Kawhi Leonard has always had a businesslike approach to the game of basketball, so it comes as no surprise that the Toronto Raptors superstar is staying level-headed with the Raptors having the chance to win their first NBA Championship on Monday night:
"We're focused."
Kawhi and the @Raptors know their work isn't done yet. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/JpS042P2AM
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 9, 2019
Leonard reiterated that every game brings pressure on the highest stage, but that the task of executing and doing whatever it takes to win is a mindset that the Raptors have had from the beginning:
"Just got out and play and enjoy it."
Kawhi Leonard shares his mindset heading into Game 5 in Toronto. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/fCflyFtPHb
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 9, 2019
Kawhi is in the midst of one of the greatest individual postseason performances in NBA history, and he has continued to excel after an underwhelming performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Leonard has scored 30 or more points in each of the last three games–all Raptors victories–including a pair of double-doubles in Game 3 and Game 5 to spearhead Toronto to this 3-1 series lead.
In Game 5, Leonard helped the Raptors overcome a woeful first half in which they shot barely 30 percent from the floor, then delivered 17 third-quarter points to drive a dagger into Golden State. He has scored from everywhere on the floor, knocking down threes and getting into the post for fadeaway jump shots.
His stoic mindset has also carried over to his teammates. Kyle Lowry stated that he is not feeling the pressure of the moment, and Serge Ibaka appeared on the Scott Van Pelt edition of SportsCenter after Game 4 to emphasize that the job was not yet finished.
Should the Raptors close out the Warriors in Game 5, they will have concluded the greatest season in franchise history, and Leonard will have perhaps already established his legacy as one of the greatest players to ever don a Raptors uniform.
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