10 Years of The Klaw: 5 Most memorable moments of Kawhi Leonard's NBA career so far
The NBA and, more importantly, the LA Clippers will be without one of the league's best players for the majority of this season as Kawhi Leonard recovers from an ACL injury that thwarted his chances at a third title in June.
There had been concerns that he could decline his player option and hit the free agency market, which would have had teams around the league ripping up their plans to sign him. However, Leonard has chosen to stay with the Clippers, who will be title contenders for years to come with both him and Paul George leading the side.
Kawhi Leonard's most memorable moments in the NBA
Ten years after being picked 15th overall in the Draft, Kawhi Leonard is now one of the finest two-way players the game has ever seen. Not only is he inherently consistent on offense, he is also a monster on the boards and can lock up his opponents defensively. Before he was 28, Leonard had already won two NBA Championships, two Finals MVP awards and multiple Defensive accolades.
In this article, we will look at the five most memorable moments so far for Kawhi Leonard from a career that is already Hall-of-Fame worthy.
#5 Being drafted 15th in 2011
It's staggering to think that Kawhi Leonard fell to 15th in the 2011 NBA Draft behind the likes of Derrick Williams, Bismack Biyombo and Brandon Knight. With hindsight, it is even more unbelievable that the Indiana Pacers would then trade Leonard on draft night for George Hill from the San Antonio Spurs and use him as a sixth man the following season.
The 2011 Draft was stacked with talent, though. Jimmy Butler fell as low as 30th overall while Klay Thompson was picked outside the top 10. Kyrie Irving was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Leonard, however, has gone on to eclipse the success of any other player selected that night with considerably more individual accolades than Thompson despite having one less ring.
#4 Becoming a top-ten paid NBA player
Having signed a new four-year deal with the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard will be among the top ten paid stars in the NBA. The $39.3m that he will earn this season puts him eighth overall alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
While this is obviously a huge deal for any player, it is especially timely for Leonard, who has been underpaid his entire career up until now. Through his entry-level contract with the Spurs, Leonard earned on average just $2m a year. Meanwhile, he helped the franchise to two NBA Finals, won one NBA Finals MVP award and was voted into the second All-Defensive team in 2014.
His maximum rookie extension only provided him with an average of $18.8m a year despite winning another NBA Championship and Finals MVP, earning multiple All-Star appearances, All-Defensive team nominations and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
It is about time Kawhi Leonard got paid sufficiently for what he provides on both ends of the court and it was a no-brainer for the LA Clippers to offer him a new deal this summer.
Without Leonard, the Clippers would've been unable to sign anybody else due to cap restrictions and would automatically fall off as title contenders. It will no doubt be a win-win for both parties.
Also Read: What is Kawhi Leonard’s Current Contract?