Fred VanVleet offered insight into Kawhi Leonard’s mindset following the Raptors’ 2019 championship. Speaking on the Unguarded podcast, VanVleet recalled a moment that revealed how Leonard believed that title changed his standing among the game’s all-time greats.
“Kawhi changed my view on a lot of sh*t,” VanVleet said. “One thing I overheard was a conversation that was had about winning the championship and the sentiment of it was when we won the championship he was like, ‘I’m better than Kobe.’”
According to VanVleet, Leonard genuinely felt that winning the 2019 title, and the way he carried the Raptors through that postseason, put him ahead of Kobe Bryant in his own mind. It was not framed as trash talk, but as a personal assessment of legacy after reaching the sport’s highest peak.
“I had the same reaction,” VanVleet continued. “But when he said it, I said, well, ‘If I’m him…’ and those three words changed how I looked at the game. If I were him, how would I feel? Because I know how he feels right now.”
Kawhi Leonard has experienced many great moments in his career, but his defining achievement came during the 2018-19 campaign, when he led an inexperienced Raptors squad to its first championship. That run changed Leonard’s career and placed him in rare company as a two-time Finals MVP.
For VanVleet, the memory illustrates the mentality Leonard carried after winning that championship. Rather than disrespect, it reflects the extreme confidence required to lead a title team at that level, even when that belief places you above one of basketball’s most revered legends.
Still, when it comes to Kobe Bryant’s legacy, Leonard has yet to match his standard. Compared to Leonard’s two titles, Bryant was a five-time champion and former league MVP, with career averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 44.7 percent shooting (32.9 percent from three).
Kobe finished his career as the NBA’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 33,643 points. Even today, years after his death, his status remains immortalized as one of the game’s greatest players.
At 34 years old, time is running out for Leonard to build a case as Kobe’s superior. He appeared on track to do so in 2019, but years of failed seasons with the Clippers have pushed him well behind schedule.
Arguably the biggest factor working against Leonard is his history of load management. What separated Kobe from players like Leonard was his relentless availability and work ethic, a mindset that consistently carried over to the rest of the team.
Ultimately, VanVleet’s testimony offers a rare glimpse into the mindset of an elite competitor at the peak of his powers. Leonard’s confidence may spark debate, but it also explains how championship leaders separate themselves in the moment. Whether history ever places him alongside Kobe Bryant is still unfolding, but the belief that he belonged there was clearly real at the time.
