Have You Seen The Special Shirts Worn By The Clippers' Coaches At Training Camp?

Ty Lue and the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers coaching staff are seasoned veterans who have seen and done it all in the NBA. When it comes to sending a message to their players, Lue’s team knows exactly what to do.

Sometimes, that entails a bit of humor, as the Clippers coaching staff displayed during training camp. The message they had to impart was simple: Run back on transition defense and not give up fast-break points. In the minds of the Clippers coaches, transition defense was a flaw that led to the team’s first-round exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the 2025 playoffs.

Instead of just writing this reminder on a chalkboard, assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy had a more creative idea.

As seen in a viral photo on social media, the Clippers coaching staff wore Van Gundy-inspired shirts that broke down the attributes needed for effective transition defense. The shirts preached floor balance, urgency, and consistent communication and concentration. There was also a poignant reminder imprinted on the shirts: “Know we lost to Denver because of transition.”

These items are all solid basketball points, but in typical Van Gundy wit, the four reminders were printed in such a way that they helped form the NSFW message “Get the F*** back.”

The Clippers had expectations of going on a deep playoff run last season, but the Nuggets’ fast-break attack hindered this plan from coming to fruition. Among all 16 playoff teams in 2025, the Clippers were 10th in defending opponents’ fast-break points. Simply put, they struggled to prevent a playmaking maestro like Nikola Jokic from going on a fast-break rampage with athletic specimens Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

With the arrival of new pieces like Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, and John Collins, the Clippers once again have high hopes for the postseason in the 2025–26 campaign. While the team’s offseason has been dominated by the Kawhi Leonard controversy, the former Finals MVP is nevertheless a big name to watch out for, as is the Clippers’ floor general, James Harden. 

As talented as the Clippers' roster is, their coaches have one key adjustment that they’d like to see sooner rather than later. Perhaps a set of custom-made shirts will get that blunt message across.