Maugong ngayon sa mundo ng NBA ang balitang kinumbinsi ni reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard si Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Paul George para sa sanib-puwersang paglalaro sa koponan ng LA Clippers.
Ayon kay ESPN/Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski nitong Sabado, si Leonard mismo ang nag-recruit kay George sumali sa Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard has been recruiting Paul George to find a way to get to the Clippers and LA pulled it off tonight: George goes to the Clippers with Leonard, and together they walk into Staples Center to go head-to-head with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
Dagdag pa nito, nagkita umano sina Leonard at George sa Los Angeles upang pagusapan ang planong paglipat noong nakaraang linggo. Nagbigay ng kondisyon si Leonard sa pamunuan ng Clippers na kunin si George para tuluyan siyang sumali sa nasabing koponan.
Sources: Leonard and George met in LA earlier in week. Clippers had long been frontrunners for Leonard, but it is unlikely he would’ve made final leap to sign without PG trade. Clippers imagined Leonard as part of a Lakers Big 3 — and knew they had no choice. They did OKC deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
Dahil marami silang bagay na pinagkasunduan at pareho, pumayag si George lisanin ang OKC.
“The two had a fair amount in common. They’d grown up in the Los Angeles area at about the same time. George, 29, is from Palmdale, a dusty desert town about an hour and a half north of L.A. Leonard, 28, is from Riverside, a sprawling Inland Empire town about an hour and a half east of L.A. Both had been lightly recruited out of high school, found their footing as players at mid-major colleges (George at Fresno State, Leonard at San Diego State) and then quietly entered the NBA as mid-first-round picks,” ani NBA Insider.
Sabi ng malapit kay George, “For a quiet guy, he’s (Leonard) a hell of a recruiter.”
Lalagdaan ng dating Toronto Raptors superstar ang $142 million or mahigit P7 billion four-year contract deal ng Clippers.
Bago pa maganap ang nakagugulat na trade, naunang kinumbinsi ni Leonard si Kevin Durant ngunit mas pinili ng dating Golden State Warriors small forward maglaro sa Brooklyn Nets.
Sa naging desisyon ni Leonard, lumalabas na mas pinili niyang maglaro sa sariling hometown kaysa kumita ng mas malaking halaga – at pagkakataong makasama ang dating MVP finalist. Nabingwit noon ng OKC si George matapos i-trade ng Clippers para sa limang first-round picks.
