Kawhi Leonard is one of the most unlikely superstars the NBA has seen. Leonard was an unheralded non-lottery pick who got traded by the team that drafted him. He developed a reputation as an elite defender and won the Finals MVP in 2014 for his defense on LeBron James. Despite that, Kawhi’s quiet and unspectacular nature meant that he wouldn’t get the same media attention that other superstars in the league got.

Leonard has since become a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He was the 2019 Finals MVP in the Raptors championship. NBA legend Vince Carter believes that another championship this season would bring Kawhi into the same conversation as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.

Vince said, “A third championship for Kawhi would just bump him up to that next level, that upper echelon of basketball players in the history of the game… Kawhi puts himself in the conversation of one of the greatest players in our league’s history because of what he can accomplish, particularly if he wins MVP.”

Kawhi Leonard and his G.O.A.T status

Leonard is not a player anyone would have put in the G.O.A.T conversation last year. His dream 2019 playoff run showed how he could lead a team to a title. The 2014 Finals MVP that he won is often disregarded due to the depth the Spurs had. 

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Kawhi had a fantastic Raptors squad back him up perfectly last season. This season, he has a possibly deeper squad with the LA Clippers. If he was to win the title and another Finals MVP trophy, he would become the first man in NBA history to win three Finals MVPs on different teams. Another man chasing the same feat is LeBron James.

Leonard has made a career of coming up big in important moments. He didn’t let the title slip from his hand last season when the Warriors imploded due to injuries. He has been in the MVP race before (2016-17) but has never won it. Many would argue that not having that trophy disqualifies him from the conversation for the greatest. However, very few players could match Kawhi’s championship pedigree if he was to win another title this season.