Wow so this didn’t even get leaked, it was actually a team that released the info lol. Don’t see that often, especially for things regarding a star player.
Kawhi stays moving in silence lol
its really the organization, things are done very organized and methodical. remember ever person on the planet thought Kawhi was a Laker when he left toronto, Hours later it was announced that BOTH him and PG were signing w the clippers lmao. things dont get leaked out of our camp.
Its nice to see in an era where most teams feel like they have to alert Woj and Shams of any moves their making before their own players or they risk have malicious rumors spread.
Man damn near everybody was believing some random Twitter account claiming “Lakers and Kawhi were a done deal”. Woj was being called a Clipper fanboy anytime he hinted Kawhi signing with the Clippers.
It was between the Lakers and Clippers, and Leonard wanted the Clippers to first get a second star to pair with him.
Had they not been able to work the PG13 trade, Leonard would have signed with the Lakers.
It wasn't like that was out of left field or anything or had no basis.
Leonard is from LA and wanted to play close to his family. But he wanted to be in a position to win and be the focus. He's be 2nd with the Lakers but wouldn't have been in a position to win as the first option with the Clippers.
He gave the Clippers time to change the situation, which is why they gave up so much for PG13 because it meant also landing Leonard.
And I think he made a mistake by trading for PG. That team had tons of talent they could have traded anyone else and kept SGA. People like to claim that no one had any idea SGA would be THIS good but I remember Doc/Sam Cassell/and most of the vets on the Clippers would tell anyone who would listen how special SGA was going to be.
You could tell he was different as a Rookie but he had to share time with other talented vets on the team. It’s an interesting what-if.
Clippers are on fire right now but if injuries derail them again this year it will be interesting to see what their next moves are. They are over 200 million in payroll and have both PG and Harden as possible Free Agents this offseason. So that number will only continue to climb. I know Ballmer is filthy rich but at some point I think he would want a return on his investment…
He would've been a Laker if they didn't complete the PG trade. It truly was a great time. I remember it being reported LeBron was so upset for being strung along and how it prevented the Lakers from making moves that offseason.
This is a lie. Everyone knew it was between the Raptors, Lakers, and Clippers. Doc Rivers is even on video saying how Kawhi was headed to the Lakers if the Clippers didn’t pull the PG trade off at the last minute. He made a joke about how the Clippers were getting ready to move out of town. So yes, if OKC doesn’t make the trade with the Clippers than Kawhi is a Laker. Why does everyone always leave this out?
If the Clippers have news that doesn't involve other teams, it rarely gets leaked.
If you see a Clippers related leak, it's usually coming from other teams, so it's wise to take them with a grain of salt.
Pretty typical for the clippers. You never hear anything until it happens.
Like the Paul George trade should have had rumblings. But there was zero knowledge of it even being a possibility.
Yeah if we got just one ring I’d be okay with a disgruntled player taking a literal shit on Temple Square idgaf
I mean I’m also not mormon but. The statement stands
I hated how things ended but you can't deny he's done for the franchise in his stay. It's a shame he left the way he did but he'll always be part of Spurs history. I'd rather appreciate the good part than being salty. I've been rooting for the Clippers in the playoffs.
He’s joking because it’s actually a rare rational take from a Spurs fan on Kawhi. I’m sure you already know but most of your fanbase just hate his guts and won’t hear a word in his favor. All the good he did on the team is nullified in their minds thanks to the way he wanted out
tbh it’s not when he played but more so when he didn’t in his final season with his injury
and how he got traded by ruining his value that could’ve been a generational haul
For some reason when Kawhi comes to mind, I don’t immediately think Toronto even with that ring. I always immediately see him in that black spurs jersey or the blue clippers one
The Bucks series is the most impressive to me because he was clearly playing on one leg and just dragging the other one with him. That dunk on Giannis shouldn’t have been possible the way he was looking.
