After speculation that Kawhi Leonard was leaning towards the Los Angeles Lakers or the Toronto Raptors, the Los Angeles Clippers came out of nowhere to snag the two-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP. The Clippers also made a blockbuster trade to acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Once these deals were made, a ton of praise was sent in the direction of Clippers executive and NBA legend Jerry West. Many believe West was the mastermind behind all of this but as he told TMZ, there were a lot more people involved in making the deal happen.
"I didn't close this deal, okay?" West said. "This was hard work by our front office. Lawrence Frank, Michael Winger. All the people associated with it."
The Clippers' biggest rival will certainly be the Los Angeles Lakers who have a ton of high caliber players in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As West explained, he's pretty excited about this budding rivalry but doesn't want to get too caught up in it all. As far as championships are concerned, West doesn't want to rush that either.
"I don't think we're worried about championships yet ... worried about getting through the season and seeing how we play," West remarked.
With all of this in mind, it's clear that the Clippers are an organization with a plan to have their most successful seasons ever.
