It was all so wonderful to imagine; almost too good to be true, in fact. An exciting 1-2 punch that would allow the Clippers to legitimately share the spotlight with their in-town rivals, a chance to return to the postseason, and who knows, maybe a movie production credit or two.
Alas, it is the Clippers we’re dealing with here, and given their comically long streak of misfortune, it was not meant to be.
By losing Elton Brand, they’re right back to square one, without a realistic shot at making the Playoffs next season. But why did it happen the way it did? For some, all signs point to the infamous David Falk.
Yahoo! Sports and the LA Times both have stories today strongly suggesting that Falk may have played a rather large role in Brand’s wholly surprising departure from Los Angeles.
Along the way, too, everyone else could see what was happening here: The Bald Eagle was emboldened again. Falk was empowered. He was alive again, and the Clippers were done. As it turned out, he didn’t just screw the Clippers. Falk drilled them.
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However, with Sterling giving his basketball people a blank check, the Clippers were going to dump enough players to get to $81 million. That offer was never relayed to Brand. The Clippers say at the end, agent David Falk stopped returning their calls.
Whether the imperious Falk, who once represented Michael Jordan, did this for revenge or just because it felt good is a mystery. He did once vow to get the Clippers for not taking his client, Mike Bibby, with the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft.
Ah, yes. Mystery, intrigue, conspiracy theories involving high-stakes revenge, and ultimately, heartbreak. I love this game!
