Clippers teammates unhappy with biased treatment towards Kawhi Leonard, Paul George?

Los Angeles Clippers sensationally dropped a 3-1 advantage in the Western Conference semi-finals despite leading the Denver Nuggets in each of the last three games of the series. Clippers, who have lived much in the shadow of their cross-town rivals Los Angeles Lakers, quickly saw the departure of head coach Doc Rivers, with Tyronn Lue taking the mantle. However, considering their massive implosion last time around, it is believed that the collapse is down to team chemistry, and several of the Clippers stars are unhappy with the preferential treatment to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. 

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NBA news: Clippers' special treatment to Kawhi Leonard, Paul George cause of concern for teammates 

A report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic revealed that Clippers allowed a host of privileges to their star duo Kawhi Leonard and Paul George during the course of the entire last season much to the irritation of other players and staff. The duo were the unquestioned stars in the team and had the perks of bringing their personal guards and trainers, who had an influence over training sessions and minutes played during games. The report states that Leonard was allowed to live in San Diego and commute to games, which saw him often arrive late for team flights. 

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Leonard and George could particularly decide to sit out of games and point-blank refuse to play minutes during the games due to their superstar quo. The former was also allotted private space for around 20 to 45 minutes to go through his pre-match routine. On the road where space was preoccupied, the 29-year-old would often go through his routine in the female staffers' locker room. While many staff and players were uneasy of the arrangement, which hardly went unnoticed but did not draw much attention as it risked being portrayed as going against Kawhi, the crown jewel of the organisation. 

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The report states that the preferential treatment to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard saw a lack of buy-in from the rest of the roster, with the team's competitive culture built over three seasons undone in just a matter of months. Clippers' comments post their Nuggets defeat also hinted at issues with the team chemistry, with Lou Williams, Doc Rivers and George all mentioning dressing room atmosphere as one of the key reasons to their failed title bid. Rivers eventually parted ways and Tyronn Lue was handed the reigns after a two-week search.

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Clippers hired Lue for his ability to hold star players accountable and will look to push Leonard and George to go without "requests or standards" to set an example for the rest of the team. And whether the former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach can create a clear internal hierarchy, remains to be seen. Leonard and George signed with Los Angeles ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season and are each slated to become free agents in 2021. 

(Image Courtesy: nba.com)