On the ‘Unguarded Podcast,’ Fred VanVleet, a member of the championship-winning Toronto Raptors, mentioned that the LA Clippers' superstar, Kawhi Leonard, felt like he was on top of the world in 2019. However, Leonard’s confidence was so extreme that he reportedly felt greater than Kobe Bryant, a five-time champion.
Leonard had every right to feel great. He dethroned the most powerful team ever assembled, starring Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, and averaged over 30 points throughout the entire run. He also sent Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid to Cancun.
At the time, Leonard was regarded around the globe as the face of basketball. He had everyone wondering how his touch was so soft that he drained one of the coldest mid-range, game-seven walk-off buzzer beaters in NBA history off a few bounces around the rim.
Thus, Leonard’s mindset was justified to a certain degree, and VanVleet chips in to mention why he felt that way, yet was he greater than the 20-year Los Angeles Laker legend?
Kobe Bryant’s resume cleared Kawhi Leonard’s in 2019
With two rings, two Finals MVP trophies, three all-star selections, and three all-NBA honors, Kawhi Leonard perceived himself above Kobe Bryant in NBA history. This could have been fair for a brief moment in 2019, given a bit of recency bias, since what Leonard did was unheard of, but in 2025, it seems a bit odd.
It should not be mistaken: Leonard was, and remains, generationally elite. Conversely, his career was factually non-comparable to Bryant after his second title had just been won.
Bryant, already retired in 2019, had more than double the championships, 18 total all-star selections, which was six times as many as Leonard’s, and countless more all-NBA and all-defensive roster cuts.
Additionally, Bryant had the 2007-08 MVP under his belt, during which he played 82 games, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, shooting 45.9% from the floor in 38.9 minutes.
It is worth noting that Bryant had a three-peat run with the Los Angeles Lakers between 2000 and 2002, while the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Nets reached the final stage only to go home.
That said, Leonard’s mentality is what every basketball player should have. It is a mental requirement to assume you are the best, and that is what the two-way superstar did. Yet Bryant is one of the top players of all time, and there is ultimately no debate about it.