After a successful championship run with the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-2019 NBA season, Kawhi Leonard eventually jumped ship and relocated to the Los Angeles Clippers. Things didn't turn out the way many people expected for the Clippers in Leonard's first year with the team. Perhaps even more surprising is the latest reports on Leonard's behavior behind the scenes.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the team’s training staff would create a private space for Leonard to do his pre-game routine prior to every Clippers game. He also often occupied the female staffers’ locker room during road games and sometimes during double-headers in the Staples Center last season. Several players and staffers were reportedly knowledgeable about the situation which ultimately caused uneasiness within the team.
Many people around the league felt that the Clippers also had no choice but to oblige to the four-time All-Star's many demands.
“What were they going to do about it?” one league source said. “It’s Kawhi.”
The off-court issues seemed to be negligible for others but it eventually translated to the team's dynamics and performance on the court. After having high expectations set around the Clippers due to their stacked roster, the team ultimately disappointed as they fell short in their bid for a deep playoff run last season.
After dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round proceedings in six games, the Clippers eventually found themselves up 3-1 against the Denver Nuggets. The players got ahead of themselves too much and ultimately had a massive letdown to lose in Game 7 of the series.
The Western Conference Semi-Finals loss by the Clippers failed to set up a much-awaited series against their hallway rivals in the Los Angeles Lakers who went on to snag their franchise's 17th title. Heading into a new season, the Clippers are aiming to have a fresher outlook on and off the court and finally get the job done in the upcoming 2020-2021 NBA season.
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