Dating back to its inception in 1946, the NBA has had a rich and storied history that's seen countless stars leave their mark. LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is in the midst of his own history making as he tries to pull his team out of the depths of the Western Conference standings and into the NBA playoffs.
Behind Leonard's herculean efforts, the Clippers have surged back into playoff contention this season, now sitting at 34-33 on the season. But it wasn't that long ago that things appeared grim, with a record of just 6-21, no draft pick to look forward to, and an aging roster seemingly aging even further before their very eyes.
Now in his 14th season in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard has been averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in 53 appearances this season. It's the first time in NBA history that a player has averaged a career-high in points per game this late into their NBA career.
Former LA Clippers guard Lou Williams became the first player in NBA history to average 20_ points for the first time in their 13th season or later. Williams also became the second player in NBA history to average a career-high in scoring in their 13th season, joining Chauncey Billups.
Leonard has now passed both, and has done so while shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from three, and 89.7 percent from the free throw line.
What's been the key to his success this late into his NBA career?
“The man above, and me just being able to play games,” Kawhi Leonard told ClutchPoints. “I had a good offseason, I was able to just work. Just praising him, work ethic, and believing. Just trying to get better in the game. Not worrying about the outcome. Whether it's working on my shot, handle, or passing, just being aggressive and making mistakes.”
On Saturday night, Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in the Clippers' home loss to the Sacramento Kings Kings. It marked the 45th consecutive game that Leonard scored at least 20 points in a game, which passed Bob McAdoo for the most consecutive 20-point games in Clippers franchise history.
The 20-point streak now ranks 24th all time, tying Tracy McGrady and Karl Malone's streak of 45 consecutive games of 20+ points. Leonard's streak is also the second longest active streak in the NBA behind Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 128, who recently passed Wilt Chamberlain's previous record of 126 consecutive games.
“It's amazing,” Leonard said of making Clippers history. “Thank God for me being able to play consistently this year and being able to be in the conversation with the greats of this game.
“It's always great to just be on the floor and be able to play basketball. There's a lot of ups and downs that you go through in the NBA, either it's a bad game, missing shots, being sick, or team failing and then the highs. It's great to just be able to be in the conversation with greats like him.”
Leonard did suffer a sprained left ankle in Saturday night's loss against the Kings, leaving the game in the fourth quarter and being ruled out rather quickly. He's listed as, “doubtful,” to play in Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, but he's likely getting round the clock treatment and will try to warm up before his status is decided for the game.
If he misses the game, it'll be the 15th game missed this season by Kawhi Leonard, inching him closer to the 17-game mark that would rule him out of eligibility for end of season NBA awards like All-NBA Teams, All-Defensive Teams, and MVP consideration.
