Kawhi Leonard Discussion: “I’m A Snake Clipper Guy.”

Yeah, I’m an old (school) fan. I’m 46. I grew up watching 80s basketball. By the time the Bulls dynasty rolled around I was already an adult. I’ve always been for my teams with very few exceptions for players. I can name about five or so sports figures I followed around from team to team.

 

i wouldn't say he "knew all along." if he had known he would have at least announced it as soon as he finished meeting with the 3 teams. or he simply would've done what PG did and signed with the team he wanted to go to ASAP without taking any other meetings

 

P.S. Just don't pick the Clippers.

 

Go Big or Go Home. That’s been the mantra of the Lakers. We’re Showtime. We’re not supposed to lose our emotions over the process. We’re supposed to enjoy the ride. Worst case scenario, we don’t get Kawhi, we still got AD and Bron, and didn’t overpay for the likes of Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, or any of the middle class players. I trust we will come out of this in good shape either way. This last month the media was forced to recognize we’re done messing around and Shaqtin a Fool. We landed AD, created the cap room to have this shot, and now just hours away from decision people want to take their ball and go home? Stop it. This is unbecoming of Lakerfandom.

 

pardon my noob questions please.

is that july 6 deadline just because of the AD trade implication? what happens past july 6 if kawhi wants to come to lakers still?

is there a hard deadline for NBA for free agency?

 

The reason Lakers fans are like this is because the team has sucked for years. If the Lakers had been relatively good the last few years, the fans wouldn’t be going near as mental. I remember thinking the mid 90s was a bad time to be a fan. They don’t hold a candle to recent times. These last few years have been exhausting to say the least.

 

Kawhi flying to Toronto could've meant anything. He could have decided to stay OR he could have the last meeting out of respect to the Raptors and tell them in person that he was not coming back.

 

If he was going to stay, why wait to tell everyone?
He is still thinking it through, it's between staying on a team that made him comfortable but being FAR away from home, or moving home and being on a team that will take him awhile to find a comfort level.

 

I want Kawhi to choose us just as bad as any other Laker fan, and even more, since we went to the same school, SDSU. Let the man make his decision. Remember this nugget from a decade ago, when San Diego St recruited him, and they recruited him hard from the first time he appeared on their radar (before any Pac-12 school), they thought they had him, then some of the Pac-12 started calling late in the process, the Aztecs and Steve Fisher felt like they lost him, because in the face to face meeting he was stoic as hell while perched on his mom’s couch in the living room. They landed him even though his first choice/preference was UCLA, and that is because SDSU showed loyalty to him from day 1 and hung in there.

Think back to our efforts. If the reports are true AEG wanted Durant, and Basketball Operations wanted Kawhi, that means the wheels were set in motion going to back to when Magic and Pelinka first came on board in 2017. Last summer, the rumblings of Kawhi demanding a trade to the Lakers go public. Lakers, per Magic’s one on one with Kawhi, said, yes we tried to trade for you, but the Spurs asked for too much (at that time, we barely just signed LeBron, and AD was also part of the acquistion plan). Fast forward to the failed AD deadline deal, and a season long media speculation of Kawhi to the Clippers based on their stalking of him, just to a month after Magic quit and burned the place down.

In May he went on first take and tells Stephen A Smith, we’re pursuing Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis this summer. Everyone laughed and wrote us the hell off on both fronts. All the while per Mr Rambis Reports, we find out Kawhi’s camp has been in constant contact with Lakers front office about our interest in him and about the financials for how the New Balance deal projects over 4 years if Kawhi signs with us, and the only missing piece was how Toronto championship impacted shoe deal revenues. Kawhi should know we’ve been pursuing him throughout.

Now fast forward to June, as soon as the Anthony Davis trade drops, while media scrambles to paint Pelinka as a buffoon who is bad at contracts, cbas and salary caps, word comes out, “if Lakers have a max slot, Kawhi is interested in the Lakers.” Until last week the media was dismissive about it until the max space was created with the Wizards trade. I bet they did us a solid given the Masai rejected them.

If the San Diego State Aztecs can be on Kawhi from day one, whether the storm of every Pac-12 scout mocking his talent, then coming on to him, and Kawhi stone facing them in the sales pitch, only to have Kawhi choose the Aztecs, then we the LOS ANGELES LAKERS can whether whatever the hell this process is. Per Mr. Rambis, we internally embraced the underdog approach while projecting confidence to any member of the media that inquired. I bet Steve Fisher has been helping Rob Pelinka during this process since Fisher was both Pelinka’s and Kawhi’s college head coach.

