In a recent episode of Draymond Green’s podcast, LA Clippers guard and 2019 Raptors champion Norman Powell shared a memorable story about his former teammate, Kawhi Leonard, from their championship season with the Toronto Raptors.
The anecdote sheds light on Leonard’s mindset and approach to the game, offering fans a glimpse into the mentality of one of the NBA’s most enigmatic stars. Powell recounted a moment during the 2019 season when the Raptors were coming off a tough loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The team’s head coach, Nick Nurse, was addressing the players in the locker room, discussing their roles and how they could improve their offensive execution.
“We’re in Toronto, we just got blown out by Milwaukee,” Powell began. “Nick Nurse is talking about roles and how our offense can get better. You know, we just got blown out.”
As Nurse was emphasizing the importance of ball movement, he turned his attention to Leonard, suggesting that even Kawhi needed to move the ball more. Powell recalled Nurse saying,
“Even Kawhi, you come down, just moving the ball for the hell of it.”
Leonard’s response was candid and to the point:
“Yeah, I don’t think I should move the ball for the hell of it. My job is to score the ball.”
What is a Kawhi-ism?
Norman Powell shares what Kawhi said that left Coach Nick Nurse speechless during his time with the Raptors pic.twitter.com/IPNBQL8Si6
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) December 15, 2024
This exchange highlights Leonard’s singular focus on his role as a scorer and his understanding of his own strengths. Leonard’s response was not a dismissal of Nurse’s coaching but rather a reaffirmation of his commitment to what he does best: putting points on the board.
The 2019 season ultimately saw the Raptors win their first NBA championship, with Leonard playing a pivotal role. His performance throughout the playoffs, including his legendary buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, cemented his status as one of the game’s elite players.
