By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
West told ESPN that he has not yet signed a contract with the Clippers, but he knew on Monday night, when the Warriors finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, that it would be his final game with the team.
He called leaving the Warriors – who won their second NBA title in three years – “one of the saddest nights of my life,” because of the respect he has for the Golden State organization and the players he has worked with.
“I knew I was going to be leaving. I didn’t know what I was going to be leaving to,” West told ESPN. “Was this the end of me being productive? Every person is different in terms of their lives and how people age. I don’t feel old; I feel really competitive.
“Sometimes you need to be challenged. I’ve kind of been defiant my whole life, the way I was raised, and I think this is like the defiant streak in me. I don’t know.”
Sports Illustrated first reported that West, 79, was leaving the Warriors to join the Clippers.