Getty Images
Humble and superstar are two words that are not often synonymous when it comes to sports. This rings especially true in the NBA, where brashness and style not only increase your visibility but actually are expected if you’re one of the elite players in the game today.
These character traits aren’t necessarily bad but have never been a part of Kawhi Leonard’s internal makeup. When Leonard was selected in the first round of the 2011 draft by the Indiana Pacers and then saw his rights traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night, he could not have landed in a better spot.
The Spurs’ no non-sense mentality starts with head coach Gregg Popovich and trickles immediately down to Tim Duncan. Duncan may be the best power forward in the history of the game, but his unobtrusive demeanor suggests that he’s just another guy on the roster.
This is the same attitude that Leonard possesses, but like Duncan, he is a superstar in the his own right. The 24-year-old small forward is silently having the best year of his career, averaging a career-high 21.6 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.9 steals. You would be hard-pressed to find another player with a more balanced stat sheet.
But you also would be hard-pressed to find a more modest superstar whose goal isn’t to put up gaudy numbers and then let the world know about it. No, what he wants to do is bring another championship to San Antonio in what likely is the final year of the original big three in the NBA.
The Texas tripod of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and the aforementioned Duncan have established a culture of winning in San Antonio like no other team in the league has experienced since the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal Los Angeles Lakers teams of the early 2000s. But they all find themselves in the twilight of their careers, with the door quickly closing in behind them.
The Spurs are off to another scorching start. They are 8-2 in their first 10 games and are second in the Western Conference. If it weren’t for the Golden State Warriors playing more like the Monstars than a human team, the Spurs would be talked about as one of the favorites to again reach the NBA Finals and take home a sixth championship.
Before this season, the hot start would have been attributed Duncan or Coach Pop, but nowadays it’s undeniably Leonard’s team. He has even outplayed big-time free agent acquisition LaMarcus Aldridge through the first month of the season.
Have there been any salacious quotes from Leonard about his career start? A finals prediction? Even a mention of him wanting more respect because of his indisputable skill set? No, just shutdown defense, a newly minted mid-range game and one of the best dunks of the season; just ask Mason Plumlee:
The @Spurs‘ @KawhiLeonard SOARS for the vicious SLAM! #NBAVine https://t.co/tkLJOFXxKZ
— NBA (@NBA) November 17, 2015
All-in-all, Leonard is never going to be the superstar we all are used to, but he may be the superstar that the NBA needs. There’s no doubt he’s just the kind of superstar the Spurs and their fans want.
Douglas Ammon is an NBA Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. He covers all things about the Association, follow him on Twitter @DA76er
