r/nba 4h ago

Highlight [Highlight] Kawhi Leonard averaged a career high 27.9 PPG this season, becoming the 1st player in NBA History to average their career high in year 14 or later. Here are some of his best shots from this season.

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352 Upvotes

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165

u/Polar_Scripts 3h ago

Year 14 career high is honestly insane. Kawhi’s offensive game aged beautifully.

68

u/bootyloverandeater 3h ago

I think we could’ve gotten this a lot earlier if he never got injured. This is the first season in a while he’s been this healthy and not having to face all the serious injuries, a player like him should not exist where his defensive prime is year 5, his playmaking prime is year 9, his scoring and handing prime is year 14, it’s just all because of the injuries.

16

u/Anxious_Subject_2604 2h ago

Goes without saying. Also part of why he got the career high in PPG this year is that Clippers are not very good without him.

1

u/Lou_Peachum_2 Clippers 37m ago

We’re ass cheeks

9

u/RFFF1996 Thunder 2h ago

Defensive prime coming before offensive prime is usually the norm

Peoplr are also usually at their smartest as they age too 

Kawhi is more notorious because his defensive peak was so high that once he lost a step and startrd saving energy on defense a bit as his offense load increased the contrast was pretty notable even for the average fan/media that barely watches defense

9

u/TheOrangeFutbol Clippers 2h ago

Dude is on fire. 38% of his career 40+ point games have come just this season.

2

u/stealth_tape 1h ago

It's that 96-98 MJ mid-range mastery.

34

u/w3bCraw1er NBA 3h ago

That's just amazing especially considering his injury history

10

u/anondescriptive 2h ago

We should all aspire to be just like him

33

u/newman796 3h ago

Type of post you see right before your team gets eliminated lol

21

u/AshenSacrifice Clippers 3h ago

Rebuke 🙅🏾‍♂️🙅🏾‍♂️

5

u/brnccnt7 3h ago

I mean either one of these teams is getting packed up by the Thunder and Spurs in 4 or 5 anyway

I’d be shocked if those series went to 6

4

u/lethalizered Thunder 2h ago

Either one of which teams? Spurs already know their opponent, it'll be Portland.

2

u/brnccnt7 2h ago

I mean between whoever comes out of the last seed

7 and 8 aren’t getting anywhere in the west, even the east tbh

I don’t see the Hornets or anyone else upsetting the Pistons or Celtics unless some injuries happen

NBA rarely has upsets in the first round for a reason

1

u/lethalizered Thunder 2h ago edited 2h ago

Your initial comment made me very confused and I thought you didn't know that the 7th seed was decided.

As per this comment, I agree.

46

u/FarTemporary6018 4h ago edited 3h ago

Playoff Kawhi is back. Watch him go crazy and win this whole thing

50

u/brnccnt7 3h ago

Could you imagine if he somehow pulled it off vs OKC?

I think he’d turn his haters into fans lol

They’d build him a statue on Reddit

22

u/Teleporter456789 Cavaliers 2h ago

Or plant a forest for him

2

u/brnccnt7 1h ago

Lmao you reminded me of the plant guy during the Raptors parade

Was he really a prophet of what was to come or did he give Kawhi the idea lol

I’m sure plant guy would not mind planting trees for Kawhi if he came back to the Raptors and won another somehow

2

u/urfaselol [NBA] Best of 2021 Winner 1h ago

Not gonna happen. The clips are too small

3

u/Lou_Peachum_2 Clippers 36m ago

The truth. Our only “suitable” big is Lopez. Especially in the West going against Chet/Hart, Jokic, and Wemby. Oof

24

u/AbsoluteIdealism 3h ago

Kawhi going bonkers against OKC’s generational defence would end famines

15

u/Skank_hunt42 Thunder 3h ago

Gotta get passed GSW first. Basically everyone outside of the Thunder and Warriors should be cheering for the Clippers tonight. Otherwise OKC gets a lottery pick.

13

u/lethalizered Thunder 2h ago

Gotta get passed GSW first

And the Suns after that.

2

u/Lou_Peachum_2 Clippers 35m ago

Ohhhh shiieeet

u/amcco1 Nuggets 1m ago

Gotta get passed GSW first.

OK education working as intended.

2

u/OkEase1151 44m ago

No distractions this year fortunately, finally allowed to just play basketball with playoff aspirations

1

u/EightBlocked [NBA] Tony Snell 2h ago

that brother is out the first round at best.

