NBA preseason basketball returns to Oceanside on Thursday, when the Los Angeles Clippers open their exhibition season against China’s Guangzhou Loong Lions at Frontwave Arena. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. from the G League San Diego Clippers’ home arena.
Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s game:
**Welcome back:** This marks the second straight season that the NBA’s Clippers have ventured south to play a preseason game in Oceanside, home of their minor-league club. They helped christen Frontwave last October with a 115-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The game featured an appearance by former San Diego State star Kawhi Leonard, though he did not suit up.
**About the Loong Lions:** Known in English as the hyphenated “Long-Lions,” Guangzhou plays in the Chinese Basketball Association’s Southern Division. The team features multiple American-born players. Former University of Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky led the Long-Lions with 22 points and seven rebounds in Monday’s exhibition opener against the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Oladipo, an 11-year NBA veteran, also started for the Long-Lions; another longtime NBA-er, Justin Holliday, came off the bench in the 119-88 loss in San Antonio. The team will wrap its three-game NBA tour next week with a game against the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
**About the Clippers:** While their offseason was marred by reports that [owner Steve Ballmer skirted salary cap rules to pay Leonard more money](https://wpdash.medianewsgroup.com/2025/09/03/clippers-deny-report-they-skirted-nba-salary-cap-with-kawhi-leonard-payment/), something Ballmer denies, there’s more to like with this year’s Clippers than in recent seasons. James Harden is back on a two-year, $81.5 million contract. He’s joined by Leonard, who averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during an injury-shortened 2024-25 season. Chris Paul is back for his second stint with the club, while Bradley Beal will try to resurrect a career that bottomed out in Phoenix. Reserves Brook Lopez and Nicolas Batum have a combined 34 years of NBA experience, while Paul has 20 on his own and Harden has 16.
**San Diego ties:** Leonard played at San Diego State, as did Clippers assistant coach Jeremy Castleberry. Clippers rookie Kobe Sanders attended Christian High School. Jordan Miller, who was the G League Clippers’ second-leading scorer last year with 24.5 points per game, is on the NBA club’s training camp roster; so are 2024-25 San Diego Clippers standouts Patrick Baldwin Jr. (18.4 ppg) and Cam Christie (18.2 ppg).
**A good week:** This marks the NBA exhibition played in San Diego County in less than a week. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 126-116 on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,096 at Pechanga Arena. Denver spent five days training in San Diego before the game.
**Up next in Oceanside:** The G League’s San Diego Clippers open their season Nov. 8 against the Stockton Kings, with their home opener set for Nov. 14 against the Salt Lake City Stars.
#### Los Angeles Clippers vs. Guangzhou Loong Lions (exhibition)
**When:** 7:30 p.m. Thursday
**Where**: Frontwave Arena