Kawhi Leonard Harshly Criticized By NBA GM: "He Doesn't Rally His Team"

BYAlexander Cole22.8K Views
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Toronto Raptors
Some feel like Kawhi isn't a leader.

Kawhi Leonard was one of the biggest free agents on the market during the NBA offseason and in the end, he signed a three-year, $103 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. The deal comes with a player option in the third year which means the two-time NBA champion has all of the leverage moving forward. With Leonard and Paul George on the roster, the Clippers are in prime position to go deep in the playoffs this season. While this may be true, there are still some people around the league who have a bad taste in their mouth over the way he left the San Antonio Spurs.

In a recent article by Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, an anonymous general manager had some harsh criticism of Leonard. “Kawhi is great getting his, but he doesn’t elevate anyone,” they said. “He doesn’t rally his team.”

Other executives around the league were more complimentary of Leonard although they did admit that he isn't the vocal leader that other players have proven themselves to be. “He does have leadership qualities,” one executive said.“It depends on how you define ‘leader.’ He’s obviously not vocal, and he’s not a galvanizer. He does it with his work ethic and by example.”

Regardless of how you feel about Leonard, there is no denying he is a great talent that can turn any team into a contender. It would be interesting to know which GM said this as it would probably give some context as to why this person has that opinion.


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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