Following his introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Clippers, NBA star Kawhi Leonard revealed just how close he came to signing with his new club’s L.A. rivals.
While speaking with Yahoo Sports, the three-time All-Star said the Lakers were certainly in play for his services but that he never led them on during the free agency process.
“If they didn’t want to wait for me, they didn’t have to,” said the two-time NBA Finals MVP. “They had a big opportunity to sign me. [The Lakers] were close, but I ended up on the other side. I didn’t lead anyone on. I took my time in free agency, as I should, to make sure I made the best decision for myself and my family.”
The biggest factor in Leonard’s decision to leave the Toronto Raptors and choose the Clippers over the Lakers was when Paul George was added into the fold.
“I’ll say this: players talk, and when I talked to the Clippers, they had certain players they thought they could pair with me before I signed,” Leonard said. “His name was on the board, and I said I would love to play with him. They made the opportunity happen in probably two to three days later. I was close to signing with other teams, but once they told me that this deal was on the table, I jumped for it.”
With the superstar duo of Leonard and George leading the team on the floor and veteran coach Doc Rivers calling plays from the bench, the Clippers may finally be done playing second-fiddle to the Lakers. Of course, the Lakers do have LeBron James and Anthony Davis so that’s a big unknown.
Can’t wait til the season kicks off this fall to find out.
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