GOD is the reason for Clippers’ failure to win NBA title with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, claims Jerry West
Jerry West was in conversation with Paul George on Podcast P with Paul George.
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Paul George and Kawhi Leonard (Mark J. Terrill / AP) and Jerry West (Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been the front-running players of the Los Angeles Clippers for a while now. Before the inclusion of Russell Westbrook, they were the two stars who were the face of the franchise. However, after multiple seasons of playing together, the Clippers have failed to go all the way through. Both these players have led the side to playoffs consistently but, unfortunately, have not come close to winning a championship.
Many fans and critics know exactly why the Clippers have been unsuccessful despite a good team. The reason is the constant injury issues that both these players have been facing. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have struggled with injuries causing them to sit out of the lineup in crucial moments of the season. In fact, their absence was the main reason why LA was knocked out in the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. Former player Jerry West too, spoke about the same and said that God might be keeping the Clippers away from a championship.
“We’ve had two chances here with the Clippers. Two chances. And for whatever reason, the big guy in the sky didn’t want us to get there.” Jerry West said, starting off. “Injuries. I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life. Two players of the caliber of you (Paul George) and Kawhi (Leonard) can’t play half the season. I mean it’s crazy.”
“You look at Kawhi’s body. I mean how could he ever get hurt? I feel so badly for him. It drives me crazy. He didn’t have a chance and he works his fanny off. And I say to myself ‘who are you gonna win with?’ you’re gonna win with guys like you because you have to do the heavy lifting at the end of the game. Some people can’t do that. You and Kawhi can do it. You go home and you say to yourself ‘my gosh, it’s like there’s a jinx somewhere.’ But that’s tough for me when I see that.” he said.
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Have Paul George and Kawhi Leonard ever won a championship?
Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. George has been an all-star eight times in his NBA career, whereas Leonard has been a five-time all-star. Both players have tremendous respect for their skills and ability to score against any opponent on the basketball court. However, despite being drafted in 2010, Paul George has never won an NBA championship.
Kawhi Leonard has had a rather different journey on his path to the Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard was the 15th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2011 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he grew as a player and led the franchise to the title. Leonard then joined the Toronto Raptors in 2018. This proved to be the best season of his career as he led his side to their first-ever franchise title. Leonard was also awarded the Finals MVP for the 2019 NBA Finals.
There’s no doubt that with the experience and talent of both these players, the Los Angeles Clippers have immense potential. However, George and Leonard will have to remain fit and healthy to play most of the regular season as well as the grueling best-of-seven series in the playoffs.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)