Putting aside all the drama that surrounded the superstar last season, Kawhi Leonard is primed to have a major comeback season this year with the Toronto Raptors. His former assistant coach in San Antonio can attest to how Leonard's extraordinary physique makes him one of the most unique players in the league right now.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic talked to former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Chad Forcier about Kawhi's physical abilities:
“I just remember meeting someone and observing someone who in terms of just his physical attributes were awe-inspiring — the way he was built, the length and his shoulders and the size of his hands, all of that kind of stuff was amazing,” said former Spurs assistant and current Grizzlies assistant Chad Forcier.
Forcier was also the Spurs' developmental coach back then, as he joined forces with head coach Gregg Popovich to transform Leonard from an overlooked 15th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft into the All-Star that he is today.
In an interview with Bleacher Report's Jonathan Abrams, Forcier said Leonard's path to stardom was not just an effect of being a physical specimen. It was also because of his unrelenting drive and work ethic:
“To the outer world, it appears that he has suddenly emerged as an All-Star or an MVP candidate. It seems like he has suddenly showed up and all of a sudden, ‘Wow. This guy’s really good.’
“I don’t see it that way, and what the outer world can’t see is truly like how much time and actually how slow the process was in terms of the work and the sweat and the commitment and the desire and the day-in-and-day-out process or multiple seasons before we really got to see him grow in terms of the opportunity that Pop began to start to give him.”
It remains to be seen how Leonard will bounce back from a major injury last season. But if he gets back to full form, the East better watch out for Toronto.
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