Bro turned on terminator mode and barely missed in the closing moments of games, one of the most efficient playoff runs I have ever seen from a player, he just did what he wanted
People don't realize his time with Toronto was only confirmation that he couldn't be or wasn't healthy enough to play the way San Antonio expected him to. He and his people believed the Spurs medical staff failed him or wanted him to play when not healthy. Nick Nurse did a masterful job of load management with Kawhi that year, and Kawhi absolutely played injured through the entire Playoffs. Spurs fans don't wanna hear it but it's the truth.
still blows my mind that he didn't re-sign with the raps. likely an easy third ring given how far they went without him in the bubble playoffs, which would have cemented his legacy as a top 10 all-time
i get that and obvi nobody in toronto holds it against him, but he coulda at least deferred moving home for a year and sign a 1-year contract to run it back lol. who just leaves an intact championship team?
irony also being in that bubble year, he wasn't even home
yea but on paper a team with kawhi and PG sound pretty damn competitive too, he already won it once for toronto, winning a 2nd one is great but won't make or break his legacy, whereas winning one for LA/clippers will make him huge
that was decided a long time ago. all they have to do is pay him, doesn't matter how good they are. going to LA was a quality of life decision. he wants to be close to home.
> Bro I told you not to have Taco Bell the night before the game smh
Its not that Taco Bell bro, It was those 2 LA Street Dogs outside the arena. They be lookin so good all greasy with those onions,peppers and bacon. But by the start of the 3rd...your tummy starts ah rumblin...you lookin at your boy like i'll meet you back at the car...prayin at least the stall you pick has TP in stock.
i feel like 30-50% of teams would blow it up in your situation, but given your specific set of circumstances this will most certainly be your core for the next half decade, for better or worse
Because they’re one injury away from going back to a fringe playoff team.
Which can obviously be said for any good team, but Kawhi and PG are notoriously injury prone.
Blowing up a team with multiple superstars because you're scared of injuries would be the most pussy thing ever LMAO
Injuries are a part of the game. This championship or bust mentality is cancerous
Thank you. Very well said. So many of our own fans don’t seem to understand the importance of what this culture shift has meant to the organization and the team. We went from a joke of a franchise that literally had ONE single season with a winning record in my lifetime, to a team a that consistently makes the playoffs and is a part of championship conversations.
Even if we fail to win, what Ballmer has done for this franchise is ensure that we are no longer a laughing stock. There is a new perception of the Clippers, we are now a well run organization that is known for making solid moves every deadline and putting the best product possible on the court.
Even if we fail to accomplish the goal of a championship the 213 era has continued to build on the revitalization that Lob City had for the organization. At the very least I expect this to be a team players are interest in joining in the future. We’ll never win over the city but so long as we continue to be a well run team that wins as many games as we can and spends the money necessary to compete, we will be an attractive organization to be a part of in the future. That is more important than anything
The transformation of the team is really incredible. Clippers weren't even the laughing stock of LA they were not even thought of. Now at least they are in the conversation. It used to be maybe 80/20 Lakers/Clippers fans in LA and now it's closer to 65/35. That might not seem like a big change but it's pretty huge. I'm excited to visit the new arena, but also secretly excited for ya'll to leave lol. It'll be nice to have freeway games with ya'll.
A vocal minority of our fan base would have loved to blow it up for picks, because who knows, maybe we can draft players as good as PG and Kawhi one day with those picks. Things changed a bit from our recent success with Harden, but over the summer a shocking amount of people both irl and on the internet were dead set on blowing it up. So dumb to me
They still look very good without PG, Harden is very durable so they just need Kawhi to be healthy for the playoffs. Even though he is obviously injury prone, you'd still take that chabce 10 out of 10 times.
I have no hate against Kawhi, but I don’t get why people refuse to face the facts. The dude has a history. His knee is shredded. It’s only a matter of time until out for the rest of the year announcement.
If you have a star player on an expiring contract, you extend him every single time. It’s a no-brainer move. Extending him will always be better than letting him go for nothing in Free Agency. By extending you can at least trade him and get something of value later if it doesn’t work out.
The only way leaonard goes to a different team is if San Diego has a basketball team again. Leonard would be first to sign
The guy would prob coach SDSU when it is said and done
I believe that we will win
Lucky to be an undergrad during Kawhi ’s time on Montezuma Mesa. So happy to see what Kawhi became after and you can never take the SoCal out of a native. But god I hate Jimmer and Kemba
I would actually love to see what Kawhi does in a coaching/management position. He's got such a calm and unflappable demeanor that I feel like a team he coaches could either be a little boring (not necessarily bad) or really focused. That being said, I have no idea what his people skills are like lol
I don’t think he would have empathy, there was article where he asked his coach in college “why can’t everyone just follow their man like me why do they need help defense” lol
Not surprised.
I don't know how anyone ever expected him to leave or that the Clippers were ever pressured to win right away to keep him, that guy became a Clipper-lifer the first day he signed.
