# Kawhi Leonard Disses Russell Westbrook And Calls Paul George Instead
**Russell Westbrook is going to have a huge motivation next season when he faces Kawhi Leonard during the Lakers and Clippers matchups.**
ESPN Senior Writer Ramona Shelburne delved into a fascinating account regarding how a phone conversation between Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard played a role in the Lakers securing the former MVP’s services last week.
Looking back to 2019, the backdrop was set with Kawhi Leonard deciding between staying with the Toronto Raptors or returning to his hometown teams, the Los Angeles Lakers or the LA Clippers. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook was contemplating his own homecoming and devised a plan to facilitate it.
Find more details in the article [here](https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31937985/how-two-phone-calls-two-years-apart-led-los-angeles-lakers-landing-russell-westbrook).
*”Westbrook, a father of three since the previous November, had cemented his legacy in Oklahoma City. However, the allure of living and playing in Los Angeles, where he could have daily visits from his extended family and friends, was strong.
The quickest way to make this reality was teaming up with Leonard. So, he made the call, as per multiple sources. However, Leonard didn’t just treat it as a casual conversation between two L.A. natives, he acted on it.
According to various sources, Leonard then reached out to Westbrook’s teammate in Oklahoma City, Paul George, expressing his preference to team up with him for a shared homecoming.”*
Subsequently, the OKC Thunder traded George to the Clippers for Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a significant set of draft picks, including five first-round selections.
Westbrook’s departure from the Thunder saw him move to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul, two future first-round picks, and the rights to swap two additional first-round picks. He was then traded to the Washington Wizards and now finds himself on the Lakers, offering him a genuine opportunity to pursue an NBA Finals victory since Kevin Durant’s departure from OKC.
