Paul George exited the LA Clippers and Stephen A. Smith declared Kawhi Leonard as the culprit. Not many years ago, the Terminator had the NBA world under his feet after winning his second ring in 2019. Little did he know that he would have a tough time right that. The former MVP allied with Paul George and entered the LA side. While it seemed like a lethal duo in the beginning, constant injuries didn’t let them do the damage. And after 5 years, it came to an end.

PG-13 declined the player option and signed a four-year max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. The veteran reporter applauded the star’s decision as he said, “Most people wouldn’t do what Paul George did this morning.” And he straight up went on to trash down Leonard. Smith dialed the clock back, dug deep into the root cause, and made a huge accusation, saying, “He (Klaw) blackmailed the Los Angeles Clippers.”

A. Smith accused Kawhi Leonard of threatening Steve Ballmer to join the LA Lakers if he didn’t get Paul George into the fold. Following that, he went on to recall the lavish price that the Clippers paid to the OKC Thunder to get PG. Of course; he didn’t forget to mention how the team gave away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along with 5 first-round picks and two swaps. Above all, while concluding his rundown on the Clips, he said, “You lose Paul George after giving away all of that, years ago, and you can’t recoup your losses. It’s shameful.”

Nevertheless, the 56-year-old had a message for Steve Baller, regarding Leonard, in his attempt to console him. He added, “What have you gotten out of being the owner of the Clippers… You haven’t won a championship… you’re relying on a guy that probably will be sitting on the bench and street clothes for more than half the time.”

Can James Harden & Kawhi Leonard form a championship alliance?

It would be unfair on the part of Stephen A. Smith if he didn’t include James Harden in the Clippers run down. In fact, he called Harden a ” Mercurial Talent”. At the same time, he also criticized him, saying, “The problem is he’s not big time in big moments.” Coming into the Clipper side, the Beard had a particular which is of orchestrating the game. While George and Leonard took care of the assets, he focused on dishing out the necessary passes. He averaged only 16.6 points, which is the lowest since his sophomore year.

However, heading into the next season, the former MVP may have to change his role back to an offensive leader. Nevertheless, speaking of Harden, A. Smith said, “Paul George had already made it clear that he didn’t like this style of play since James Harden arrived.” So there are a lot of chances that Harden’s union with Leonard could go wrong.

Notably, the team has signed a 2-year extension with the veteran guard for $70 million. This means Tyronn Lue somehow has to find a way to get the duo in sync and give the Clippers a chance at the ring.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.