The more Kawhi Leonard steps into the spotlight — and the more his candid moments/interviews are dissected by the masses — the less you really know about the man.
Just when you think you can peg him as the next Tim Duncan — or that superstar uninterested in fame or attention — you remember he forced his way out of a situation most conducive to that personality. It’s easy to win and hide in San Antonio. In L.A., where Leonard is reportedly keen on playing beyond this season, it’s the opposite.
So predicting his next move in the context of other basketball players is foolish. He wants to play and enjoy his life while carrying on with the personality of a goldfish. He doesn’t seem to care much about anything else, especially what other people think. Leonard is the poster child for avoiding social media; the example the NBA should use at its rookie orientation.
He has no Twitter, no Instagram, no Snapchat. Contrast that to Kevin Durant, the sensitive star who told a Warriors beat writer, “I see and hear everything.” In some ways, it’s a cop out for Leonard to avoid the spotlight in the same way Duncan did. They leave the promoting and entertainment to the other superstars, a job that generates interest and revenue for everybody else in the NBA. Duncan was lucky he had Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to boost the popularity of the NBA. Leonard has outgoing peers like LeBron James and Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Durant.
But Leonard is undeniably fun to watch on the court. Leaving San Antonio has allowed him to thrive and blossom outside of Gregg Popovich’s system, a move Duncan never tested. Whatever happens in free agency this summer, the Raptors have blessed by Leonard. He’s immortalized in Canada based on one season, eclipsing the previous defectors like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh.
But could Leonard stay? Obviously yes. There are rumors he purchased property in Toronto. Whether Leonard is truly happier with the Raptors is impossible to know because he smiles with the frequency of Eeyore.
Predictably Leonard revealed nothing about his future ahead of Friday’s Game 4.
“Obviously you know what you want (in a location). But I’m not thinking like, ‘Just because of this and this I’m going to re-sign,’” Leonard told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “I’m not thinking about re-signing or thinking about what team I’m going to go to in free agency. I’m just focused on what’s in front of me right now and once it’s over I’ll revisit everything.”
The enduring belief has been Leonard will join the Clippers in free agency. He’s from L.A. area and apparently the Lakers are undesirable because they’re a hot mess and LeBron James sucks up all the oxygen. In the wake of the Nets agreeing to a trade Thursday to clear the cap space for a formidable run at Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Knicks leaked to their welcoming local reporters that they might get a meeting with Leonard. It felt like a damage-control tactic, but only served to validate that the Knicks are scared about their neighbors in Brooklyn.
They’ve been focused on Durant and Irving since trading Kristaps Porzingis, and all of a sudden — about three weeks before free agency — they’re pushing Leonard as their target?
We’ll see if it’s anything more than a PR stunt. There are real reasons — namely Leonard’s uncle-turned-manager who hails from New Jersey — to believe the 27-year-old will give the Knicks some consideration. In the meantime, everybody — especially the Raptors — should appreciate what Leonard is giving on the court. He’s the enigmatic superstar.