Kawhi Leonard has officially signed his contract with the LA Clippers, becoming one of the first superstars in their prime to ever do so in franchise history.
The LA Clippers aren’t exactly a franchise that’s rich with victory, or even good history, for that matter. Even dating back to the days when they were the Buffalo Braves, the team has never made it beyond the second round of the playoffs, and the star players have been few and far between.
At first, there was Bob McAdoo, who won an MVP with the Braves in 1975. World B. Free was a fringe star in San Diego. Between them was Randy Smith, the franchise’s all-time leader in points scored. But from there, the Clippers hardly had anyone noteworthy until they drafted Blake Griffin in 2009.
Griffin isn’t the Clippers’ all-time leader in scoring, rebounds, or even games played. He is, however, the greatest player to ever put on the uniform, and someone who deserves to have his jersey in the rafters when it’s all said and done.
Chris Paul is right up there as well, as is DeAndre Jordan. And like Griffin, they both deserve to have their jerseys hung once their respective careers come to a close.
Those three players all have a few things in common. For one, they were all All-Stars during their time in Los Angeles. They also all re-signed with the franchise at one point or another. The most important similarity, though, is that none of them are are or were the player that Kawhi Leonard is right now, and none of them have achieved as much as he has.
Through the first eight years of his NBA career, Leonard has twice been an NBA champion, and has been named Finals MVP both times. At 28 years old, it’s difficult to find a resume like his elsewhere in the league.
What makes Leonard’s move to the Clippers so unique, though, is that it was his own decision. He wasn’t traded there, he wasn’t drafted by them, and he wasn’t already playing there. Instead, he left a team with which he had won an NBA title roughly four weeks earlier — in order to join one that has never even sniffed the doorstep of the NBA Finals.
Now, the Clippers could finally get their chance. With a player of Leonard’s caliber at the helm, along with the help of Paul George and most of the guys that made last year’s squad so special, the sky is the limit for LA. It’s time to sit back and enjoy it.
Of course, the road to a title won’t be easy. But under the advisement of Doc Rivers and the LA Clippers’ superstar front office, it’s hard to imagine an issue arising that the team won’t be prepared for.