NBA: Forward Rejected Lakers Move, 5-Time Champ Explains Why

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers were both interested in signing Kawhi Leonard this summer when he entered free agency after winning the 2019 NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors. The Toronto-based franchise were also keen to retain the small forward but he eventually decided to return home to Los Angeles.

The Lakers and Clippers were the only others in the running apart from Raptors and he eventually chose Doc Rivers’ team over donning the purple and gold next season. Frank Vogel’s Lakers lost out on other players during free agency by waiting for Leonard but with Anthony Davis and LeBron James on their roster they are still considered among the favorites for the title next season.

The NBA’s second most successful franchise were desperate to create a big three but Leonard chose to join Clippers and Kobe Bryant, a Lakers legend, believes the challenge to help get the Clippers back into title contention was what appealed to the 2019 NBA Finals MVP. Another lure for Leonard to choose the Clippers was teaming up with Paul George, who arrived via trade from Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bryant has no doubts that both Leonard and George were Lakers fans growing up but admitted that things change and they have now embraced the challenge of getting one up on the Lakers by winning the title as part of the Clippers franchise. The five-time NBA champion also admitted that he also considered joining the Clippers at one point during his career but it failed to materialize.

“Well, I think he wanted the challenge of trying to turn the Clippers around and he saw a great opportunity of Paul George willing to participate in that challenge with him,” Bryant said during a recent interview in China where the FIBA Basketball World Cup is underway, as shown on ESPN.

“Both kids are from LA, Lakers was their favorite team, which you know you grow up and things change. So, I think they both saw it as an opportunity as a challenge to try to take a Clippers organization that says all the right things and has been doing the right things in terms of turning the team in the right direction, they saw a great chance to jump in and be a part of it,” he added.