- Paul George previously called out Stephen A. Smith for his comments on Kawhi Leonard
- In his response, Smith took aim at George and Leonard for their unavailability for the Clippers
- Smith joked that the Clippers will not get a refund for the $300 million+ they’ve paid Leonard and George
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the LA Clippers, and specifically, their star players – Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Both players have been criticized for not playing enough for the Clippers, and not delivering the way fans expected them to when they both arrived in 2019.
Stephen A. Smith had some harsh words for Kawhi Leonard earlier this year. Recently, Paul George came to his teammate’s defense and called Smith out. In his response, Stephen A. Smith slammed George and Leonard for making over $300 million combined and not playing as much as they should have for the Clippers.
“You’ve missed 119 of 307 regular season games. That’s 38% due to injuries. In that time span, you’ve earned $148.2 million in your career. $57.3 million of those money’s worth the games missed. Kawhi Leonard, he’s missed 147 of 308 regular season games.”
“That’s 48% due to injuries, Kawhi’s earned $146.9 million in his career with the Clippers. About $70.8 million for games he’s missed. I don’t see the Clipper fans getting any refunds.”
I have a lot of love for @Yg_Trece , but he also had some things to say about me on his podcast, so I wanted to address
Full episode out now: https://t.co/JRNrTIG3TR pic.twitter.com/TEacRwJWYo
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 29, 2023
“I still am waiting for that championship from the fairweather stepchild known as the Clippers compared to the Lakers. If you combine your money with his money, that equates to… $102 million in salary and $17 million in endorsements.”
Smith is clearly frustrated with how the superstar duo of PG and Kawhi has worked out. Leonard and George, despite their talent, have struggled with fitness, and have not been able to string together a regular number of games together, and their chances of winning a championship go down with each passing day.
Can Paul George And Kawhi Leonard Win An NBA Championship For The LA Clippers?
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are two of the best players in the league. But they haven’t been able to bring a championship to the Clippers. What makes matters worse is that the Lakers, who combined Anthony Davis and LeBron James the same year that PG and Kawhi went to the Clippers, won a championship already.
That isn’t to say that they haven’t found success. George and Leonard led the LA Clippers to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, the first time in Clippers’ history. But that isn’t enough for a duo as talented as PG and Kawhi.
During his time with the Clippers, Paul George averaged 23.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
While being with the Clippers, George has been an All-Star twice, in 2021 and 2023.
As for Kawhi Leonard, he has averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while with the Clippers.
Leonard has been an All-Star twice in 2020 and 2021 and even was named All-Star Game MVP. On top of that, he’s made 2 All-NBA Teams, and 2 All-Defensive Teams while with the Clippers.
George and Leonard will want to win a championship for the Clippers and will look to do so next year. But one NBA insider believes their championship window has closed. Regardless of that, the Clippers will give it their all next year.
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