The NBA is a league chock-full of characters.
You have some brash players who are unafraid to run their mouths a bit to elicit a reaction. Then, there are some guys for whom that’s not their forte, but they don’t shy away from tapping into a feisty side when needed. Finally, you have the players who just go out there and hoop—absolutely nothing else on their minds except putting on a show on the court.
I'd like to think Kawhi Leonard is one of the NBA's most likable players across all fanbases; it's hard to dislike a guy who just wants to put his best foot forward in the highest stakes of competition.
Here's a guy who broke out into a superstar on his own accord, proving to be a generational defensive stud and later showing that he can also carry an offense on his shoulders.
His early days with San Antonio helped put Kawhi Leonard on the map, and while his tenure with the Spurs includes an NBA title and NBA Finals MVP, I think many associate Leonard's best form or prime with the storied 2019 Toronto Raptors championship run.
Obviously, as Raptors fans, I don't need to go into full detail about the legend of Raptors-era Kawhi Leonard; everyone remembers the aura and mystique he carried during that storybook season, emerging as the absolute best player in the NBA.
Of course, it only lasted one year, and he took his talents to Los Angeles in the offseason. However, we haven't really experienced a vintage "Klaw" performance in quite some time—until the Clippers matched up with the Denver Nuggets in a thrilling first-round NBA playoff matchup.
This series might just be getting its feet off the floor, but it's already proving to be absolute basketball cinema with the level of intensity and competitive spirit. And last night's game proved to be a classic performance by Kawhi Leonard, where he turned back the clock to the glory days of 2019.
Kawhi Leonard is quickly tapping back into his prime form
Leonard would not be denied on April 21 as he single-handedly served as the premier driving force behind a 105-102 victory for the Clippers: a whopping 39 points on an impressive 78.9% field goal shooting, 4-for-7 from three, along with five assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block in 39 minutes of playing time.
As a forever appreciative fan of Kawhi Leonard, it truly hurts me that injuries and countless missed games have hindered his true self from fully manifesting on the court.
In all honesty, we haven't really seen that Raptors-prime version of Leonard since then; perhaps we've caught glimpses here and there, but the version we witnessed against the Nuggets in Game 2 truly felt like stepping into a time machine.
It's no secret that Leonard plays with tremendous poise and accuracy when the lights shine brightest. I'd like to think that if he can maintain this pace until the end, barring any unfortunate injuries or circumstances, the Los Angeles Clippers could definitely find their way to the NBA Finals, thanks to a healthy and motivated Kawhi Leonard at the helm.