When Kawhi Became the Greatest Player Ever for 3 Straight Months !
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2022
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Music provided by Epidemic Sound - Sport
Should I retire ?
No
No
Nope -Steph curry
No
No
The fact that this guy made 2 nba stars cry and stopped a 3 peat all in one play off run is insane
Wait one was Embiid who was the other one?
@@gaiusx287 Gianis
Now he just makes Clippers fan cry.
Kawhi stopped 2 three-peats - Miami and GSW. It's like he is protecting Jordan's 2 three-peat records. 😂 He's a Kaiju that hibernates until a team is about to build a dynasty
@@remarpc tbh one was his and his teams fault (2013). They could have closed that game 6 out but free throws and other crap happened. Leonard in 2014 was not really the defenitively best player since the a lot of guys on that spurs squad could have gotten the finals mvp without too much pushback but they recognized him mostly for guarding bron.
He really proved that he was a monster on the court and could be in a Greatest player convo on that Raptors squad. That was truly his best year and prime. I'd go as far as to say that in terms of superstar, legendary seasons, that is probably his only one.
His run was legendary, most points on a run in history :
1. Michael Jordan - 759 points, 1992 🏆
2. LeBron James - 748 points, 2018
3. Kawhi Leonard - 732 points, 2019 🏆
This is certainly impressive, but similar to the all time stats rankings. It comes down to how many games played. What's more impressive is ppg in the playoffs (for players who made the finals). Kawhi is still up there, but series that went to 6-7 games benefitted him.
@@j-rey- agreed but he won the chip lebron second didn’t and kawhi was hobbled clearly wasn’t close to healthy
@@cshh00 Kawhi faced a healthy Embiid, Butler, Simmons, Giannis, Middleton, Curry + Klay for all but 1 game.
@@cshh00 ya one time dudes been on stack teams more then half his career why don’t you mention him only being 2-2 with heat and 1-4 with cavs in finals? sad part is it took two top 3 shots all time just for that
1992 the first round in playoff was best of 5 if i remember well :) .
Truly a generational talent no move or shot he can’t make. The way he developed into the beast of a player he is unmatched.!
Excited to see him and PG13 back next season but I’m scared for my team
9minutes of basic basketball
@@PhonkEcho 😂 his game is so simple it matches his personality but his defense is fun to watch
@@Defense701 Yeah
@@PhonkEcho A score is a score. Block is a block. A steal is a steal. No matter how basic it is, it is the foundation of basketball. Who needs something fancy but less effective than basic yet very helpful for the team and ables to win games
He became one of my favorite players back when he was mostly just a defensive specialist on the Spurs. Never imagined he'd become so great, but it's been awesome to see.
same
Every time he’s in the playoffs he’s been like this.
fake champion
@@mikewilliams9069 that would be LBJ…ya NUT
@@mikewilliams9069 "lAkErS iN 5"
I'm happy to have been able to witness that run in 2018-2019. What a season. What a championship run. That kind of dominance and the way he took over really reminds you of prime Michael Jordan.
06 Dwade also
@D K cry about it
1991 MJ *finals* stat line: 31.2 points on 56% shooting, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks
*And it was against the showtime Lakers* with Magic still killing
Dude one of the greatest runs ever and just witnessing it and letting it sink in was just unreal outside of Jordan’s 92’ run it’s the best championship run ever
@@seventyfive7597 old showtime lakers w/o Kareem but yeah
I can agree with this it was as a raptors fan. a very happy moment in history. and that 4 bounce buzzer beater will never be forgotten
Iconic
As a life long Spurs fan, I am very jealous
@@j-rey- Your team won 5 titles
I love the reaction from the announcers. They were literally speechless and just screamed.
@@the_o_man sure, but specifically the four bounce Kawhi shot. I had a good feeling about the franchise's future with Kawhi, but then had to see him historically lead the Raps to the championship a year later. And we are still recovering
I just want 1 playoff run of healthy Kawhi and PG action.
Facts. If kawhi was healthy in 2021 they would've went to the finals and possibly get a chip.
@@sportstalkonly1442 they woulda won Kawhi knows how to scheme around Giannis
🙏
i think pg and kawhi is a combo thats not meant to be. pg is too clumsy to be a teammate of kawhi. he needs players who has the championship mindset. i dont hate pg btw, just an observation.