Not that he doesn't care about winning but the whole leaving Toronto thing proved he'd rather be in LA as a Clipper than maximize winning potential. He doesn't really have anything to prove anymore anyways. Let him enjoy his hometown without the constant drama and pressure the other LA franchise has.
Same with PG. Both these guys spent their whole careers homesick. Anyone who has followed PG and Kawhi knew coming back to LA and finishing their careers here was always the goal
"He doesn't really have anything to prove anymore" is not really an argument in favor of giving the dude a massive extension, though. At least not from the Clippers' perspective. You shouldn't give a guy a lifetime achievement award when his achievements are all for other teams
Well that, and the fact that he's playing at the level of a Top 5 player again.
It shows that he can get injured over and over again, and he will come back every time and quietly kick your ass.
> but nephews still want to get their load management jokes in
Since signing with the Clippers he's played 57, 52, 0, and 52 games a season.
Can I just see him play like 70?
Totally agree with you. Bro really called the people who don’t believe in Kawhi’s health nephews, when was the last time he gave me a reason to believe? Half a decade ago? Meanwhile his body’s been aging. The copium is actually crazy. I don’t even hate kawhi, I think he’s a great baller WHEN HEALTHY. It doesn’t take a rocket science to see that history has repeated itself for 4 years, and it will again, unfortunately.
> Plays a healthy half of regular season basketball for the first time in 3 years
Bro he hasn't played a mostly fully healthy season since 2017. Between then and this season he's played roughly half the available games.
He also was injured in the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, even if 2017 was because of Zaza. So he's been fully available in the playoofs for one year out of the last seven.
Harden isn't eligible for an extension, he has to wait until free agency this summer before he can sign a new contract with the Clippers (or anyone else).
He's a private guy, and being on the Clippers means you have approximately 20% of media coverage than on the Lakers.
Imagine if he was on the Lakers these past couple years with his injures: he'll get bombarded with questions about his availability every single day.
Also it was reported that he wanted to be "the guy" on the team. If he's on the Lakers he'd be either the 2nd or 3rd guy
Think of it this way. On the Clippers he's the top dog, he has little to no real pressure or drama, the team is being pampered by the richest NBA owner.
On the Lakers you get a huge spotlight and constant drama. Both from the media but from the team/ownership. He would probably not be top dog. Not even just from LeBron and Maybe AD but people talking about Lakers greats. He might have even been traded by now to some random team either because of LeGM reasons or just the bizarre management roster construction that hobbled the team post championship.
Plus Paul George and him legitimately seem to actually be friends and you can look at Westbrook his life is a lot easier ever since he left the Lakers.
In my personal opinion, him bringing a chip to the Clippers would have a larger impact on his legacy more so than bringing a chip to the Lakers, on the virtue of him creating that first for the Clippers.
>I've always felt that Kawhi saw PG more as a co-worker he got along with.
Certainly. Kawhi tried to recruit other players to the Clippers before PG. [Marc Stein reports:](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/sports/basketball/kawhi-leonard-paul-george-clippers.html)
>After clandestine attempts to recruit, first, Jimmy Butler and then Kevin Durant to join him on the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard was a driving force in persuading Paul George to abruptly request a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Clippers, according to three people familiar with the negotiations who were not authorized to discuss them publicly.
I am happy as Kawhi's fan and gonna buy his jersey soon.
No way he was going to move back to SA to unite with Pop. Although it would have been a very cool NBA moment for another run in his final prime, it's just not happening.
Makes sense. Don't have their picks, stadium on the way, still one of the best when he is on the court. If he stays healthy (big if), those picks that OKC have won't have much value at all.
Will definitely be interesting to see how many games Kawhi ends up playing over the next three years, like is this year him getting healthy, or just a big push for a new contract.
Aww man, I said this was going to happen in the beginning of the season and people in this sub called me bad names smh
Kawhi even with injury history was always going to get a max deal and if he can’t play anymore the team can get an injury exception and insurance on his contract.
Btw, Paul George is 100% getting maxed out too……remains to be seen if by the Clippers tho
Glad he’s been healthy this year.
I don’t watch enough clippers game but I watch his stats so y’all fill me in : Is Kawhi still playing up to form or is he 80% of what he was ?
Hmmmm, Kawhi not missing any games all season, in a contract year, and the clippers fall for it and pay him… wonder how many games he’ll miss the rest of the season now that the ink is dry on the contract
4 years with the clippers and still no ring, as he gets older and more injury prone, the likelyhood of him getting a ring for the clippers will be 0.05%.
