from being an afterthought in the NBA to a highly-respected organization league-wide.
“It's crazy to see, but it's very cool. Seeing the climb, the ascent. I'm a Cali boy, so I grew up in the Valley in North Hollywood. Obviously, things were very different back then and to see where the Clippers have come now, it's just astonishing, it's beautiful, I'm glad to be a part of it, and hopefully I can help take him even further up.
“Free agency came, everything happened pretty fast, but looking at my options, I was just thrilled the Clippers reached out and were one of them. They've been a great team for quite a while now. They have a ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, All-Stars, some great young players. My guy Zuby. There's just a great chance to win a championship here.”
In seven seasons with the Bucks, Brook Lopez averaged 13 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three.
Lopez's career arc looks even more extraordinary when you take into account the sharpshooting big man attempted only 31 three-pointers in his first eight seasons in the NBA combined. Since then, Lopez has attempted an average of 336 three-pointers a season and 401 threes per 82-games played.
NBA writer Justin Russo took a deep dive into Brook Lopez's effectiveness and impact on his team's success, which includes the drastic change he took going from a paint-to-mid-range presence to floor spacer shooting efficiently multiple feet behind the three-point line.
Lopez is still a capable starter in the NBA, but will begin the year as the backup big man behind Ivica Zubac. Alongside Zubac and John Collins, the Clippers potentially have some of the best frontcourt depth in the entire NBA.