The last time they were healthy together, they blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets
This was the most balanced kawhi Leonard. Offense and defense was elite
Still is
he is much better when pachulia ddnt injured him, that was his peak even the warriors are having difficulty that time
@@ockins9830 that year they should’ve faced cle and beat them in 6
@@jokerspartan7175 probably would’ve lost in 7
@@ockins9830 2017 may have been he's peak athletically but to me he got even better in 2019. More mature and more experienced
THIS was one of the most impressive playoff runs ive ever seen by a single player. dude was amazing and i lived in chicago to see jordans career- kawhi was DAMN good in these playoffs, stupid good. this was really the closest thing ive seen to jordan, this playoff run- kawhi had everything
1991 MJ *finals* stat line: 31.2 points on 56% shooting, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks
*And it was against the showtime Lakers* with Magic still killing
Brings tears to my eyes, what a time for the city, all of Canada and for basketball. “Canada the NBA title is yours”
Toronto winning a title is the lowest moment of my life as a Canadian
@@yoyolol22 stfu , im from MTL yet im backing the Raps. i hateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the Leafs but since the only NBA and MLB in canada is in toronto i got to root for my country before !!!
GORAPSGO
SCOTTTTTIIIEEEE ROTY !!
@@yoyolol22 Huh?
@@kaiphan1346 I hate Toronto
Kawhi's resume is REALLY impressive: 5x all-nba 7x all defense 2x dpoy and 2x finals mvp demonstrates how elite he is, his presence is reflected in the stat sheet led the league in steals and puts up 25 7 4 and especially in the playoffs when he turns up
And the most important thing: he's the winningest NBA player of all time (by win percentage).
Board man get paid is so underrated Appreciated
Fr 💯
They forget how great this man is. When he is healthy he is the best player in the league in my opinion.
Why ?
No. Never been better than Bron
Curry, KD, Giannis, and Lebron are better than Kawhi. So he can’t be the best player in the league even if he was healthy
@@zackkkk121 Yea true but that champion ship run you can debate
@@zackkkk121 2019 Kawhi was clearly the best player on the planet, his run is literally comparable to MJ in terms of points and dominance.
2019 Raptors Kawhi will never be forgotten.
I’m from Toronto and my buddy loved watching basketball,he was so excited when he heard about the rumours of the raptors trying to acquire Leonard.sadly he passed away before that became a reality.I wish he got to see our home team win that 2019 championship.what a legendary year for the raptors and our fanbase
RIP to your friend man. I'm sure he got to watch it from beyond!
he would love it up in heaven.
Damn, that's sad. I've always wondered about how often this happens. Like, if a 20 year season ticket holder passed away just before their team won the championship. Rest in peace to your friend.
im sure his watching that playoff runs and finals
he plays like he’s scrimmaging his little cousins and he’s holding back on them, he’s so cool yet explosive. His play is like his career, confusingly legendary
one of the best player in NBA league,.miss him in play offs.
I was bartending in Ottawa, Canada during this run. The energy was unbelievable. Working the bar when they won the finals was a surreal moment that still gives me chills (and I'm not even a big sports fan)
I’ll remember that run forever. Truly epic! Also those championship hats were some of the cleanest of all time
2019, The year of Kawhi Leonard. He definitely was the best player in the NBA that year.
This was incredible run. It’s funny how it got me thinking how much I appreciate Michael even more. We got 3 months of GOAT tier from Kawhi. Mike dominated like this every night for over a decade. Crazy.
Lol...damn you're gonna make kawhi cry
Yeah Mike was insane. I compare Kawhi more to MJ in his 30s, but MJ in his 20s was even better especially around 26-29 years old
Very few playoff performances come close to kawhis 2019 season absolutely majestic how one man can be so good at the sport of basketball
It wasn’t even the best playoff run of the decade
@@swimfan752 no, but it was the 2nd best by only 16 points. Not to mention it was by lebron whose one of the goats
Leonard was dominant for that span ashame that he keeps getting injured 🤕
czcams.com/video/iC-MXl2PzXg/video.html
He was even better 2021 playoffs then got injured men I miss this men I believe his the best player in the world
@@Defense701 I think the Clippers win the Finals if Kawhi was healthy enough to finish the season.
@@ifheavenwashuman cmon now thats obvious.. 2021 kawhi was averaging 32+pts on 60fg% he was the best player in the league before he went down, no one would stand a chance against him and fired up PG13 whos on a freaking mission..
injury is their excuse not to play him till they are comfortable. the clipper know they aren't going anywhere. this load management stuff got to quit. Jordan never took games off!!! he use too play injured.
As a raptors fan, 2019 was unforgettable, thank u kawhi ❤️😭
Love Kawhi for everything he's done for Raptors, but find it disrespectful when people only credit him for the title. Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi, Siakam, and Gasol starting 5 was nice, and having Norm, FVV, and Ibaka on bench just complimented the team. OG was injured and Boucher was still developing at the time too.
