Clippers' Team Plane Struck By Lightning, Players Thought They Were Gonna Die
Los Angeles Clippers players were hit with an unexpected twist during their plane ride to Denver on Feb. 25.
Amid their flight to Mile High, traveling to play against the Nuggets, the Clippers' charter plane was struck by lightning. The plane's engine began shutting down. Players and other passengers panicked as the plane dipped in altitude several times due to the strike.
Clippers' Flight Heads South
ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk shared the harrowing story of a close call for the LA team. Several players spoke up to share what happened on the flight, confirming that it was indeed terrifying.
Youngmisuk wrote, "The Clippers' plane began to shake and rattle before a loud bang could be heard. Some staffers saw a flash on the right side of the aircraft as the engine went eerily silent for a moment before roaring back to life and filling the cabin with thunderous revving.
"The plane dropped in altitude several times, and shrieks could be heard from passengers in what some staffers called one of the worst moments they've experienced on a flight."
Clippers guard Eric Gordon shared that players were asleep before finding themselves in the middle of a near-death flight.
"Us players, we're trying to nap away," Gordon shared with ESPN. "Oh, everybody was up after that for sure."
Former Nugget turned Clipper Bones Hyland confirmed the ESPN story on Twitter, posting that he was also startled during the plane's rocky trip to the Rockies.
" we thought it was over wit," Hyland tweeted.
In the end, the Clippers' plane arrived safely in Colorado, and no one was harmed during the butterfly-inducing flight.
After deboarding the aircraft, players and personnel viewed the spot where the lightning hit, which was right on the airplane's tail.
The Clippers' week didn't improve after the risky flight.
LA lost against the Nuggets in overtime the next day (Feb. 26), 134-124, and dropped three straight games after the loss.
Like the flight, the Clippers' season has been up and down.
After holding onto the West's fourth seed since the mid-point of the NBA season, the Clippers have been trying to make up for bad losses and have gradually dropped to the sixth seed.
The Clips are revving their engines closer to the postseason: winning their last three contests, all against playoff-hopeful teams (Grizzlies, Raptors, Knicks).