In a landmark development announced on Monday, September 29, the Los Angeles Clippers became the first NBA team to sign long-term partnership deal with Rwanda under its tourism brand, Visit Rwanda. As part of the partnership, Visit Rwanda will become the exclusive jersey patch sponsor of the Clippers as well as the coffee sponsor of Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ home venue. The Visit Rwanda brand will appear as the exclusive sponsor logo on all game and practice jerseys, both at home and on the road. In addition, Visit Rwanda will also partner with the team to support youth development and promote basketball globally. The multi-year engagement will include community activations in both the Los Angeles area and Rwanda, such as court refurbishments and coaching clinics. The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the NBA as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. ALSO READ: Visit Rwanda signs new partnership agreements with NBA, NFL teams The team will play its home games at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, beginning with the 2024–25 NBA season. Previously, the Clippers played their home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from 1999 to 2024. The franchise was founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 as an expansion team. Led by Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, the Braves reached the NBA playoffs three times during their eight seasons in Buffalo. The team then relocated to San Diego, where it saw little success on the court and missed the playoffs during all six of its years there. Today, the Clippers are regarded as one of the NBA’s most competitive teams, having built a strong roster over the last decade with stars like Kawhi Leonard, who recently visited Rwanda during the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival, James Harden and Paul George. Known for their passionate fan base and fierce rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers have grown into a symbol of perseverance and ambition. Although the team has yet to win an NBA championship, it has consistently qualified for the playoffs in recent years, collecting several division titles and advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 2021. With the move to their state-of-the-art Intuit Dome, the Clippers are looking to cement themselves as a championship-caliber franchise in the years ahead.
