Although the Clippers' acquisition of Paul George may have been the final determinant in Kawhi Leonard's decision to head to Los Angeles, the head coach of the Clippers also played a significant role.

According to ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard had a strong desire to play for Doc Rivers, someone with whom he felt he could establish a strong personal connection:

Leonard wanted to play for coach Doc Rivers, a coach with whom he could feel a kinship that existed with Toronto President Masai Ujiri, sources said.

Rivers continues to prove why he is one of the best coaches in basketball. His star first exploded as the head coach of the Boston Celtics, when he helped the franchise win their first title since 1986.

In spite of aging superstars and injuries to Kevin Garnett, the Celtics were competitive every year, and even came within a game of upsetting the Miami Heat and advancing to the 2012 NBA Finals.

Rivers would be hired as the new head coach of the Clippers prior to the 2013-14 season, taking the reins at the helm of “Lob City.” However, he failed to replicate the same kind of success that he found in Boston, and the Clippers have yet to get past the Western Conference semifinals during his tenure.

But the 2018-19 season is a more accurate representation of Rivers' coaching prestige. After trading their best player–wingman Tobias Harris–to the Sixers on Feb. 5, the Clippers went 18-9 for the remainder of the season, reaching the playoffs as the eighth seed in the West.

With two superstars in Leonard and Paul George joining a rotation that could form of the best defensive teams in history, this may be Rivers' best chance to win his second championship as a head coach.