Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be introduced as the Clippers' newest stars Wednesday, but oh what might have been 15 years ago had Kobe Bryant joined the team, writes AndrewGreif.
When Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are introduced Wednesday as Clippers, it promises to be a spectacle unlike any other for a franchise that had struggled since its arrival in Los Angeles 35 years ago to become an attractive destination for top players.
Bryant became a six-time All-Star and three-time league champion in his first eight seasons. In the same span, the Clippers produced one All-Star and zero winning seasons. Premium seats at Lakers home games were a status symbol. The Clippers, meanwhile, were a “tough draw,” said Lee Zeidman, the president of Staples Center, Microsoft Theater and L.A. Live.
Determined not to spoil a second chance at Bryant, the Clippers hoped to take advantage of the Lakers’ turmoil. “Kobe turned to him and — this is an exact quote that I’ve had repeated to me by multiple people — he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m a Clipper.’ So he walked out the door and [the Clippers] are all high-fiving each other thinking, ‘By God, we’ve done it.’
A representative from Bryant’s company did not respond to an email requesting an interview with Bryant, but the 20-year Laker has acknowledged being open to the Clippers’ pitch. “At no point in time did I get a real clear feel for what direction this was heading,” then-Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in 2004. Bryant paused before putting pen to paper on a deal with the Clippers worth more than $100 million over six years. He spoke with Jerry West, the former Lakers executive — and current Clippers consultant — who’d traded for Bryant in 1996. And, lastly, he called Lakers owner Jerry Buss.
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