LA Clippers: The ups and downs of the first day of free agency

Sunday was a long day, especially for fans of the LA Clippers who were waiting on news about where their favorite players would sign in free agency.

It started out as a typically beautiful Southern California beach day (are you listening, Kawhi Leonard?) — sunny, breezy and picture perfect, as I took a run along the Hermosa Beach coastline, determined to silence my phone and enjoy the day. Never mind that the biggest free agency period in ages was starting at three o’clock. I decided to trust in our front office and thought that whatever happens, happens. As a fan since the first day the LA Clippers set foot in the Sports Arena, I try to set my expectations at a reasonable level. I’ve been through the ups and downs. Might as well enjoy the beach day.

Well, that didn’t last long.  First there was the news that Kevin Durant and Leonard had talked, that Kawhi initiated the call, and that they talked about teaming up in LA or with the New York Knicks. Hope spread through my very being — this was unprecedented news. I spent a few moments imagining taking my 91-year-old dad, a committed Clippers season ticket holder since 1984, to the parade next summer in downtown LA. I shot some texts to my Clippers inside circle; then it was back to the beach. Nothing was happening until late afternoon anyway.

Again, that didn’t last long. Breaking news (an hour before teams could even legitimately talk to players) — Durant and Kyrie Irving to the Nets, to be joined by our Clipper fan favorite DeAndre Jordan. One thing we knew for sure when that news broke — everything we thought we knew about free agency, based on rumors and Instagram emojis and friends of friends of second cousins of players, was just illusion. And that turned out to be the theme of the day.

So, I did the only thing I could do, despite my good intentions. I packed up my beach towel and headed home, arriving just a few minutes before the official start of free agency, settling in with three screens monitoring twitter, ESPN, and my Clipperholics Slack chat. Within moments the emotional whiplash took hold.

As rumored an hour or so earlier, within seconds of three o’clock., it was Durant, Irving and Jordan to the Nets. Big news, but not a big impact on the Clippers one way or another, except for the ripple of making an Eastern Conference team stronger at the expense of a Western Conference powerhouse. So, I’m good. Refreshing my devices every 30 seconds, waiting on Kawhi.

From there, the rumors started flying. Every few minutes we were definitely getting him, then definitely not, then pairing him with another big free agent, then not. For hours there was no reported news on Jimmy Butler — wait, then he must be coming to the Clippers with Kawhi, right?Putting aside my mild anti-Butler bias, I’m good. I would take anyone who can guarantee Kawhi comes with him.

I thought a little more. We hadn’t heard anything about Al Horford all day….this definitely means he is coming to the Clippers with Kawhi. OK, we’re good, even with that big contract for someone who will be in his late 30s by the time we stop paying him. We will still get Kawhi, that’s all that matters. Up and down, for hours on end, barely able to get off the couch, feeding only off of unconfirmed “sources” cited by self-proclaimed NBA experts with little discernible expertise.

Then Butler went to Miami. Horford to the Sixers. My text messages were getting sadder; the words “Clippers curse” were not spoken out loud, but they resonated in the subtext of every message. Our front office was eerily quiet. We comforted ourselves with Ramona Shelburne’s theory that Kawhi wants his people to be loyal, that any leak of information about him is considered a betrayal and not a selling point. OK, I thought, loose lips sink ships, this is a good sign that we have no signs. I know it sounds irrational, but we’re hanging on a thread here.

Then, Danny Green’s people share that he had a call with the Clippers. Wow, this obviously means he and Kawhi are coming to us together. Then a tech debacle with Green’s people trying to do a live Instagram story where he will announce…something. Yet he announces nothing. All we know is that he will either follow Kawhi, or not follow Kawhi. And that he has surprisingly limited wifi in Halifax.

The east coast Clipperholics start talking about calling it a night. The lone Hawaii Clipperholic is tasked with texting everyone if anything happens; we do the math and realize that between his time zone and the east coasters, we have someone awake pretty much round the clock. Somehow it feels better knowing that someone is on this all the time. God forbid a Woj bomb drops with no one awake to see it. We commiserate that it will be a fun season regardless of our complete silence in free agency. I start to power down devices, put on my blue “LA Our Way” playoffs shirt, and get ready to leave this in the hands of fate for the night.

And then my phone starts buzzing. My first text is from Joey, a fellow season ticket lifer who sits behind me in Section 102. He says we signed Patrick Beverley for another three years. Frantically checking Twitter to confirm, I see that back on our Slack chat, it’s true! I started feeling much happier — a little more hopeful and validated.

Beverley has been a huge asset to this team; he showed up and was crucial to morale even in his injured season. This is good. I couldn’t go to sleep now, not when there were so many hopeful conversations about Kawhi + Beverley — what a combination that would be.

Everyone seems to call it a night, trusting our Hawaii guy to hold down the fort.

I wake up before my alarm, only a few hours after ending my free agency vigil. The first thing I do is check my Clipperholics Slack, followed by a quick Twitter check. Nothing. I proceed to sleep through two alarms. Late to the office. I’m now settling in for a long day, or days, of waiting patiently. Charging up all my devices to make sure I’m prepared no matter what.

One long night later, here’s what I know. One, we can’t control any of this. As hard as it is to accept, it’s out of our hands. Our front office is among the best in the business, they’ve got this.

Two, we need to remember that our original dream for summer 2019 was Kawhi, not Kawhi plus one. We envisioned him meshing with the Clippers culture that has evolved into the ego-less, hard-working team that we know and love. That dream is still very much alive.Rumors to the contrary are just that, rumors.

And three, this past season has brought us some unsurpassed LA Clippers basketball and the greatest moments in memory. We have the core to run that back, regardless of what Kawhi or anyone else decides. We’re good. And hey, it’s another beautiful day — who wants to go to the beach?