We’re bascially trying to assemble A FAB4 (acquiring/signing 3 of them), only the final piece to the puzzel is experiencing this level of a recruiting process for the first time in his basketball life. Naturally he’s taking his time. We really need to view this as if we’re waiting for Kawhi to put on the Lakers baseball cap on an ESPNU Signing Day Special. Unfortunately booster money won’t help grease the skids here, otherwise lord knows it would only be a race between the Lakers and Clippers. We have to hope Magic, Jeanie, LeBron, Kobe, Pelinka, and New Balance summoned their inner Alec Baldwin from Glen Gary Glen Ross, and closed the hell out of Kawhi. I’m betting they did. Now we wait.

 

Yep, been a Laker fan since Jerry West was a rookie. I am a team fan over a player fan. But I like certain players and will follow their stat line and watch an occasional game, but not nearly to the extent that I will follow a team I follow.

 

Is Board Man getting the Big Head?

 

Gotta agree with this right here. But i'm not calling Kawhi a diva though. What really has he done that is Diva behavior? He was straight up about why he wanted to leave SA and was clear on what he wanted. He didn't complain where they shipped him off to. He balled his a** of eventually bringing a championship to a city that never had it. He didn't promise them he would stay (like Kyrie) and basically said he would weigh his options. He didn't go all Paul George on us by saying he wanted to play for this team or that team and then basically wasting everyone's time. All along Kawhi said (well his camp) that he would meet with a few teams and take his time deciding. He hasn't leaked anything. He hasn't wavered and he isn't worried about what others are doing since he already has proven he can play where ever and win. Yup, he earned his time.

On another note, if he doesn't sign with us it wasn't a waste as many are saying... we have Lebron and AD. That is a winning duo, period! I want Kawhi but damn people acting like LBJ and AD can't get it done. craziness.

 

I’m both old and new school, I’m 37. I was 10 when Shaq broke his first NBA backboard, 15 when Kobe took his first NBA dribble, 21 when LeBron played his first NBA game, and 27 when Kawhi Leonard played his first game for SDSU.

I remember when the first mid 90s era super teams began to take construction: Summer 1995, the Chicago Bulls poach Dennis Rodman off the San Antonio Spurs. Pat Riley fresh off bolting from the Knicks for Miami, his first move was to deliver the first kill shot to the Charlotte Hornets, by poaching Alonzo Mourning. Then in 1996, he ripped Tim Hardaway from Golden State, while Jerry West traded for Kobe’s rights during the draft (the second death blow to the Charlotte Hornets) and lured Shaq away from Orlando. The 1996-1997 Knicks responded by poaching Allan Houston and Larry Johnson (the 3rd death blow to the Charlotte Hornets). Back then it was 2 all stars plus one or two other borderline all stars and a colection of high functioning role players. The 1999 Knicks decided to add Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby to the mix, the 1999 Lakers brought in Glen Rice, the 1999 Heat added Eddie Jones, and Brian Griant.

What we’re seeing today in the LeBron era where players and agents play the role of Super Team King Makers, starting with the 2010-2011 Heat, puts the mid-late 90s attempts to damn shame.

 

Almost everyone expires after next season except for Siakam, OG, Powell. Essentially gonna have to start from scratch. Lowry, Ibaka, Gasol will not be the players we know now 2 years from now.

Selling Kawhi in free agents coming to Toronto, yikes. But sign that 5 year deal and commit while LA has a prime Anthony Davis ready to run with you. That part is easy.

 

Anything other than signing with the Lakers, the dude has a screw lose.

 

True, talent wise. But accomplishment wise, if they stay healthy for the next decade, they would beat them in terms of results.

 

Latest word from Lakers officials conveyed to AEG is that they still feel they are the leaders in the Kawhi Leonard race, primarily because of the strong impression they made on Kawhi's inner circle, especially Uncle Dennis, and his closest business associates at New Balance. However, some senior management are beginning to exude more uncertainty, given they have not heard from Kawhi's camp since his speculated meeting in Toronto earlier today, indicating the Lakers are not the overwhelming favorites at this stage. In the interim, more efforts have been placed into evolving their original Plan B, centered around proven, veteran free agents such as Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Iguodala (pending buyout), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, Carmelo Anthony, and Rajon Rondo, to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis in playoff situations.