Before the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Orlando Magic on Sunday — the day Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant tragically passed away in a helicopter crash — Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had some words of encouragement for his teammates.
Clippers shooting guard Landry Shamet told reporters on Thursday that Leonard told the team to “be competitive” and play hard since that's what Bryant would want them to do:
Landry Shamet on what Kawhi Leonard told the Clippers before Sunday’s game: “… Kawhi said something really cool. He was like, 'Man, if I know one thing about Kobe, it'd be that he'd want us to go out here and bust their ass, be competitive, be a pro.'“
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 30, 2020
Leonard and Paul George had a close relationship with Bryant. It’s not a stretch to say Leonard and George are going to dedicate the rest of this season to Kobe.
Even though Kawhi and PG are playing for the Clippers and not the Lakers, they are still California kids at heart who want to play the right way and honor Bryant.
Leonard has appeared in 36 games this season for the Clippers. He’s averaging 27.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from beyond the arc and 88.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Kawhi and the Clippers are already 2-0 against the Lakers this season. Leonard has dominated Lakers superstar LeBron James in the first two matchups this season. The 2014 and 2019 Finals MVP is averaging 32.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists versus the Lakers while shooting 55.3 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from beyond the arc and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.
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