'Now's the time': Former Clippers GM Michael Winger talks about his tenure in L.A.
LOS ANGELES — Clippers general manager Michael Winger was working with a group of team executives late on July 5, 2019, out of temporary office space in Manhattan Beach, when an earthquake briefly interrupted their plan to change the course of franchise history.
The earthquake struck while the group was attempting to put the final details together to trade with Oklahoma City for All-Star Paul George, and secure the commitment of free agent and NBA Finals most valuable player Kawhi Leonard. Seeing windows shaking and tiles falling from the ceiling, Winger and his Clippers colleagues ran toward what they hoped was a structurally integral area.
"We all ended up in a stairway, in our minds, running for our lives," Winger said.
Once the shaking subsided, they ran