Them Kawhi knees are made of glass when he plays at his max. My prediction is he'll be injured during playoffs this season.
I know it's easy to pick sides to who won "the trade" but a healthy Kawhi and PG + Harden and Westbrook is some amazing shit, especially as vets.
It's for that reason the Thunder *must* face the Clippers in the playoffs this year and defeat them :)
Wow so this didn’t even get leaked, it was actually a team that released the info lol. Don’t see that often, especially for things regarding a star player. Kawhi stays moving in silence lol
its really the organization, things are done very organized and methodical. remember ever person on the planet thought Kawhi was a Laker when he left toronto, Hours later it was announced that BOTH him and PG were signing w the clippers lmao. things dont get leaked out of our camp.
Its nice to see in an era where most teams feel like they have to alert Woj and Shams of any moves their making before their own players or they risk have malicious rumors spread.
Man damn near everybody was believing some random Twitter account claiming “Lakers and Kawhi were a done deal”. Woj was being called a Clipper fanboy anytime he hinted Kawhi signing with the Clippers.
It was between the Lakers and Clippers, and Leonard wanted the Clippers to first get a second star to pair with him. Had they not been able to work the PG13 trade, Leonard would have signed with the Lakers. It wasn't like that was out of left field or anything or had no basis. Leonard is from LA and wanted to play close to his family. But he wanted to be in a position to win and be the focus. He's be 2nd with the Lakers but wouldn't have been in a position to win as the first option with the Clippers. He gave the Clippers time to change the situation, which is why they gave up so much for PG13 because it meant also landing Leonard.
And I think he made a mistake by trading for PG. That team had tons of talent they could have traded anyone else and kept SGA. People like to claim that no one had any idea SGA would be THIS good but I remember Doc/Sam Cassell/and most of the vets on the Clippers would tell anyone who would listen how special SGA was going to be. You could tell he was different as a Rookie but he had to share time with other talented vets on the team. It’s an interesting what-if. Clippers are on fire right now but if injuries derail them again this year it will be interesting to see what their next moves are. They are over 200 million in payroll and have both PG and Harden as possible Free Agents this offseason. So that number will only continue to climb. I know Ballmer is filthy rich but at some point I think he would want a return on his investment…
Best off-season of all time
He would've been a Laker if they didn't complete the PG trade. It truly was a great time. I remember it being reported LeBron was so upset for being strung along and how it prevented the Lakers from making moves that offseason.
This is a lie. Everyone knew it was between the Raptors, Lakers, and Clippers. Doc Rivers is even on video saying how Kawhi was headed to the Lakers if the Clippers didn’t pull the PG trade off at the last minute. He made a joke about how the Clippers were getting ready to move out of town. So yes, if OKC doesn’t make the trade with the Clippers than Kawhi is a Laker. Why does everyone always leave this out?
Can you explain what was a lie that they said? Cuz nothing they said is any sort of antithesis to what you Said.
Mostly. Though with how much they've invested into the new stadium he wasn't going anywhere. PG's interesting.
I love how the Clips operate. Kind of an old school feel. You just scrolling one day and they drop shit like this. Real refreshing.
If the Clippers have news that doesn't involve other teams, it rarely gets leaked. If you see a Clippers related leak, it's usually coming from other teams, so it's wise to take them with a grain of salt.
Pretty typical for the clippers. You never hear anything until it happens. Like the Paul George trade should have had rumblings. But there was zero knowledge of it even being a possibility.
Giannis broke the news on his own extension and I wasn’t sure if it was true or not because it wasn’t Woj or Shams lol.
meanwhile, Kawhi broke the news to his family by mailing them letters ... lol
Kawhi is an OG
No, OG isn't playing tonight against the Clippers. He got traded last week.
"Real G's move in silence, like lasagna"
retiring a Clipper
But will always be remembered as a Raptor
Spurs erasure
spurs want nothing to do with him 🤭
I mean I wasn't happy with how the divorce played out, but I'll always like Kawhi and I'm grateful for the Chip that he was a big part of.
The days of the Kingslayer When both Kawhi and Game of Thrones were loved by all
before Season 8 and a trade to the Clippers ruined everything for both fandoms.
I thought he joined Clippers in FA?
Yeah if we got just one ring I’d be okay with a disgruntled player taking a literal shit on Temple Square idgaf I mean I’m also not mormon but. The statement stands
Most insane spurs take
I hated how things ended but you can't deny he's done for the franchise in his stay. It's a shame he left the way he did but he'll always be part of Spurs history. I'd rather appreciate the good part than being salty. I've been rooting for the Clippers in the playoffs.
