Report: Lakers Believe Kawhi Leonard Played Them

Being a great player in the NBA isn’t just about being talented on the floor. It’s also about power off the floor. Nobody has been flexing their muscles better than Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi told the Spurs to f*ck off, wins a title in Toronto, and most recently had teams waiting a week for him to choose his next destination. The Lakers are now acting like sore losers. They feel like Kawhi played them.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN had this to say:

“I’ve heard complaints in the days after the signing. I heard complaints from the Lakers that they got played. I heard complaints from the Raptors that Kawhi came in and asked for the sun, the moon, the stars then left them at the altar.”

Did Kawhi Leonard sabotage the Lakers? At this point, I find it more likely than not. This is the same guy that navigated a Paul George trade. Maybe he knew the entire time he wasn’t going to the Lakers. He wanted the Clippers and just needed to give them time to land another star. The Clippers rumors didn’t come from nowhere. They were the favorite to snag him all year.

Here is another thing I would like to know. Why does everything from the Lakers leak? Seriously, they are always in the news. Every piece of information leaks. Magic Johnson’s sit down with Kawhi even leaked. Kawhi is a quiet guy. Isn’t it possible that he preferred the way the Clips do business? Whether it be the Blake Griffin trade, Tobias Harris to Philly trade, or Paul George acquisition, there was never a leak. Never a rumor. It’s the little things that add up and it may have been a factor. I know something like that would be for me.