In 1978, two NBA owners did the unthinkable, they traded their ENTIRE franchises!

5 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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In this narrated YouTube short, Dan Novaes recounts the only franchise swap in NBA history that occurred in 1978. Hollywood businessman and film producer Irving H. Levin, who owned the Boston Celtics, wanted a team in California, his home state, but the league barred moving the Celtics. To achieve his goal, Levin negotiated a one‑for‑one trade with John Brown Jr., the owner of the struggling Buffalo Braves. The NBA approved the unprecedented exchange: Levin took ownership of the Braves, moved them to California and renamed them the Los Angeles Clippers, while Brown became the new Celtics owner and subsequently drafted Larry Bird in the 1979 draft. The story highlights the motivations, the league’s surprising approval, and the lasting link between the Celtics and Clippers.

Chapters

In 1978, two NBA owners literally traded entire teams, and it's still the only franchise swap in league history. It starts with Irving H. Levin, a Hollywood businessman and film producer who bought the Boston Celtics in 1972. Sounds like a dream. Except Levin had one problem. He didn't want to own a team in Boston. The Celtics were already one of the most successful franchises ever. But Levin wanted a team in California, where he was born, raised and built his fortune. The NBA shut that idea down immediately. The Celtics were never leaving Boston. So Levin came up with something insane. If he couldn't move the Celtics, maybe he could trade them. Enter John Brown Jr. Owner of the Buffalo Braves, a struggling small market team losing money and coming off a terrible season. Levin proposed a one for one swap. The legendary Celtics for the failing Braves. Shockingly, the NBA approved it. Levin immediately moved the Braves to California, renaming them the Clippers. Brown took over the Celtics and drafted Larry Bird the very next year. To this day, it's the strangest deal in NBA history. And the reason the Celtics and Clippers are forever linked by one unbelievable trade. For more entrepreneur stories and information like this, follow UBK.