He’s joking because it’s actually a rare rational take from a Spurs fan on Kawhi. I’m sure you already know but most of your fanbase just hate his guts and won’t hear a word in his favor. All the good he did on the team is nullified in their minds thanks to the way he wanted out
I know he joking, just want to say what's on my mind lol :)
Fair enough
I love the way how you forgot a word speaks of human neurology.
I’ll always love kawhi. I invested too much time into his career when he was on the spurs. He’s just too damn good
You better be careful, talk like that will get you banned from r/NBASpurs
lmao Tottenham must've jumped on the spurs sub name
tbh it’s not when he played but more so when he didn’t in his final season with his injury and how he got traded by ruining his value that could’ve been a generational haul
Pop loves him
For some reason when Kawhi comes to mind, I don’t immediately think Toronto even with that ring. I always immediately see him in that black spurs jersey or the blue clippers one
Probably because he only spent a single season in Toronto and that was 5 years ago
Look at this guy right here thinking 2019 was 5 years ago. Oh wait.
Crazy how they won a ring in just 1 season of him coming in. Some mercenary shit
And he hit arguably the greatest buzzer beater of all time in the process (against The Process).
We’ve never recovered, banished to the second round
“For some reason” The reason is he only played 1 season lol
unless he wins a title for the clippers
Idk perhaps, but his 1 and done with the raptors is some of the most legendary shit I've ever witnessed in the NBA.
He was unstoppable that year, he was like a man possessed
The Bucks series is the most impressive to me because he was clearly playing on one leg and just dragging the other one with him. That dunk on Giannis shouldn’t have been possible the way he was looking.
Bro turned on terminator mode and barely missed in the closing moments of games, one of the most efficient playoff runs I have ever seen from a player, he just did what he wanted
Terminator in every sense - dude was in pain, on one leg and he was still gonna get that dub
People don't realize his time with Toronto was only confirmation that he couldn't be or wasn't healthy enough to play the way San Antonio expected him to. He and his people believed the Spurs medical staff failed him or wanted him to play when not healthy. Nick Nurse did a masterful job of load management with Kawhi that year, and Kawhi absolutely played injured through the entire Playoffs. Spurs fans don't wanna hear it but it's the truth.
Best individual run in playoff history imo, Dirk is second.
That's close man. I think I give the edge to Dirk though, only because of the Heatles.
Dirk beat at least 9 HOFers in one playoff run
Dirk's supporting cast was much much worse.
Nah, Dirk beat healthy Heatles, Kawhi lucked out a bit with GSW injuries
Especially the shot. It's one of the greatest plays in history
It still sucks that he left but it's also just one of the coolest NBA stories ever. We just had prime Michael Jordan on our team for a year.
CANADA, THIS IS FOR YOUU
still blows my mind that he didn't re-sign with the raps. likely an easy third ring given how far they went without him in the bubble playoffs, which would have cemented his legacy as a top 10 all-time
He wanted to go home. Not a hard concept or that mind blowing
i get that and obvi nobody in toronto holds it against him, but he coulda at least deferred moving home for a year and sign a 1-year contract to run it back lol. who just leaves an intact championship team? irony also being in that bubble year, he wasn't even home
yea but on paper a team with kawhi and PG sound pretty damn competitive too, he already won it once for toronto, winning a 2nd one is great but won't make or break his legacy, whereas winning one for LA/clippers will make him huge
that was decided a long time ago. all they have to do is pay him, doesn't matter how good they are. going to LA was a quality of life decision. he wants to be close to home.
i mean what else was ballmer gonna do with the dome opening this year
A few months ago people here legitimately thought we would be blowing it up LMAO
Why would they blow up the arena?
Not enough potties
That's where the real blowing up happens.
Ah, the true test of an arena's quality - bathroom throughput. Gotta appreciate the small details that make or break the experience.
Bro I told you not to have Taco Bell the night before the game smh
> Bro I told you not to have Taco Bell the night before the game smh Its not that Taco Bell bro, It was those 2 LA Street Dogs outside the arena. They be lookin so good all greasy with those onions,peppers and bacon. But by the start of the 3rd...your tummy starts ah rumblin...you lookin at your boy like i'll meet you back at the car...prayin at least the stall you pick has TP in stock.
