The NBA season is approaching, and the Los Angeles Clippers held their media day in Playa Vista, CA, on October 2nd. Many of the players, headlined by stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, shared their thoughts on the upcoming NBA season and what is expected from them to ultimately reach their goal. Head coach Tyronn Lue also gave his thoughts on what it will take to have a successful season. Below are five answers that stood out from the rest.
Tyronn Lue
(Aaron Parker/ Back Sports Page)
Tyronn Lue on The Clippers Can Get Over the Hump:
“I think health. You know, we talk about health all the time, which is a part of the NBA, it’s a part of all sports, and so just being healthy. Having a chance to finish the season with our guys being healthy. That’s the first thing that pops into my mind when we talk about championship expectations, you know, doing things different. Just the health of our two best players.”
Kawhi Leonard
(Aaron Parker/ Back Sports Page)
Kawhi Leonard on the New NBA Rest Policy:
“I’m not a guy sitting down ’cause I’m doing a load management, like when I was with the Raptors, it was different. I was coming off an injury, and you have to know the details of the doctor. But if the league is seeing or trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, then they should stop because I was injured during that whole year. But other than that, if I’m able to play, I play basketball. You know, I work out every day in the summertime to play the game, not to sit and watch people play. So, no league policy is helping me to play more games.”
Kawhi Leonard on if he Would Want to Play in the Paris Olympics in 2024:
“Uh yeah. I wanted to play this summer, but I had other obligations, and I had to leave early, so I wasn’t able to go so we’ll see what happens.”
Paul George
(Aaron Parker/ Back Sports Page)
Paul George on if he Feels an Obligation to Play Every Game:
“Yeah, absolutely. You know, it just comes to the guys you’re out there with and obviously the fans. So yeah, I 100% agree with the obligation that you should play. A lot of stuff goes into it with injuries and being smart and not trying to play through something that can possibly keep you out longer than what you want to be. But if healthy, absolutely. I’m suiting up, and I want to play every night.”
Paul George on if he Would Want to Play in the Paris Olympics in 2024:
“Yes and no. You know, it all depends on how well we do and how far we go this season. That would play a lot into my decision on going and playing over in France. I would love to. I know Bron is in the forefront of creating a hell of a roster. But you know that’s first and foremost on how my body is, how my health is to finish this season.”
Final Thoughts:
The Clippers have seemed to embrace the underdog role, with people questioning their durability. This will be the 5th season of the Kawhi Leonard/Paul George “213” era, and the only year both guys were able to finish a playoff run together was during the 2020 NBA playoffs in the bubble. We will see if this is the year both stars can finally stay on the floor and compete for an NBA championship. This will be their final season at Crypto.com Arena before the franchise moves into the Intuit Dome in Inglewood in 2024.
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Aaron Parker is a contributor for Back Sports Page as a basketball writer. Growing up in Los Angeles, Aaron became a hardcore Los Angeles Lakers fan. He writes content on the Lakers as well as the Clippers. Other than his passion for basketball, Aaron is also a huge NFL and boxing fan. You can follow Aaron on Twitter @AirParker24.
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