Norman Powell reflects on 'luck' needed to win NBA championship
12/21/2024 04:27 PM
Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell knows what it takes to win a championship. The 10-year veteran — alongside current Clippers teammate Kawhi Leonard — helped lead the Toronto Raptors to their first and only NBA championship during the 2018-19 season. They did so by knocking off the Golden State Warriors, a team that had won back-to-back championships prior to that season.
Although the Clippers may not be title favorites to win the championship this year, Powell stresses his goal is to win another title this season. The 31-year-old veteran mentions how you need a little “luck” when it comes to winning a championship.
“You also have to have a little luck,” says Powell when asked on what he learned from winning a title in 2019. “I got a little flack for saying that a few years ago when asked about the championship run, but yeah, you need to get lucky. There are teams that are super healthy and then get hit with the injury bug or you know a certain shot or guys that aren’t great shooters or scorers or whatever, explode for big games.
Powell mentions Leonard’s buzzer-beating game-winning shot in Game 7 of the Raptors’ semifinals victory over the Philadelphia 76ers as an example of a little luck. Leonard’s shot bounced around the rim multiple times before finally going through the net.
“Kawhi’s shot in Philly, it was an insane crazy bounce,” says Norman Powell. “If you try to replicate that, how many times is that going to happen that exact way? I learned what it takes to win and then just the confidence coming out of that run and that championship really helped me after that 2019 run.”
The Clippers may not be considered one of the elite teams in the NBA, but they’re currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 16-12 record. Powell is having a breakthrough season, leading the team in scoring with 23.7 points per game. He mentions that once Leonard makes his season debut and returns to the lineup, people will start taking notice of the Clippers as a potential championship contender.
If Powell continues to score at his current clip and is able to fill the void left over by Paul George’s departure, the Clippers may have a new three-headed trio to build around in him, Leonard and James Harden. If that ends up being the case, Los Angeles may surprisingly re-emerge as championship contenders in a loaded Western Conference.
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