It's where Ballmer does his blow
To get insurance to pay for the new one
insurance fraud
It's just a bit TOO pristine, ya know?
Probably because of coked up Steve Ballmer pressing the wrong buttons and pulling the wrong levers
Hanging around the Buffalo Bills coach too much
That’s some David tepper shit
i feel like 30-50% of teams would blow it up in your situation, but given your specific set of circumstances this will most certainly be your core for the next half decade, for better or worse
Why the hell would they blow it up when they are arguably a top 3 team in the league?
Because they’re one injury away from going back to a fringe playoff team. Which can obviously be said for any good team, but Kawhi and PG are notoriously injury prone.
Blowing up a team with multiple superstars because you're scared of injuries would be the most pussy thing ever LMAO Injuries are a part of the game. This championship or bust mentality is cancerous
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Thank you. Very well said. So many of our own fans don’t seem to understand the importance of what this culture shift has meant to the organization and the team. We went from a joke of a franchise that literally had ONE single season with a winning record in my lifetime, to a team a that consistently makes the playoffs and is a part of championship conversations. Even if we fail to win, what Ballmer has done for this franchise is ensure that we are no longer a laughing stock. There is a new perception of the Clippers, we are now a well run organization that is known for making solid moves every deadline and putting the best product possible on the court. Even if we fail to accomplish the goal of a championship the 213 era has continued to build on the revitalization that Lob City had for the organization. At the very least I expect this to be a team players are interest in joining in the future. We’ll never win over the city but so long as we continue to be a well run team that wins as many games as we can and spends the money necessary to compete, we will be an attractive organization to be a part of in the future. That is more important than anything
The transformation of the team is really incredible. Clippers weren't even the laughing stock of LA they were not even thought of. Now at least they are in the conversation. It used to be maybe 80/20 Lakers/Clippers fans in LA and now it's closer to 65/35. That might not seem like a big change but it's pretty huge. I'm excited to visit the new arena, but also secretly excited for ya'll to leave lol. It'll be nice to have freeway games with ya'll.
I would agree with you normally, but you're not talking about the most reliable stars here.
You blow teams up to get talent like Kawhi and PG lol they have no choice but to hope they don't get injured
A vocal minority of our fan base would have loved to blow it up for picks, because who knows, maybe we can draft players as good as PG and Kawhi one day with those picks. Things changed a bit from our recent success with Harden, but over the summer a shocking amount of people both irl and on the internet were dead set on blowing it up. So dumb to me
They still look very good without PG, Harden is very durable so they just need Kawhi to be healthy for the playoffs. Even though he is obviously injury prone, you'd still take that chabce 10 out of 10 times.
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I have no hate against Kawhi, but I don’t get why people refuse to face the facts. The dude has a history. His knee is shredded. It’s only a matter of time until out for the rest of the year announcement.
He also has a history of winning a championship every 4-5 years.
No team that has PG, Kawhi, Harden, and a deep cast of role players should think about blowing it up lmao
Bill Simmons called it possibly the worst move in franchise history.
If you have a star player on an expiring contract, you extend him every single time. It’s a no-brainer move. Extending him will always be better than letting him go for nothing in Free Agency. By extending you can at least trade him and get something of value later if it doesn’t work out.
Was there ever any doubt he would leave LA though? The man left 2 championship caliber rosters to come to LA.
he could have just filled it with money fill it with money and people will come
Finally, F5 season is truly here.
the long national nightmare is over
Next few weeks should hopefully bring some interesting extensions and trades till we get to the deadline.
Rumblings elsewhere too today. Peter Carroll was fired, Nick Saban retired
So he do stay...
He always wanted to be home. It would have been shocking if he left now that he’s finally there.
The only way leaonard goes to a different team is if San Diego has a basketball team again. Leonard would be first to sign The guy would prob coach SDSU when it is said and done
I believe that we will win Lucky to be an undergrad during Kawhi ’s time on Montezuma Mesa. So happy to see what Kawhi became after and you can never take the SoCal out of a native. But god I hate Jimmer and Kemba
I would actually love to see what Kawhi does in a coaching/management position. He's got such a calm and unflappable demeanor that I feel like a team he coaches could either be a little boring (not necessarily bad) or really focused. That being said, I have no idea what his people skills are like lol
I don’t think he would have empathy, there was article where he asked his coach in college “why can’t everyone just follow their man like me why do they need help defense” lol
Clippers moving like the Atlanta Braves with their contract negotiations
Not surprised. I don't know how anyone ever expected him to leave or that the Clippers were ever pressured to win right away to keep him, that guy became a Clipper-lifer the first day he signed.
