The NBA is full of what-ifs. What if Brandon Roy and Greg Oden weren’t injury prone? What if Len Bias had played in the league? What if Tom Thibodeau sent Derrick Rose to the bench against the Sixers?
While some of those takes are full of wishful thinking and things that just can’t be measured, sometimes it seems like the slightest event had massive implications.
Take Kawhi Leonard’s injury back in 2017 for instance. The Spurs were wreaking havoc in Game 1 vs. the Warriors. Kawhi was their kryptonite and they had a legit shot at beating them.
Zaza Pachulia — intentionally or not — hurt Leonard and the momentum completely shifted. The Warriors rallied back to win that game and then knocked out the Spurs with ease.
Up to this day, most people still believe that the Spurs would’ve beaten them with a healthy Kawhi, including former San Antonio guard Patty Mills.
The Australian sharpshooter said on JJ Redick’s The Old Man & The Tree podcast that they would have definitely knocked out the Warriors if Kawhi didn’t get hurt. (40:47)
The craziest part about that is that it could’ve changed the entire course of NBA history.
If the Spurs take down the Warriors, then Kevin Durant doesn’t win his first ring with them in 2017. Then they don’t make it to 5 straight NBA Finals, then they may no longer be considered a dynasty.
Moreover, the way the Spurs handled Leonard’s injury is what eventually drove them apart.
So, there’s a strong chance that Leonard would’ve stayed with San Antonio if it wasn’t for that injury and they would be legit championship contenders still. Also, the Raptors would’ve never made it to the Finals, let alone win a ring.
Once again, maybe this is all wishful thinking and gibberish, but Kawhi’s injury was a pivotal moment in recent NBA history.
