NBA: LA Would Haunt Doc Rivers If Kawhi Leonard Made Different Decision

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers admitted that it would be hard being in Los Angeles if Kawhi Leonard made a different decision.

This offseason, reigning NBA Finals MVP Leonard made one of the most talked-about free agency moves. Leonard’s decision to take his talents to Los Angeles had been the talk of whole NBA.

And while it almost seemed like Leonard will wind up with the Lakers, he chose the other LA team – Clippers. However, Clippers coach Rivers believes that he will feel the tension in LA if Leonard had chosen the Lakers.

In his recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Rivers opened up about Leonard and the controversy his move brought to LA. According to Rivers, the Clippers were not planning to get Leonard if he was really headed to the Lakers or back to Toronto. But when the Clippers realized that they had a chance to sign Leonard together with Paul George, the team came up with a new plan.

“And then when we thought we had a chance to get him and Paul. And add them to Pat (Beverley), and Lou (Williams), and (Montrezl Harrell), and to that group, we clearly knew if we could pull this off, then we’d have a shot. And that’s what you want,” Rivers revealed.

Rivers then expressed his thoughts about the possibility of Leonard teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Lakers. The veteran coach stated that the James, Leonard and Davis trio would have made it tough to play in LA.

“But I would say that absolutely came up. I can’t say the name, but if they (Lakers) got him (Leonard), that would be hard. That would be tough. It would be tough to be in L.A., I can tell you that. It really would have been,” Rivers stated.

Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum also had the same thought about Leonard playing for the Lakers. As their Western conference rivals, McCollum thought that the Lakers could have started a “World War 2” within the NBA.

“You got Lebron already a problem, you got AD a super problem. Now you add him (Leonard) and it becomes like a “World War 2” type of situation where they got the grenades, they got atomic bombs, all in one,” McCollum said.

Meanwhile, Lakers icon Kobe Bryant believes that Leonard chose Clippers over Lakers because it was more challenging. “I think he wanted the challenge of trying to turn the Clippers around and I think he saw a great opportunity if Paul George wanted to participate in that challenge with him,” Bryant said.