Kawhi Leonard Credits His Playoff Run To Learning From Great Players

BYAlexander Cole1.7K Views
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Kawhi Leonard
Leonard has been carrying the Raptors on his back in the playoffs.

Ever since Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors, he has become a man on a mission. While former NBA Finals MVP probably won't resign in Toronto, Leonard has been playing like he's prepared to carry this team all the way to the NBA Finals. Leonard scored 39 points on Sunday to help lead his team to a 101-96 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. With the win, the Raptors tied the series at two games apiece. 

Leonard has been phenomenal all playoffs long and after Sunday's game, the Raptors star explained what's made him so good in the clutch.

"Just really growing up and learning from players," Leonard explained to reporters according to Sporting News. "Watching great players. Seeing how they control the game and play at their own speed. Not trying to be rushed by the defender. But I was fortunate enough to be on some pretty good teams early. So I was able to see defenses, go on deep playoff runs and pretty much establish that early. I feel like that probably helped me out."

Leonard has averaged 38 points per game in the series against the 76ers and it doesn't seem like he'll be slowing down anytime soon. Up until Game 4, Leonard hadn't received much support from his teammates but now it seems like the entire Raptors squad is clicking.

The series is heading back to Toronto for Game 5 which goes down on Tuesday at 8 P.M. EST.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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