By Fredo Cervantes
A little over a year ago, Basketball in the city of Los Angeles was not at the level it was before. June 30th, 2018 was not just another day, it was the day before free agency began were fans all over the world were waiting on LeBron James to make another decision. As I reported in early June 2018 on Sports Collective TV, (shown in the video below) A sports show I host on Morris Media Studios in Los Angeles. LeBron had been making moves around the entertainment business where I also work in as an actor and writer. I was on the set on The Wall in 2017, A show LeBron executive produced on the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank, CA.
The word around Hollywood was that LeBron was making moves quickly at the time I gained the information but this is where most people get it twisted. The word around the league was that LeBron was making a decision based on his post-career business moves. LeBron has been a fighter and competitor since he began playing basketball. James has always stated that he will put his all for the game of basketball as long as he plays it.
When LeBron and the Cavaliers lost in the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, everyone knew that LeBron James has headed to a new destination that was not Cleveland. For basketball reasons, his best fit was with the Houston Rockets and here’s why, At the time, the Rockets had gone all the way to the wire with the Warriors and were just a small piece away to finally getting over the hump with James Harden has your leader. I have never been high on Harden being the best player on your team to win.
Don’t get me wrong, James Harden is a great basketball player but not the type of player to be on the driver seat. We’ve all seen his meltdowns in the playoffs for 5 years straight, no need to go further. With the possible addition of LeBron to the Rockets, the new big 3 would have been formed. Chris Paul, James Harden, and LeBron James. They would have been a dynamic team but guess what, that didn’t happen. On July 1st, 2018, LeBron decided to join the Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kuzma in Los Angeles.
At that time, Magic Johnson was the man in Charged but we all know what happened with him. Rob Pelinka is the man who deserves most of the credit for building the roster of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. Pelinka traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and multiple picks to the Pelicans for All-Star Forward Anthony Davis. He later signs Cousins, Green, Bradley, Dudley, Cook, and Daniels, as well retained Rondo and McGee.
On the first week of 2019 free agency Kawhi visited with the Clippers, Lakers and the Raptors. As reports began to trend saying, “Clippers have been told they are out on Kawhi” but on July 5th Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that the Clippers have sign 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard AND have just acquired Paul George from the Thunder for a record-breaking number of picks. The reporting from Chris Haynes shocked the city of Los Angeles, Literality, hours before the report, the city of Los Angeles experienced a huge earthquake that shook everyone in the city.
Watching the Clippers organization changed from being the same old Clippers to being the New Look Clippers was impressive. Everyone talked about Kawhi to the Clippers but no one believed it until it happened. Now, with Kawhi and George in Clipper land and Anthony Davis and LeBron James in Purple in Gold, this is set to bet the greatest showdown in the NBA, IN THE SAME CITY!
Over the last month, the talk in the NBA has been, who is the better team? Clearly, it is the Lakers. Call it what you want but Anthony Davis is the best big/two-way player in the league and even till today, LeBron is still considered the best player in the NBA maybe Kevin Durant would have something to say about that if you ask him.
Yes, Kawhi just won the NBA Championship in Toronto but he never would have been holding that trophy if his incredible 20 bounce shot goes in at the buzzer in Game 7 against the Sixers or if Kevin Durant would have played throughout the 2019 NBA Finals or even if Klay Thompson never got hurt in the NBA Finals, just saying. And now Paul George who requested a trade from the Thunder and making his way to his preferred destination the Clippers.
Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard holds Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy after the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of basketball’s NBA Finals, Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
It’s crazy how nobody looks at that. Paul George requested a trade after signing a max contract one year ago with the Thunder. The main reason he wanted out was because he knew he made a big mistake last year. He knew he never would have a chance at a tittle with Russell Westbrook.
We are weeks away from training camp and after the Lakers recent signing of Dwight Howard, It’s ShowTime!
Lakers open up the season playing the Clippers on Opening Night October 22nd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
