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Kawhi Leonard has been an enigma throughout most of his career. He has two NBA championship rings and achieved major success most people didn't expect. But his career has some equally unexpected twists and turns that turned Kawhi from the silent budding star to headline-making superstar.
We've been witness to three different versions of Kawhi Leonard.
Let's rank 'em:
#3 – San Antonio Spurs Kawhi aka “Baby Kawhi”
You know how you feel when you're looking through an album filled with old pictures of yourself and think, “gosh I was so innocent back then.” That's kind of how it feels like remembering Kawhi Leonard on the Spurs.
The man was awarded the Finals MVP when they won it all in 2014, but you just know he was still a few major notches below his more recent iterations. Knowing what we know now, that Kawhi was still about to go through some growing pains. NBA puberty if you will.
He did have some good memories with the Spurs though. Aside from their 2014 championship, of course. Back then, he was still all about his '97 Chevy Tahoe and what really concerned him was hoarding enough coupons from Wingstop.
This side of Spurs Kawhi was shared on a feature with Sports Illustrated:
“[Leonard] is happy to sponsor Wingstop, which sends him coupons for free wings, so he can feed his Mango Habanero addiction. This winter, after his $94 million contract kicked in, he panicked when he lost his coupons. Wingstop generously replenished his supply.”
These were much simpler times for Spurs fans. Ah, to be young and hopeful.
#2 – Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi aka “Empowered Kawhi”
Without a doubt, the Los Angeles Clippers version of Kawhi Leonard is definitely the most empowered.
Who would have thought that Kawhi of all people would be the one to silently orchestrate a trade of such magnitude that it would alter the very fabric of the league? Leonard sliding into the DMs of then-OKC star and fellow Cali local Paul George to join forces with him in Los Angeles impacted the fate of four NBA playoff teams.
His departure from Toronto left a big gaping closer-shaped hole from the side he had just won championship for. Although the Raptors would fill that hole by committee, I'm sure they'll be missing Leonard's penchant for taking and making big shots come playoff time.
He forced the implosion of the last remaining vestige of OKC's original core. Not only did he steal Paul George from the clutches of Oklahoma City fans, he did so from their favorite son Russell Westbrook as well. The trade pushed them not only to trade away PG, but also Westbrook himself, altering the fate of the Houston Rockets as well in the process.
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It also pushed the Thunder into a hyper-rebuild. They got their next franchise piece in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but also a million and one draft picks to take them to their next era sooner rather than later.
And of course, there's the Clippers themselves. A lot of people, myself included, felt like this immediately made the Los Angeles Clippers the sure-fire favorites to win it all.
Although they're only the 2nd seed in the West right now, Leonard and Kawhi have only played in 32 of their team's 64 contests. The Clippers also have the best net rating since the all-star break by far. They might still be the low-key favorites assuming they peak during the playoffs.
Leonard and George together form a formidable duo of former LeBron James adversaries. They definitely won't be fun to deal with, not just for LeBron but any team that faces them during the postseason.
Speaking of fun, here's Kawhi at number 1.
#1 – Toronto Raptors Kawhi aka “Fun Guy Kawhi”
The Raptors version of Kawhi Leonard is clearly the best, if only for the fact that it's the purest basketball-version of Kawhi's peak.
We saw him sink the hopes and dreams of every Philadelphia 76ers fan in existence with four bounces. We all witnessed him flip a 0-2 deficit to the Milwaukee Bucks and absolutely lock down MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the process. Then he got his revenge on the Golden State Warriors.
Although they were banged up and down two of their best players, Kawhi Leonard showed no mercy. After all, the Warriors didn't after Zaza infamously slid his legs under Kawhi's during Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals.
He missed the rest of the series then, and he definitely didn't forget watching those Warriors dominate his team while he sat on the sidelines.
Even though it remains to be seen if Leonard will bring the same intensity for the Clippers in this year's playoffs (assuming it still pushes through), the raw energy from Kawhi during his lone playoff run in Toronto will forever be peak Kawhi Leonard.
