The "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever

Los Angeles Clippers: What if the Clippers hadn't traded Moses Malone and signed Kobe?

Before getting their act together, beginning in the mid-2000s, the Los Angeles Clippers were one of the worst franchises in North American sports. It didn't have to be that way, however. Back in 1978, the Clippers had their hands on 21-year-old Moses Malone following the ABA merger with the NBA, but they let him slip away in classic Clippers fashion. They traded him to the Houston Rockets after six games.

Of course, Malone would go on to win three MVPs in Houston before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he would lead them to a championship in 1983. Meanwhile, the Clippers consistently stunk for more than 20 years following the trade. Then they had a chance to redeem themselves in the summer of 2004. For those who don't remember, after their 2004 loss in the NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant flirted with the idea of switching over to the Los Angeles Clippers and had even verbally agreed to a deal.

However, Jerry West talked him out of it, and Bryant stayed. Had Kobe left in his mid-twenties, it would have marked a monumental win for the Clippers, who were and still are seen as the scrawny little brother to the Lakers in terms of popularity. In that scenario, the Lakers might've kept Shaq instead of trading him to the Miami Heat, which would have prevented them from winning it all in 2006 and possibly given Dirk another ring.

Kobe probably wouldn't have won a fourth or fifth championship, which would have hurt his standing as a top-15 player all-time, while the Lakers may still have 15 titles instead of 17. The Orlando Magic and Celtics probably would have won championships in 2009 and 2010, respectively, and that might have kept Dwight in Orlando and the Celtics together until their big three retired. The ripple effects would have been huge.