Kawhi Leonard will always be the best player to ever wear a Raptors Jersey, and definitely put Raps over the hump after years of getting cooked in the East. Hope to see him have this form again soon.
as a raps fan we don't even get close to that title without kawhi. the team was solid around him but he did a lot more than just get them 'over the hump'
Best player to ever wear a Raptors jersey? Guess we forgot about TMac and Vince Carter
The raptors were the baby dinasours without kawhi who would fail year in and year out before him. Upgrading from derozan to kawhi completely transformed the team and kawhi’s clam demeanour rubbed off on the whole team especially Lowry who was a certified choke artist before kawhi arrived. If the raptors had kawhi they’d likely have won more titles barring injury
@@icetrae6399 Then let me put an Asterisk: Greatest Raptor Player for a Single Season
The reason they credit him so much is because for years the Raptors had good teams, but their leaders were Derozan and Lowry. And them guys aren’t built for it.
I don’t think I will ever forget 2019 because of Leonard
No one will forget 2019. Consider how 2020 unfolded...
love that he's cool, calm, and with high IQ like Tim Duncan, but a killer in defense and shooting like Kobe/ MJ. Dudes a freakin beast
So, as I'm from Norway with parents from Balkan where basketball is huge, it was difficult for me to keep up with basketball and the NBA since it basically doesn't exist in Norway, though I did know alot of the NBA regarding history. So I told myself I'd try keeping up, just watching highlights when I wake up without knowing the score, following on CZcams and Instagram. This playoff is when I properly started following, and the Raptors-Philly series was going on. Kawhi was the player that really caught my attention, and just loved him as a player.
He was so different to the rest of the stars such as Lebron, KD, Curry, Westbrook, etc. He didn't follow the culture just to fit in; he skipped trash talk. He never seeked media attention. He never cried or complained. He never flopped. He never had an attitude. He never focused on stats. Compared to all the other guys.
He was just so insanely locked in, valuing defence just as much as offense. He's basically the perfect teammate. Every team wants a player with his features and mentality. And I just really appreciate him for being so different than the rest, so down to earth, not focusing on social media and general media, not focusing on being a star, just focusing on doing his job. I mean, the guy tore his ACL last year and instead of laying down and disapointing his fans the guy says "nah I'm good" lol.
Really hope next year that the Clippers do well now that he will be back and PG13 had a great year when he was healthy. Their role players seem to find themselves in the team as well, so I think it can be an entertaining year.
I am a Kawhi fan from Norway too ✌️
Now I love kawhi since he's someone that i've been following ever since his NCAA San Diego days but Im not sure why you brought up the "he didnt follow the culture" as a way of praising him...almost as if you are giving him brownie points for being a "good boy"
the culture around basketball (the trash talk, the intertwining with high and street fashion, the swagger"...that's what it's purest form is
I miss him so much watching this but also happy for the chip he got
Even as a GSW fan, I've got to admit - at his peak, Kawhi was arguably the best player in the entire NBA on both sides of the court. Absolute monster defender, and crazy instinctive scorer.
he was incredible, i fell in love with how smoothly he played in both ends, no fancy staff, just pure balling, too bad injuries killed him after that run, for me he should have stayed in toronto but he has a weird type of mind, you cant know what he is thinking, i would love to see a dominant run again, if he has anything left in the tank
Man I loved this Raptors team. Still a little pissed about what they did to my Warriors but it's all good
I mean he was doing it again last post season and before he lost the 3-1 lead but always finding a way to get injured
Was such a great team - Kawhi, Siakam, Lowry, Gasol, Ibaka, FVV, Green, Powell, OG
you can't sweat it, y'all stay winning. Congratz
@@KP-wt8qr OG didnt even play in the playoffs lol
@@curto201 True but just shows how deep that team really was, it was already a solid 8 man rotation, with him that was a super deep 9 man unit.
No matter how many teams he plays for or accomplishments he gained since then. He will always be remembered as the kawhi from the raptors
Magical run, still get goosebumps whenever I watch it
This is what the NBA was missing all year-come back soon Kawhi! :)
3:32 Leonard actually celebrating
My man has been getting disrespected lately, he's gonna show everyone what he can do next year
It's sad what injuries have done to this guy's career. He was jordanesque in San Antonio and Kobesque on Toronto.
he'll definitely come back great next year, no doubt
@@junniorrr I hope you're right, but as a norm people not just come back fine at 30+. Always there be exceptions thou.
