NBA: 30 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 season
4. New faces return to old places
Free agency in 2019 was truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight with an unprecedented amount of player movement. Of the 15 players to make an All-NBA Team last season, six now find themselves on a new team, creating several must-watch games that add intriguing layers to now severed relationships.
In one corner, we have the heartwarming homecomings, where the likes of Kemba Walker and Russell Westbrook — and the former Grizzlies duo of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol — are sure to receive a standing ovation upon returning to cities they didn’t want to leave.
Kawhi Leonard may have only spent a single season as a member of the Toronto Raptors, but the championship he brought up north absolves any ill will of his move to Los Angeles.
Even D’Angelo Russell, who only spent two seasons as a Brooklyn Net, is owed his due for having spearheaded an unexpected postseason berth that may have been the impetus for the eventual arrival of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Sources: Notable superstar return games on 2019-20 NBA schedule:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2019
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard at Toronto: Dec. 11
Lakers‘ Anthony Davis at New Orleans: Nov. 27
Nets‘ Kyrie Irving at Boston: Nov. 27
Rockets’ Russell Westbrook at Oklahoma City: Jan. 9.
Others like Irving and Anthony Davis experienced unceremonious exits from their most recent squads. Their respective teams were happy to wash away the blood from a stabbed back, but it’s hard not to imagine a level of bitterness on the part of poorly executed exit strategies.
The animosity in those arenas won’t just be focused inwards from the outside of the court. Chris Paul watched his image sink to new lows last season only to end up on a non-competitive OKC team after joining Houston just two years ago. Irving won’t take lightly his newfound villain status in the streets of Boston.
Not listed are others like Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis or Paul George, all of whom left their previous organizations on less-than-stellar terms.
Players have long sought the freedom to control their destiny and have more than earned the right to do so. It’s a level of freedom that comes with the price of an inevitable face-to-face with those left behind, one the NBA and its fan base get to cash in for their viewing pleasure on a seemingly regular basis.