Kawhi Leonard on Battle of LA Basketball: Clippers Have Been Better Than Lakers

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George had their introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday afternoon, and the reigning NBA Finals MVP rather bluntly addressed why he chose the Clippers over the crosstown Los Angeles Lakers.

"As far as the last few years, as far as a basketball standpoint, the Clippers have been better," Leonard said.

Leonard's observation was met with applause from George and others in the room.

Late on July 5, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, Leonard informed other teams he would sign with the Clippers. In a corresponding move, George was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Clippers.

Leonard and George are from the Los Angeles area. The Clippers put together a montage of the players' journeys from and back to Los Angeles, and head coach Doc Rivers had them move so their jersey numbers matched L.A.'s 213 area code:

When Leonard opted to sign with the Clippers rather than stay put with the Toronto Raptors, whom he led to their first NBA title in his one season there, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said, per ESPN's Nick Friedell: "I think you can't blame a guy for wanting to go home. That's what he texted me today: 'I'm going home.'"

The Lakers had the same advantage as the Clippers, then, from the standpoint of Leonard wanting to go home after winning two NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVPs and two Defensive Player of the Year Awards through his first eight seasons in the league with the San Antonio Spurs and Raptors.

But to Leonard's point, the Clippers have been better in recent years. And the 28-year-old has made it explicitly clear that winning is the only criteria he cares for.

Since Leonard entered the NBA in 2011, the Clippers have made seven postseason appearances—including last season—with three trips to the conference semifinals. And then there are the Lakers, who have not made the playoffs since 2012-13.

While the Lakers missed out on Leonard, they did team six-time All-Star Anthony Davis with LeBron James. As a result, the battle for L.A. is on.

Per Vegas Insider, the Clippers are odds-on favorites to win the 2019-20 Finals at 7-2, while the Lakers are the second favorite with the Milwaukee Bucks at 9-2.

If things play out that way, Leonard will have led two different franchises to their first championships in back-to-back seasons.