@@j.s.t.6515 I said the same about DWade, and he came back.
You right brother I feel sorry for this men his a 🐐 that can’t stay healthy I think his winning next year and the year after but still if he stayed healthy he would right their with mj and Kobe
He was better that year with Toronto but ok
Strong, smoooth, and has great balance. Wish we had him back in TO. Thanks for the Championship. It's a gift of a lifetime and couldn't of had it without you Kawhi! Much love from TO
Great video of my guy the Klaw!! Thank you for this trip down memory lane!!
Toronto Kawhi playoff run is legendary
when i watch kawhi I start loving him play because he is so simple playing basketbal
Yeeeeah, that period was SO crazy! I'm glad i watched that. Toronto was my favorite team to follow at that period cause their defense and Kawhi being 2-way, it was just awesome. And it's so sad that he leaved that dope team to disappear in LA.
Great moments in NBA history. Thanks for sharing
5:07 I still think this is one of, if not the greatest buzzer-beater of all time, it's just too perfect...
Game 7 ✔
Score tied at 90 ✔
Ball bounces off the rim as the buzzer goes off...then it sinks and whole venue just ERUPTS ✔
Kevin Harlan commentary ✔
@@samuelchand9576 "Is _this_ the dagger?"
_ball bounces and goes in_
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
"GAME!!! *SERIES!!!* "
lmao I love it 😆
Don't get me wrong.... I absolutely LOVED that play as well....everything about it!
But dayum that ball didn't bounce off of that ring naturally........ it was a strange bounce...... 🤔
@@CloudSpirals it was a a help from the heaven 😄
@@hareystyles9970
NBA HEAVEN 😉
Remember, there are people in the sports media who just this season were arguing that Tatum was better than Leonard. People are so quick to forget greatness
Because he keep getting injured and what happened in the bubble
Tatum my favorite player and Kawhi my 2nd. I know I have a Kawhi profile but I’m a Celtics fan I got Tatum on my other and Tatum ain’t better than Kawhi
4:05 those 2 monster jams will always be my all time favorite plays from him in those playoffs (beside the buzzer beaters)
I watched this run with my near full attention and it was magical. Absolute masterclass by one of the best players in the 21st century
He should had NEVER left my Raps… he would’ve went back to back at least and who know this season…
Not back to back
He wanted to go back home. Y’all are so ungrateful I’m a Titans fan with no Chip your an Raps fan with a chip.
@@DillonBRICKS nah they would’ve went bck to bck ngl
@@DillonBRICKS Yes they would have.
@@DillonBRICKS kawhi vanvleet siakam and Scottie Barnes on one team yea ok buster
Great vid ! You should the same with his defense too ! Thanks bro
as a Raptors fan watching this whole run live and witnessing my team win a championship, i wanna go back to 2019. i cried so much when we finally won it all
Kawhi Leonard: Coming 2022-2023
Reggie Jackson better watch out or help out
One of the most amazing runs we’ve witnessed. Was great for Canada as well.
I think Leonard is a perfect player he's better with everything He can Dunk easily he has a very good 3 record he is really good at iso and specially his defense is incredible
Thanks for the vid. One of the greatest team ever! Love that season.
Leonard is like the guard version of Tim Duncan. Not a lot of show but a whole lot of dominance.
Kawhi doing some basic basketball while making an impact with the raptors. 🔥
He's my favorite player I root for the team he's on San Antonio Toronto and now the Clippers. Next year a healthy Kawhi and PG with Powell and Covington Reggie and Ty Lue coaching them are going to be my favorites !!!
this dude left me in awe so many times that season
So many iconic moments the dagger on philli and the massive dunk on giannis , this is 1 of the amazing playoff runs by a player imo top 5 runs ever , kawhi at that year felt like the best player in the world.
think about all the people he had to go through. Butler and Joel Embid, Gianis and Bucks, Steph and the warriors. And he was pretty much a one superstar on a well rounded team. Probably most underrated championship ever.
Damn the Magic were in the playoffs back then... nostalgic shit
Incredible season and especially playoff run. He was playing on one leg in the last two series more or less.
his movement looked so effortless and efficient
I think prime Kawhi was in 2017 when he played for the Spurs;
Duncan already retired, Ginobili and Parker were at the end of their career, and the Spurs finished the regular season at 2nd place after GSW with 61 wins.
GSW defeat the Spurs 4-0 in WCF, but it happens only after Pazula made sure Kawhi will not finish the first game.
In the first half, Kawhi destroyed the Warriors
Warriors most overrated team ever not even close
Yes but at the same time the sample size was only half a game
@@alltimehustle3307 1. correct; 2. Spurs finished the regular season at 2nd place.
