https://theathletic.com/2222210/?source=twitterhqKawhi, chemistry and a failed Clippers title run: Inside the issue that defines 2021
Damn what an article. This kind of behavior is disgusting. What a wasted season. If you have a sub there is A LOT more drama here than I posted. A lot of locker room confrontations and BS. Lue definitely has his hands full getting these guys on the same page.
But according to multiple league sources, the perks the Clippers gave Leonard and George began to compromise the standard of the culture they had built over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons — the very culture that the Clippers used, in part, to attract Leonard and George to Los Angeles.
Some of those perks included:
• Leonard and George were the only players to have their own personal security guards and trainers.
• Leonard and George had power over the team’s practice and travel schedule, leading teammates to believe Leonard canceled multiple practices.
• Leonard was allowed to live in San Diego and commute from there, which often made him late for team flights.
• Leonard and George typically didn’t speak to the media until at least 45 minutes after games concluded, under the guise of postgame treatment or workouts. This usually resulted in their teammates speaking with the media first, and for longer, essentially becoming the public voices of the team.
• Teammates also believed that Leonard and George were able to pick and choose when they played. Not only did they sit out games entirely, but also at times they accepted or declined playing time in the moment.
Marcus Morris Sr., whom the Clippers acquired at the February 2020 trade deadline, entered the locker room with the intent of asserting himself as a leader after pacing the New York Knicks in scoring. He quickly became one of the team’s louder voices.
While league sources say Morris had good intentions with teammates, and was trying to step into the clear leadership void that he had observed when he joined the team, Morris’ advice for his new teammates didn’t always go over well.
“You don’t want to be the guy that just shows up and starts telling people what to do,” one league source said.
According to league sources, center Ivica Zubac and Morris had several heated arguments early in Morris’ tenure, with Zubac essentially saying, “Why are you telling me to change what I’m doing after I’ve been doing it successfully all season?”
But the same issues that the Clippers faced in the regular season transferred over to the bubble. Another point of contention was that certain players felt teammates were looking out for their contracts more than the team, league sources said. Earlier in the season, teammates had felt Harrell was looking out for his numbers because he was a pending free agent, and that belief continued into the bubble.
With higher stakes and pressure, there were several blow-ups between players, with George often at the center of the tension, with teammates citing a lack of accountability from him.
During Game 7, several players felt George (10 points on 4-of-16 shooting, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 38 minutes) didn’t play with the type of effort or sense of urgency that matched his public comments.
“It looked like he was coasting the entire game,” one league source said. “He looked like he was floating.”
Afterward, his impassioned speech to his teammates about bouncing back and returning next season rang hollow, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Sept. 21.
