Los Angeles Lakers: Kawhi joining LA is the strongest move for his legacy

Kawhi Leonard has the chance to help revitalize showtime for the Los Angeles Lakers, and this is the strongest move for his legacy

When Kawhi Leonard signs this summer, there’s no question that the NBA landscape will be changed for the foreseeable future. He, indeed, is the “king maker” for the NBA in free agency.

In the playoffs, Kawhi was easily the best player in the league, even ahead of even Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Kawhi Leonard joining Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers would create a super team. However, super teams or teams with multiple all-stars are a common occurrence throughout NBA history.

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Even famed Clipper executive Jerry West, who was a Laker by the way, in his career played with Elgin Baylor and teamed up with Wilt Chamberlain to win a championship. Last time I checked; Kevin Durant joined a 73-win Warriors team to win his two rings. And nobody is checking the greatness of any of those players.

The narrative that Michael Jordan won champions alone is entirely false. Jordan played with great players that are often not given the recognition they deserve. While Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, B.J. Armstrong, John Paxson, Horace Grant, and Charles Oakley are not in the Basketball Hall of fame, they are hall of fame worthy talents. They are some of the best role players in the history of basketball.

The 1993-94 Chicago Bulls, when Jordan retired were a 55-win team, and this was without Dennis Rodman. It took the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, with homecourt advange and being led by Patrick Ewing, seven games to beat the Jordan-less Bulls.

Jordan also teamed up with his former competitors, albeit they were not franchise players. Dennis Rodman was a two-time champion, two-time defensive player of the year before, and two-time all-star before he joined the Bulls. Rodman, when he played with the “Bad Boy” Pistons, helped eliminated Jordan from the playoffs three times.

When Rodman joined the Bulls, he was easily the best defender and rebounder in basketball. Rodman was a Champion before he played with Jordan.

Steve Kerr and the Cavaliers had previously faced MJ in the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals before he was recruited to the Bulls. Fans forget how good a shooter Kerr was in his career. Kerr has the highest career average 3-point percentage in the history of the NBA. Kerr was the best 3-point shooter in the NBA when he joined the Bulls. The second-place player? Stephen Curry. Steve Kerr may be the greatest 3-point shooter in the history of the NBA.

In fact, the player that best fits the narrative that he won championships alone is Kawhi.

While the Raptors do have an entire country of Canada supporting them, roughly 20 million more people live in California than all of Canada. Plus, Laker fans live all over the country. And secretly, all Clipper fans are Laker fans as well.

The Lakers are easily the best franchise in the NBA. In the past 70 years (since the Western Conference Division was initially started in 1949), the Lakers have made 50 Western Conference Finals appearances, 31 NBA Finals appearances, and won 16 championships. The Lakers not making the playoffs for six straight seasons is definitely an outlier.

Kawhi joining the Lakers put him in immediate title contention for the next season and the foreseeable future. And with KD and Kyrie joining forces in Brooklyn and Philly making moves to get better, Kawhi is better off playing for the Lakers. Plus, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James, the Lakers are far better team than the Clippers and Raptors.

Kawhi delivered a title to the nation of Canada and has accomplished everything he possibly could with the Raptors. However, by playing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard has the chance to help revitalize showtime for LA, and this is the strongest move for his legacy.