All truth here
@@sbh123yt they did finish second, but idk if any team is beating a healthy golden state with kd in a 7 game series
his arm in the thumbnail is insane
No joke.
I needed to be reminded of this ….thank you
I remember when we beat the sixers I came to school the next day and everybody was so hyped “ then my boy said now we’re bout to lose to the bucks” talk about killing a vibe I’m happy we won that 2019 championship I wasn’t even expecting it tho
His 1 year stint with Toronto was probably the last time we'll ever see him this amazing again.
he still is one of the best. literally barely anyone in the nba can shoot midranges, or in the post anymore
One of few who play elite offence and defence in the league
He was having a better run 2021 playoffs if not for that injury his a 🐐
@@Defense701 🌝No one wants to see a healthy Clippers team with Kawhi , PG, Jackson, Zubac, Morris, Mann and all those veterans. Now they got Poweel and Covington too. Only thing stopping them is health
2019 season made me love basketball again.
Came one of my fav players once I started watching this team
I’m just glad he did it in a raptors uniform
Peak Kawhi was just about on par with Peak Jordan. That's crazy.
Playoff Kawhi is the best NBA Player of this generation.
Look at Kawhi man so inspirational! 🐐🐐🐐
You should also include defensive highlights , thats what makes Kawahi unique .
I believe this was the best Kawhi I have ever seen, he became the guy and lead the raptors to a first championship
😲 Pure Greatness in Motion!! Very Rare indeed. Only person I seen have Soo much game was Michael Jordan 🤔 that's it..
Looking like a WestWorld robot version of the 2nd 3-peat Jordan! ....but with braids (& they were still working on the laugh when he was greenlit for production)
Here for the second time, he was my favorite player since his days in Spurs.... Im not really a "team fan" im a player fan, so if Kawhi moves to Toronto then i support Toronto, if he goes to LA Clippers then i support them!
He left raptors for George Paul and Patric Bev. Truly amazing player! Decision making... questionable
Nah that Clips team wouldve been a headache to Bucks if Kawhi stayed healthy.
One of the greatest Playoff runs to follow in this millenium. I put that Raptors off-season up there, with the Bucks run to the title last year, this of the revengeful Spurs (with Kawhi already) in 2014, this of the Mavs and actually the current Playoff run of the Boston Celtics has been quite a rollercoaster and if they were to come back, I would also put them up there with those all time great teams.
And sorry, but of course I forgot to mention the 04 Pistons. This team defeating the superstared LA Lakers has been one of the most enjoyable shows of the century.
5:35 The off the dribble going left...off the right leg with the right hand of the glass finish...That is a ridiculous finish
He could be one of the greatest of all time when he's finished with his career, he's a true beast
Yes...but that chronic knee won't let him be all time...soooo sad
Some say Lebron, some say Steph, some say KD, some say Giannis... But what makes Kawhi great is that he could do EVERYTHING those guys could do, but they CANT do what he does.. He is my favorite player and the best since Mj and Kobe....
I read your comment and took it seriosly until I saw the last sentence. With all due respect, Kobe isn't even in the top 5 of all time.
whatever!!! lebron play when he can!!!!! Kwuiet play when he want to.
He was truly special that particular year. Made the most of getting sent to NBA Siberia...
I will always be a fan of golden hoops
Simple basketball..no BS moves!..I cant wait Kawhi next season!!!
He was a better raptor-player than a clip.
Oh man...I miss this man!
The basketball gods were on our side. Everything just fell inline for us that year. ❤️✌️💪🏽🇨🇦🌍🇺🇦🐶
To me, Kawhi is one of the greatest to ever play this game. His defense and his mid range is just beautiful, fears no one on the court and guards anybody.
Best player in the nba when healthy no one could stop him no one
2019 was a movie 🎥. My how I would love to go back before the pandemic era…. In the future we will have to refer to the different time frames as before the pandemic and after the pandemic.
Wish we could see this kawhi again. But after 2019 he was never the same
Golden hoops the BEST these highlights are 🔥🔥
You didn’t even have enough time to watch the vid lol
czcams.com/video/iC-MXl2PzXg/video.html
Him carrying the raptors to that chip was actually so impressive
don't tell the other 2-3 HOF on that team...
He was so good Giannis and Brook Lopez double team couldn’t even stop him
Here in Frisco I call him, “Kawhi The Warrior Slayer”…. Dude has been the single biggest headache for me as a Warriors fans even with the Spurs. I have the utmost respect for this guy as a baller and I hate playin him.