Paul George, Kawhi Leonard have LA Clippers roots

During Wednesday afternoon’s introductory press conference for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, both players mentioned their LA Clippers roots.

It’s happened. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are officially members of the LA Clippers. And during Wednesday afternoon’s introductory press conference, it sounded as though the two have been connected to the franchise for longer than we anticipated.

Both George and Leonard grew up in Southern California, attending high school in Palmdale and Riverside, respectively. At the time, and for most of the time in Los Angeles basketball history, the Los Angeles Lakers were the team on top. Surprisingly, though, George and Leonard didn’t grow up fans of the purple and gold.

“I grew up a Clippers fan,” George said during Wednesday’s presser. “I loved the Clippers as a kid.”

Despite that, George also mentioned that he grew up idolizing Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who was arguably the best player in the league at the time.

Unlike George, Leonard didn’t state that he was a “fan” of the LA Clippers while he was growing up, but he did mention that the Clippers were one of the first NBA games he ever saw in person.

Like George, though, Leonard has mentioned in the past that he didn’t root for the Lakers as a kid, but that he idolized a star that didn’t play for the Clippers. His player of choice was Allen Iverson.

George and Leonard pairing up for the LA Clippers isn’t a storybook ending for either player — both are currently in the midst of their prime playing years, and either could go on to finish their careers with another team. But at the very least, it sounds like coming back to Los Angeles and playing for the Clippers is something both players have wanted to do for a long time.

Under the direction of Doc Rivers, who finished second in the Coach of the Year race in 2019, both players could help the Clippers earn their first-ever championship, perhaps as soon as the 2019-2020 season.

Their elite two-way ability will only be complemented by key contributors like Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, each of whom played large roles for the Clippers this past season. And with promising young players like Landry Shamet and Ivica Zubac on the roster, it’s clear that the Clippers will be set up, at least for the next several years, to contend for the championship.

It’s the beginning of a new era for the LA Clippers. And with hometown stars like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the roster, the sky is the limit.