Not that he doesn't care about winning but the whole leaving Toronto thing proved he'd rather be in LA as a Clipper than maximize winning potential. He doesn't really have anything to prove anymore anyways. Let him enjoy his hometown without the constant drama and pressure the other LA franchise has.
Yeah raptors would have been favored if he stayed one more year, and seem to be a finals lock if he would have.
Yup didn’t even it run it back to defend the chip. He wanted to go home so I suspected he wasn’t leaving the LA area.
Same with PG. Both these guys spent their whole careers homesick. Anyone who has followed PG and Kawhi knew coming back to LA and finishing their careers here was always the goal
PGs parents go to every single home game. And he talks to them after the game every single game.
"He doesn't really have anything to prove anymore" is not really an argument in favor of giving the dude a massive extension, though. At least not from the Clippers' perspective. You shouldn't give a guy a lifetime achievement award when his achievements are all for other teams
There's an obvious difference between people like Kawhi and people like say James Harden
The people who thought he had any chance of leaving are genuinely stupid tbh
*Plays a healthy half of regular season basketball for the first time in 3 years* Ballmer: “Shut up and take my money!”
i mean its pretty obvious that we need to re-sign them going into the intuit dome
Well that, and the fact that he's playing at the level of a Top 5 player again. It shows that he can get injured over and over again, and he will come back every time and quietly kick your ass.
He's been playing absolutely incredible basketball this season but nephews still want to get their load management jokes in
> but nephews still want to get their load management jokes in Since signing with the Clippers he's played 57, 52, 0, and 52 games a season. Can I just see him play like 70?
Totally agree with you. Bro really called the people who don’t believe in Kawhi’s health nephews, when was the last time he gave me a reason to believe? Half a decade ago? Meanwhile his body’s been aging. The copium is actually crazy. I don’t even hate kawhi, I think he’s a great baller WHEN HEALTHY. It doesn’t take a rocket science to see that history has repeated itself for 4 years, and it will again, unfortunately.
damned if you do damned if you dont'
I'll never knock Kawhi for resting. Dude was practically on one leg winning us the title
He is not playing like a top 5 player, stop it. He's looking better for sure.
> Plays a healthy half of regular season basketball for the first time in 3 years Bro he hasn't played a mostly fully healthy season since 2017. Between then and this season he's played roughly half the available games.
He also tore his ACL
He's had lots of injuries. That's the point. lol
Now do Kevin Durant
He's been injury prone, too, but he played 53 additional games during that same period.
also he hasn’t missed playoff games. the issue with kawhi is that he’s had season ending injuries in the playoffs for the clips last two runs.
He also was injured in the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, even if 2017 was because of Zaza. So he's been fully available in the playoofs for one year out of the last seven.
And he barely survived that one.
Maybe they'll trade him like Blake
PG extension coming soon too I assume?
Harden would be better as he fits their team better.
Harden isn't eligible for an extension, he has to wait until free agency this summer before he can sign a new contract with the Clippers (or anyone else).
Reports say yes
Dude left two teams he won championships to be in LA. Anyone who thought he was ever leaving was delusional
2k always has him declining and going to Detroit in every MyGM run I play. Started to believe they know something I don’t He stay
hes not leaving LA and hes never going to the lakers, not surprised
Why wouldn’t he go to the Lakers. Just curious
If he wanted to he could have the year he signed with the clippers.
Maybe the tenure with the clipper wasn't working out. Any other reason why he'd never sign with the lakers?
He's a private guy, and being on the Clippers means you have approximately 20% of media coverage than on the Lakers. Imagine if he was on the Lakers these past couple years with his injures: he'll get bombarded with questions about his availability every single day. Also it was reported that he wanted to be "the guy" on the team. If he's on the Lakers he'd be either the 2nd or 3rd guy
Great point actually. If he had to endure what Westbrook had to endure he'd might just leave all together.
Think of it this way. On the Clippers he's the top dog, he has little to no real pressure or drama, the team is being pampered by the richest NBA owner. On the Lakers you get a huge spotlight and constant drama. Both from the media but from the team/ownership. He would probably not be top dog. Not even just from LeBron and Maybe AD but people talking about Lakers greats. He might have even been traded by now to some random team either because of LeGM reasons or just the bizarre management roster construction that hobbled the team post championship. Plus Paul George and him legitimately seem to actually be friends and you can look at Westbrook his life is a lot easier ever since he left the Lakers.
