Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George Want to Make History for Clippers
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
July 25, 2019

Share

LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George laughed and cheered along with the crowd when the multibillionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers waved his arms, stomped his feet and screamed his new players’ praises in a cracking voice.
“Pretty cool! Pretty cool!” Steve Ballmer shouted with glee.

“I think we’ve got something special. We can make history here. We’ve got the right team to do it.” — Kawhi Leonard
Leonard and George are already loving the Clippers’ unique vibe, and they see their future together as limitless.
Nearly three weeks after these native Southern California superstars shook up the NBA by maneuvering to play together in LA, the Clippers’ new dynamic duo finally made its first public appearance Wednesday in a south Los Angeles community center gym.
“I think we’ve got something special,” said Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP coming off a championship season in Toronto. “We can make history here. We’ve got the right team to do it.”
In explaining their decision to team up with the Clippers, Leonard and George both mentioned the importance of playing near their friends and family. Both were eager to join a team they grew up watching intently from their hometowns in the far-flung LA suburbs during the Clippers’ leaner years.

Attracting Elite Talent This Summer

But Leonard and George seemed to be most impressed by this steady, cerebral franchise’s supporting cast and leadership —everyone from complementary players Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams to front-office architect Jerry West and coach Doc Rivers.

“I want to help build something special, and this is surreal to be home and do it for a team that I grew up with, and wanted to be a part of ever since they missed out on me in the draft.” — Paul George
West and Ballmer structured their entire franchise specifically to attract elite talent this summer, and Leonard sees the Clippers as fertile ground to grow another champion quickly.
“It’s an opportunity for us to just build our own, you know what I mean?” Leonard said. “To make history. They haven’t been to a Finals. They haven’t won a Finals. That was something big and exciting for me.”
While Leonard joined the Clippers as a free agent, George got here through a trade with Oklahoma City. The All-NBA first-teamer described his departure from the Thunder as “a mutual thing between the both of us that the time was up” in Oklahoma City.
“I want to be a part of something special,” George said. “I want to help build something special, and this is surreal to be home and do it for a team that I grew up with, and wanted to be a part of ever since they missed out on me in the draft. But that’s another story. That wasn’t on Steve’s time, so it’s cool.”
Both Leonard and George mentioned the fact that they nearly played together with the Indiana Pacers, who drafted George in 2010 and Leonard in 2011 — only to trade Kawhi to San Antonio on draft night.
“I wish we would have stayed together,” George said. “It just seems like this was destiny. We were supposed to play together, so here we are.”

They Appear Capable of Leading Clippers Into NBA’s Elite

The Clippers’ long-standing reputation as a miserable franchise has receded annually during their current run of eight consecutive winning seasons. The Donald Sterling era’s flaws have been wholly erased since Ballmer bought the team seven years ago and trusted Rivers and West to run it.
For all of their recent success with the likes of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Tobias Harris, the Clippers still haven’t reached a Western Conference final or stolen much of the local spotlight from the 16-time champion Lakers.
But this summer, their patient planning allowed them to acquire two men who appear capable of leading them into the NBA’s elite.
“It means a great deal for players of this magnitude to decide to be Clippers, and to put their trust in us,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said. “As much as we loved our team last year, we knew we needed elite talent to compete at the highest level. One of the hardest things to do in the NBA is to get one superstar, let alone two superstars who respect and complement each other like Kawhi and Paul do.”
The Clippers did it by impressing Leonard in their free-agency pitch meeting. Frank said the Clippers offer the chance to play at home in LA in a “drama-free” environment, essentially contrasting them with the turmoil that envelops the wildly popular Lakers.
Both Leonard and George were heavily linked with the Lakers in recent years, but Leonard spurned the Lakers’ earnest attempts to team him with LeBron James and Anthony Davis next season. While Leonard didn’t criticize the Lakers, he praised the Clippers’ front office for being “very transparent with me.”

Clippers Can’t Match the Lakers’ Formidable Fan Base

Leonard and George both know Los Angeles well enough to know the Clippers won’t come close to matching the Lakers’ formidable fan base until they’ve got a few banners of their own at Staples Center — and the superstars say they don’t care.

“We’re going to make it happen. LA our way.” — Paul George
“As far as the last few years, as far as a basketball standpoint, the Clippers have been better,” Leonard said to cheers.
“They’re going to get the attention,” Leonard said. “They’re the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve been winning championships for a long time. Even if we do win, who knows how the Clippers will change? I don’t feel like I’m focused on that. I just want to win. I do things that make myself and my teammates happy. That’s going to be my focus and drive. If we go to the championship and win and we’re not getting no coverage, that’s fine with me.”
George was more succinct about his thoughts on the Clippers’ place in Los Angeles in the years ahead.
“We’re going to make it happen,” he said. “LA our way.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

DON'T MISS

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

DON'T MISS

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

DON'T MISS

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

DON'T MISS

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

DON'T MISS

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

DON'T MISS

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

DON'T MISS

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

DON'T MISS

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

DON'T MISS

Spring Allergies Are Back. Here’s How to Check Pollen Levels and Keep From Sneezing

UP NEXT

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

UP NEXT

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

UP NEXT

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion

UP NEXT

LA Rams Can Bolster a Contending Roster With Another Strong Showing in NFL Draft

UP NEXT

49ers Look to Strengthen Depleted Defense in NFL Draft

UP NEXT

Thousands of Pilgrims Trek Through New Mexico Desert to Historic Adobe Church for Good Friday

UP NEXT

Rams’ Draft Headquarters to Be at LAFD Air Base to Honor First Responders to Wildfires

UP NEXT

Free Skateboard Event Brings Pro Legends, Family Fun to Fresno on Saturday

UP NEXT

Easter Desserts Anyone Can Make

UP NEXT

Giants Befuddled by Sánchez’s Changeup in Loss to the Phillies

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

8 hours ago

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

8 hours ago

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

10 hours ago

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

11 hours ago

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

11 hours ago

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

12 hours ago

Spring Allergies Are Back. Here’s How to Check Pollen Levels and Keep From Sneezing

12 hours ago

US Small Manufacturers Hope to Benefit From Tariffs, but Some Worry About Uncertainty

12 hours ago

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

12 hours ago

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

12 hours ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Saturday that the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the Hout...

7 hours ago

7 hours ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

7 hours ago

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

7 hours ago

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

8 hours ago

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

8 hours ago

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

10 hours ago

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

11 hours ago

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

11 hours ago

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend