During Wednesday afternoon’s introductory press conference, LA Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George didn’t appear concerned about the LA rivalry.
LA Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were officially introduced as members of the team on Wednesday afternoon, a franchise-altering moment for the team’s history. Considering the accolades that the two have amounted over the years, they could already be considered the best players in franchise history, without ever stepping foot on the floor.
As soon as the two make their playing debut for the Clippers, only one thing will be on the minds of NBA fans all over the world.
“How will they perform against the Los Angeles Lakers?”
It’s a legitimate question — outside of the Clippers, the Lakers arguably have the league’s best superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And considering the history the two teams have, it looks like this is setting up to be the first time they’ve had a legitimate on-court rivalry.
Sure, the squads have been even before. But the Clippers and the Lakers are both among the favorites to win the title this season — meaning the stakes are higher than ever.
It’s only right, then, that during the presser, Leonard and George were asked about the LA rivalry and escaping the “shadow” of the Lakers.
“The last few years, as far as from a basketball standpoint, the Clippers have been the better team,” Leonard said. “If we go to the championship and win and we get no coverage, that’s fine with me.”
George followed suit with a similar response, saying, “Lakers Lakers. We’ve got bigger goals in mind. We’ll build our own legacy along the way.”
Clearly, George and Leonard aren’t bothered by all of the media attention on the Lakers. Like the rest of the squad that’s suited up for the LA Clippers during the last few seasons, this team is one that’s focused on forging their own path and doing things their own way — and their stars share a similar sentiment.
Whether the Clippers will dominate the Lakers or not will remain to be seen, but even if they don’t, the regular season only matters so much. George, Leonard and the rest of the members of the Clippers that took the stage Wednesday made it clear that winning championships is the ultimate goal, and that’s what the focus is going to be on.
Now that July has almost reached its end, LA Clippers fans can start looking forward to training camp, media day and preseason basketball. After that, we’ll see a very different Clippers team take the floor as they pursue the franchise’s first title.