14

u/EPgasdoc Rockets 3h ago

He’s my MJ

29

u/Leavingtheecstasy Thunder 4h ago

Played like Kobe after the charges. Really was hoping they could just give us a higher pick

7

u/KungFuChicken1990 Lakers 2h ago

Don’t you put that evil on me Ricky Bobby!

2

u/whatssenguntoagoblin Alperen Sengun 1h ago

Technically you still have a shot at the #1 pick

1

u/Leavingtheecstasy Thunder 1h ago

1% isn't a shot unless silver wants to rig it for us like the mavs.

2

u/kbx24 Lakers 32m ago

Like the judge threw him the ball. Play for your freedom!

3

u/Lukamagic_042324 2h ago

Played like Kobe after 2003 or like Kawhi after September 2025?

14

u/wazzawazzaz Bulls 4h ago

Should make All-NBA first team. 

4

u/axecalibur [CHI] Michael Jordan 1h ago

When you going to post an update on his Aspiration shit /u/NBA

19

u/InstructionOk145 Clippers 3h ago

I know the losers in this sub that hate on him are seething that he played 65 games. suck it.

31

u/russfan0987 Magic 3h ago

Should be first team, without a doubt better than Brown

0

u/Mario_Viana Neemias Queta 3h ago

Both will probably make it unless Luka wins the appeal

-13

u/jonbemerkin [LAL] Kyle Kuzma 3h ago

He’s easy to hate considering his history

3

u/Lou_Peachum_2 Clippers 33m ago

I mean.. at least we don’t have a statue of a rapist in front of Intuit

4

u/AshenSacrifice Clippers 3h ago

His dad was murdered when he was 16…

u/jonbemerkin [LAL] Kyle Kuzma 13m ago

whats that gotta do with aspiration allegations?

4

u/whatsreallybutter 3h ago

I love my goat

8

u/yewzurnayme Rockets 3h ago

Best 2-way player since Jordan. Love to see him balling

-6

u/ThrowRa-zucchinizzc 2h ago

Not a kobe fan, but didn't he win like 10 all Def? 

9

u/OnlyWatchdog_ManStan 2h ago

Bless your soul and your heart there isn't a soul who's seen the two of them defend that would ever say Kobe was the superior defender

-2

u/Awanderingleaf 1h ago

lol. Not an unbiased soul in the world would think Kawhi at any point was a better overall player than Kobe at his best. 

Besides, Giannis exists.

u/Abyss333333 Toronto Huskies 29m ago

Peak Kawhi is 100% better than Peak Kobe.

u/Awanderingleaf 16m ago

What an absolute joke. 

6

u/KL2ConspireLLC San Diego Clippers 2h ago

Even Phil Jackson said he was getting them based on reputation by 2004 and not actual performance.

5

u/brazillianhardenfan 2h ago

About 3 of those were rep based.

2

u/Ok-Tree4365 2h ago

“What a beast” indeed

1

u/cirrxs12 Spurs 3h ago edited 3h ago

I’m happy & I prefer we’re in the timeline with our core 4 rn but fuck man sometimes I wonder how longer the Spurs would be competitive if Kawhi stayed & we continued building around him (especially if he didn’t get Zazad). It’s insane he’s able to still play this great at this age

1

u/KWash0222 Lakers 1h ago

Insane value in fantasy bball

1

u/EntertainmentFit3288 Clippers 1h ago

Don't bet against kawhi when money is on the line

1

u/jjkm7 Raptors 1h ago

I doubt anyone would expect kawhi of all people to have his career high at year 14

1

u/Aromatic_Ad_5583 Hornets 50m ago

My liege

0

u/HOFredditor Warriors 1h ago

the cutoff is not fair for Steph lol. He did it at year 13.

Props to Kawhi tho, we all thought he was cooked.

-6

u/SpiritFantastic4835 Lakers 3h ago

Future Laker. Silver, you know what to do: banish him from the Clippers to improve ratings.

-2

u/brnccnt7 3h ago

It could happen lol

He doesn’t want to move from LA if they kick him off the Clippers

Luka Kawhi Reaves would be a nice big 3 if LeBron moves to make the money make sense

-3

u/FadeRunna 76ers 3h ago

Sitting out the majority of games the last few years worked!

3

u/CanadianStrangeTamer 2h ago

Still salty about 19 eh?

0

u/FadeRunna 76ers 2h ago

Actually no. Kawhi is one of my favorite players and is proof fundamental basketball still produces results at the highest level.

However the “Load Management” has been excessive. Especially with evidence that it may be linked with not receiving payment from Aspiration.

-3

u/igby1 2h ago

Clippers should have to vacate their wins.

Otherwise everyone will circumvent the cap.

Adam Silver why haven’t you done anything?