10 Reasons Why You Should Hate Kawhi Leonard
As NBA stars go, Kawhi Leonard is as nice and humble as they come.
You don’t see this guy pounding his chest and slapping the floor after every big play; he’s not constantly whining at the refs; and he isn’t on Twitter bashing other players and teams.
Given this, it’s little surprise why the media loves Leonard so much, and why you don’t hear many fans saying, “God, I really hate Kawhi Leonard.”
Nevertheless, we have some very good reasons why you should dislike him, including the following.
1. Leonard Quietly Destroys Your Team
When your team plays the San Antonio Spurs, you may get lulled into a false sense of confidence with a lead midway through the second quarter. But by the end of the third quarter, you’ll see Leonard string together a few baskets, and suddenly the announcer says that he has 30 points. I swear this has happened several times, when I didn’t even realize he’d scored 2 baskets up until that point.
2. Other NBA Stars Can’t Stand Him
Maybe this is just a temporary thing, but fellow superstars are getting pissed at the media’s love for Kahwi Leonard. And according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, LeBron James isn’t the only one. “Not everybody in the NBA feels the same about Kawhi,” said Windhorst. “There’s some people who are frustrated Kawhi has gotten as much love as he has… It’s not just LeBron, actually. There’s other top players that feel the same way.”
3. He’s 25 and Already Has a Championship
If there’s another reason why LeBron’s pissed about Leonard, it’s that he didn’t win his first championship until age 28. Michael Jordan was the same age when he got his first title. Leonard didn’t have to wait long since the Spurs won in 2014, when he was just 22 years old.
4. Leonard Is the Third-Youngest Player to Win Finals MVP
Players only get more jealous of Leonard when thinking about how he won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP award at age 22. He’s the third-youngest Finals MVP (22 years, 351 days), behind only Magic Johnson, who won his first Finals MVP at age 20, and his second at 22 years and 298 days.
5. He Doesn’t Do Anything to Piss You Off
Most star players at least give you a reason to hate them, whether it’s tweeting controversial things or being outspoken like Draymond Green. But Leonard stays off social media and is low-key around the media. It’s truly annoying how non-controversial he is.
6. Leonard Just Keeps Getting Better
Many stars have a sense of complacency when they become this good. But not Kawhi, who still spends countless hours in the gym improving his game. It’s like he has the work ethic of Kobe Bryant, with one-tenth of the ego.
7. He’s a 2-Time Defensive Player of the Year
There’s nothing more frustrating than watching the top-scoring forward from your team struggle through a 4-for-14 night with Leonard draped all over him. He’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year after winning the award in 2015 and ’16, and is one of only 9 players to earn the award twice. Given Leonard’s age, he could certainly give Dikembe Mutombo’s record of 4 Defensive POY’s a serious run.
8. Now He’s Great on Offense Too
As if he weren’t already perfect enough, Leonard has now become an elite offensive player. In 2016, he put up 22.5 points on 50% shooting from the floor and 43.6% shooting from three-point range. So far in 2017, he’s scoring 25.4 points, while shooting 48.8% from the field and 41.0% from beyond the arc.
9. He’s Got the Best NBA Coach in His Corner
How many advantages does this guy need? Leonard is already one of the top-5 all-around players, and he has Gregg Popovich as his coach. “Pop” is like the Bill Belichick of the NBA, only he doesn’t video tape other teams’ practices.
10. Leonard Is Going to Win More Titles and Awards
It may seem like the Golden State Warriors, and perhaps the Cleveland Cavaliers, are destined for more titles in the coming years. But Leonard is going to grab at least another 1-2 championships before his career is over, especially with the way Popovich coaches and how this team reloads. So if you don’t quite hate Kawhi yet…just wait.
