The Los Angeles Clippers have been through many ups and downs over the past two seasons, and Kawhi Leonard has kept his composure through it all.
This season especially, Kawhi has weathered the storm for his team, stepping up and answering the call during the most intense moments.
And while Leonard is often cited as being soft-spoken, his leadership cannot be questioned, as his teammate, Luke Kennard, made sure to tell the world:
“He’s behind the scenes. He’s always working, always talking to us, always sending texts…He’s our leader. He’s our guy.”
Luke Kennard on Kawhi Leonard: "He's behind the scenes. He's always working, always talking to us, always sending texts… He's our leader. He's our guy.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) June 21, 2021
Leonard isn’t often very chatty with the media and chooses to keep both his life very private. On the court, he is rarely seen being animated or vocally directing his teammates. This is a stark change from most superstars we see, that take center stage and command the game on any given night.
But it doesn’t mean that Kawhi doesn’t lead — he just does it behind the scenes, in the locker room, and behind closed doors.
Say what you want about that strategy, but it seems to be working for the Clippers so far, who are just 4 wins away from an NBA Finals appearance.
Kawhi is certainly making his presence felt.
