With Kawhi Leonard being traded to Toronto Raptors, more stories are coming out about his time with the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard is known to be a quiet and reserved guy, and he would take things to an extreme in order to avoid talking to others or the media.
Mark Finger of the San Antonio Express-News wrote an article that listed a few times in which Leonard took this to the extreme.
“Once, on a trip to Philadelphia, a reporter heard Leonard went to a cheesesteak place for lunch and tried to ask how it was. Leonard scowled and said he only would answer questions about basketball.”
After it was announced Leonard made his first All-Star Game, he had to be begged to even make just a one-sentence statement.
Article Continues Below“On the day he made his first All-Star team, he was asked for a pregame comment and resisted until a media relations staffer pleaded with him to give a one-sentence statement.”
Leonard also either didn't care about making relationships or really was forgetful and couldn't remember one of the biggest media members in San Antonio.
Last season, a national reporter landed a one-on-one interview with Leonard, and during the conversation wanted to follow up on something in a piece written by Express-News beat writer Jeff McDonald, who had covered – with rare exceptions – every game, home and away, of Leonard’s career since he entered the league in 2011.
“I know you mentioned this to Jeff,” the national reporter began.
“Who’s Jeff?” Leonard said.
There is a chance his attitude could change now that he is with the Toronto Raptors. If it doesn't, it makes it very hard to know what exactly Leonard is thinking. Either way, it should be an interesting year North of the Border.