No. 3 reason why Kawhi Leonard shouldn’t sign with the Miami Heat: He can continue to build his own legacy with the Clippers
Kawhi Leonard wants to build a franchise himself. It’s part of what made him so great in his season with Toronto.
If Leonard goes to Miami, his legacy will constantly be compared with the legacies of Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and other Heat superstars of the past. Their franchise was already built up by strong foundations left by those guys.
Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers organization to be the one to win their first Conference Semifinals series, the one to win their first Conference Finals, and the one to win their first NBA title. If he wanted to follow other stars and build off of the foundations that they set up with other very successful franchises, he would have signed elsewhere.
Imagine Leonard’s legacy if he wins the Clippers’ first title. He’ll have won multiple franchises their first championships. If he went to Miami, people wouldn’t weigh his successes as heavily because of what that franchise has already accomplished.
Kawhi picked us over the Lakers because he’s not afraid of competition, and he wants to do it his way on his team. It would better serve his resume and legacy to not jump ship and finish with the team he started this stage of his career with.