Russell Westbrook is going to have the biggest chip on his shoulder next season when if he gets the chance to play against Kawhi Leonard when the Lakers and Clippers meet up.
ESPN Senior Writer Ramona Shelburne wrote up an interesting piece about how a phone call between Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard would help the Lakers land the former MVP last week.
The story goes back to 2019 when Kawhi would choose between the Toronto Raptors and his hometown Los Angeles Lakers or LA Clippers. Well, Russell Westbrook was planning on a homecoming of his own, and thought of a plan to make it happen.
Read the rest below from the article:
“Westbrook had become a father of three the previous November, and while he’d made a home and carved a Hall of Fame legacy in Oklahoma City, the chance to live and play in Los Angeles, where grandparents and his large extended family and friends could visit every day, held deep appeal.
Teaming up with Leonard would be the fastest way there, so he placed the call, according to multiple sources. But Leonard didn’t just take the call as one native son of Los Angeles to another, ponder it and file it away.
He used it.
According to multiple sources, Leonard then called Westbrook’s teammate in Oklahoma City, Paul George, and told him he’d rather team up with him on a homecoming.”
As you know, the OKC Thunder would trade George to the Clippers in exchange for forward Danilo Gallinari, guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a massive haul of draft picks, including five first-round selections.
Russell Westbrook would make his exit from the Thunder when they sent him to the Houston Rockets in a trade that cost Houston the veteran guard Chris Paul, two future first-round draft picks and the right to swap two additional first-round picks. Russ would then be sent to the Washington Wizards and now to the Lakers to give him his first real shot at winning the NBA Finals since Kevin Durant left OKC.
