213: the Revival of A Downtrodden Franchise
By: Wayne
The energy in the stadium was palpable. Zion Williamson palmed the basketball with ease, unleashing 360 dunks in the layup line of unassuming teammates. A wave of excitement rushed over the thousands of NBA fans in attendance as they got set to watch the 19-year-old phenom forward’s debut performance at Las Vegas Summer League. Little did I know that I would only be watching Williamson’s athletic prowess for one quarter, as he was injured early in the game and did not return.
Shockingly, this was far from the most astonishing event of the night. The Summer League game raged on between the Pelicans and Knicks, despite the most talented player on the court being unable to return. A back and forth game gave way to a back and forth movement that reverberated across the stadium. “Is the scoreboard moving?” a Nuggets fan next to me, who surely had never experienced anything like the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that ensued. Fans from New York, Miami, and Denver alike flooded toward the exits as they panicked at the prospect of a major earthquake. West Coast natives shrugged it off, using the diversion as an opportunity to move down in the stands and hopefully get closer to the action. Unfortunately, with 8 minutes remaining in the game, the action was called off.
Soon after leaving the stadium, I realized how far the earthquake had spread. Seeing the fans’ unimpressed reaction at Dodger Stadium as the players pitched through the earthquake was a particularly illuminating contrast to the panic that ensued in Las Vegas.
What I didn’t yet realize was this massive earthquake, spanning hundreds of miles, signified something much bigger — something much better — than anything I could possibly imagine. Later that same night, the NBA took its turn being rocked to its foundation when the Los Angeles Clippers secured Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, setting in place a massive shift in the league’s balance of power.
Being a Clippers fan for the past several seasons has not been easy. Now, I won’t claim to have experienced anything the likes of what the Clippers fans born long before I have been put through. I was lucky enough to see my team turn into the exciting brand of Lob City soon after becoming a fan, but Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and the like never made it over the proverbial hump. The Los Angeles Clippers are the only NBA franchise to never make it out of the second round of the playoffs. Injuries, massive opponent comebacks, and a lack of clutch play when it mattered most ultimately characterized this era of Clippers basketball. Disappointment and falling short of expectations reigned supreme.
This is the story of a new era of Clippers basketball — one defined by grit and perseverance, not flashiness, teamwork and selflessness not star-dominated play. Doc Rivers produced one of his finest coaching jobs last season, leading a team with no all-star, but several high-quality selfless veterans, to a playoff berth. That team made a surprising 31-point comeback win in Oracle over the Warriors before bowing out in an impressive 6-game series. Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, Ivica Zubac, and Jamychal Green helped form the new identity of this Clippers team last season.
I would be remiss to not at least mention the young supernova that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is turning into, and I still firmly believe he is going to be an All-Star in this league. We paid the ultimate price to secure Leonard and George, missing out on seeing the career of who I think is an absolute blue-chip prospect. Thunder fans should be excited about his future. Danilo Gallinari is also coming off of a tremendous offensive season and should be able to help OKC win some games. Of course, the Clippers made the right call, and you can’t pass up an opportunity to acquire the type of talent, and personalities, who can take your team to a level it has never experienced.
Kawhi Leonard has become more of a social icon recently, after winning a championship and Finals MVP, moving back to Los Angeles, and coining some popular phrases like “What it do babyyy” and “board man gets paid”. His recent elite basketball play and surprisingly successful partnership with New Balance have put him more in the national spotlight, but don’t tell Leonard. He has never been one to care about media attention. The former San Antonio Spur was known as a young player for still driving an old pickup truck with thousands of miles on it, despite the money he was earning on his NBA contract, while his teammates were splurging on sports cars. Leonard’s life has been a series of decisions based on the best personal fit rather than any media attention. San Diego State over USC, New Balance over Nike, and Clippers over Lakers are a series of decisions that illuminate how the brain of the eccentric superstar works.
Paul George finished 3rd in MVP voting last season and performed incredibly all year long. He is the prototypical superstar wing in the NBA, an elite perimeter defender, shooter, and isolation scorer. George has some unique character traits of his own, most notably his serious interest in fishing. He has held several celebrity fishing tournaments and says he finds peace when he’s out on the water. Luckily for him, there happens to be plenty of water on the coast of California where he was born. George, like Leonard, has dealt with his fair share of difficulty regarding long-term injuries. George suffered one of the most gruesome broken legs I’ve ever seen in 2014, and it’s taken time for him to regain his elite pre-injury form. The trade to the Thunder ended up being a positive move, as he put up career highs in points, rebounds and steals last season.
Leonard and George stand for something different than your typical modern-day NBA superstars. Leonard was born in Moreno Valley. George — Palmdale. Needless to say, these aren’t exactly Beverly Hills-type destination cities. However, Leonard and George were raised on the values of hard work and belief in your own ability, and they committed to their basketball at a young age. These two are eccentric personalities, but they don’t check the boxes of typical diva superstars. They are advocates of balanced team play, and have an innate understanding of where they should be on the court to help their team win. They will defend the best player on the court, take on isolation scoring responsibilities when they need to, and help find great shots for their teammates. Their play rises in the most important moments, and they are transcendent competitors.
As the Clippers attempt to destroy the demons of their checkered past, Leonard and George are the perfect beacons of hope for this new era of basketball. With a new stadium opening in Inglewood in a few years, and a championship-caliber squad in tow, this team clearly has a strong direction moving forward. The balance of power in the NBA is shifting toward Los Angeles, and the balance of power in Los Angeles might just be shifting towards the Clippers. Chuck the Condor, the Clippers mascot, has worn 213 since his inception a few years ago. 213 represents the city of Los Angeles and its 4 million diverse residents. 2 and 13 are numbers that symbolize the grit and competitive edge necessary to win at the highest level. 2 and 13 are the numbers that will hopefully be hanging from the rafters in Inglewood, alongside multiple championships won for a reborn franchise.
