Number Three
The number three spot goes to Kawhi’s performance in the NBA Finals as a whole. While there maybe wasn’t one single play that was as visually stunning as some of the others on this list, the consistent greatness that he put on display was deserving of recognition in and of itself. Kawhi’s ability to perform the way he does in high-leverage situations (i.e. the NBA Finals) is why the Clippers signed him.
Kawhi, in typical Kawhi Leonard fashion, gave us a quote only he could. “I’m just playing to win.”
This dominant performance in the Finals is partly why so many were ready to call him the best player in the NBA. While that is still up for debate, there is no doubt that he can hang with the best of them when it comes to high stress moments.
Number Two
As awesome as it is to watch Kawhi dominating over the course of an NBA Finals, it’s also fun to watch the man yam on fools. Some would say there’s no one better to watch him yam on then the defending MVP himself! Check out Kawhi giving Giannis Antetokounmpo a taste of his own medicine in the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Raptors went on a run to serve the Bucks an almost reverse sweep (they were only down 2 – 0 in the series, but it’s still awesome).
https://twitter.com/NiTringoNBA/status/1132487460431118336?s=20
Oh, and that wasn’t the only time Kawhi went at Giannis in that series. This dunk was arguably nastier, as Leonard finished through major contact.
https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1131016390461104128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1131016390461104128&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fraptors-video-kawhi-leonard-posterizes-giannis-antetokounmpo%2F
The more the merrier, right?