Several Los Angeles Clippers greats have been named to next year’s shortlist of nominees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

A team that has only once made the Western Conference Finals in its frustrating 56-year history (including its Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers eras), LA has often been the NBA little brother in its home market, behind the 17-time champion Los Angeles Lakers.

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But across the last decade-plus, the team has undergone perception shift around the league. The Clippers have become a bona fide All-Star destination, attracting future Hall of Famers Paul George and James Harden in separate trades (George has since departed) and Kawhi Leonard in free agency.

Arguably, the homegrown Clippers superstar who really began turning the ship around was selected with the top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, ahead of Harden and Stephen Curry.

Now, that dunktastic standout is a finalist for Springfield — as is his longtime former head coach, as well as one of his key teammates.

In a new press announcement from the Hall, six-time Clippers All-Star power forward Blake Griffin, former LA coach Doc Rivers, and ex-Clippers Sixth Man of the Year combo guard Jamal Crawford lead the NBA representatives in the group.

Griffin was absolutely on a first-ballot Hall of Famer trajectory before a series of lower-body injuries shortened his prime. Still, at his peak, the 6-foot-9 Oklahoma big was one of the most thrillingly athletic frontcourt forces in the game. Griffin made five All-NBA teams (four with LA), and finished as high as third in MVP voting in 2013-14. His immediate emergence in 2010-11 (he sat out what would have been his rookie season, 2009-10, with an injury) set the stage for the Clippers to make an all-in trade for 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul.

Paul’s arrival ushered in the franchise’s beloved “Lob City” era. The superstar passer frequently fed Griffin and All-Star center DeAndre Jordan in the post for highlight-worthy flushes. Across his 13 pro seasons (eight as a Clipper), Griffin averaged 19.0 points on .493/.328/.696 shooting splits, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per bout. He has likely done enough, especially in this relatively light NBA group, to earn a nod.

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A 6-foot-5 Michigan product, Crawford spent a whopping 20 seasons in the NBA (five with LA). He was named Sixth Man of the Year three times, including twice on the Clippers for the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons. Nicknamed “Jamal Crossover” for his unbelievable handles, Crawford holds career averages of 14.6 points on .410/.348/.862 shooting splits, 3.4 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 swipes per. He also played for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets.

Rivers, a former All-Star point guard as a player, has been nominated to the Hall before. He’s surely done enough to warrant inclusion here. As a coach, he brought the Boston Celtics to a pair of NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, winning his lone championship in ’08.

Through 27 seasons with the Orlando Magic, Celtics, Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and now the Milwaukee Bucks, Rivers boasts an overall regular season record of 1173-833 (.585) and a playoff record of 114-112. That longevity and postseason frequency, coupled with his title, should be enough to get him into Springfield this time.

Among the other NBA names, this Clippers group is joined by former Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, seven-time All-Star Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets swingman Joe Johnson, six-time All-Star Suns and New York Knicks power forward Ama’re Stoudemire. Former NBC and TNT commentator Marv Albert rounds out the NBA portion of contenders.

Beyond this group, the Class of 2026 nominees also include former WNBA MVP bigs Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne — who both feel like the most surefire inclusions here — the 1996 U.S. women’s Olympic team, and college basketball coaches Bruce Pearl, Kelvin Sampson, and Mark Few.

Per the Hall, the final group will be announced on Feb. 9 — five days after this year’s NBA trade deadline. The Class of 2026 will be enshrined on Aug. 14 at the Mohegan Sun.

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