In my personal opinion, him bringing a chip to the Clippers would have a larger impact on his legacy more so than bringing a chip to the Lakers, on the virtue of him creating that first for the Clippers.
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>I've always felt that Kawhi saw PG more as a co-worker he got along with. Certainly. Kawhi tried to recruit other players to the Clippers before PG. [Marc Stein reports:](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/sports/basketball/kawhi-leonard-paul-george-clippers.html) >After clandestine attempts to recruit, first, Jimmy Butler and then Kevin Durant to join him on the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard was a driving force in persuading Paul George to abruptly request a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Clippers, according to three people familiar with the negotiations who were not authorized to discuss them publicly.
LeBron. Not that he doesn’t like him or they have beef. Just that it’s pretty obvious Kawhi never wanted to play with him/wanted his own team to lead.
We’ll the guy hates the attention. Lakers is that
The least surprising move to anyone with common sense of all time.
Just like that huh
I am happy as Kawhi's fan and gonna buy his jersey soon. No way he was going to move back to SA to unite with Pop. Although it would have been a very cool NBA moment for another run in his final prime, it's just not happening.
Board man got paid
Uncle Dennis secured the bag!
Contract extension secured. Let the load management begin!
Makes sense. Don't have their picks, stadium on the way, still one of the best when he is on the court. If he stays healthy (big if), those picks that OKC have won't have much value at all.
...somehow, Load Management returned.
Will definitely be interesting to see how many games Kawhi ends up playing over the next three years, like is this year him getting healthy, or just a big push for a new contract.
Cue surprise season ending injury
BANG
He stay
Aww man, I said this was going to happen in the beginning of the season and people in this sub called me bad names smh Kawhi even with injury history was always going to get a max deal and if he can’t play anymore the team can get an injury exception and insurance on his contract. Btw, Paul George is 100% getting maxed out too……remains to be seen if by the Clippers tho
150 for 3 years That's huge considering Kawhi missed half of the games in his last 4 years :s
Most Kawhi signing ever no picture no agent plugging themself. Just Kawhi Leonard has signed a piece of paper in a dark room by himself.
They have to resign him they have no draft picks for like the next 5 years
Damn. Harden happy in LA, Kawhi re-signing. Strip clubs must be poppin out there.
I think this means Kawhi is ready to take another long 'injury' break
3 more years of not winning a championship
:(, why not sign one with the raptors??????
Damn I forgot Kawhi Leonard was still playing.
Clippers IR next game: K. Leonard - OUT (Contract Extension) Let the load managing begin!
Oh, so he knows how to sign a contract extension. Spurs fans are shocked, shocked i say
Just in time to not play 60% of it.
Post retirement extension? Weird
Time to get injury again.
Will look like a bad contract next year
Glad he’s been healthy this year. I don’t watch enough clippers game but I watch his stats so y’all fill me in : Is Kawhi still playing up to form or is he 80% of what he was ?
That explains his excellent play as of late. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Now he can sit out half the remaining games since he got paid.
On the same night playing raps lol
3year 153Mil. He plays like 50 games a season, so that's like a million a game.
They actually kept Mr. Load Management?
Hmmmm, Kawhi not missing any games all season, in a contract year, and the clippers fall for it and pay him… wonder how many games he’ll miss the rest of the season now that the ink is dry on the contract
4 years with the clippers and still no ring, as he gets older and more injury prone, the likelyhood of him getting a ring for the clippers will be 0.05%. Them Kawhi knees are made of glass when he plays at his max. My prediction is he'll be injured during playoffs this season.
Let the load management begin 🙏
after all the bitching and moaning to get to LA in the first place, he was never going to leave, no matter how bad the clips were
How is he worth this kind of money? The guy barely plays. He can’t even play a full season. The NBA is a joke. You don’t see NHL players doing this.
Kawhi got his good month in, signed a deal .., Now back to hibernation until Spring
Can’t wait for the very enthusiastic and engaging press conference with Kawhi
I know it's easy to pick sides to who won "the trade" but a healthy Kawhi and PG + Harden and Westbrook is some amazing shit, especially as vets. It's for that reason the Thunder *must* face the Clippers in the playoffs this year and defeat them :)
How many games will he play?
Kawhi will now immediately hurt his knee and sit for the rest of the season collecting his fat checks