Kawhi Leonard to be ‘the man’ with San Antonio Spurs?

Jun 18, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) waves to the crowd during NBA championship celebrations at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) waves to the crowd during NBA championship celebrations at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Kawhi Leonard showed the world just what kind of player he was when he was named MVP of the NBA Finals in June. Now, Leonard will be looking to take the next step (and for a new contract).

More from NBA

According to Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders, Leonard is “the man” in San Antonio and will be for some time.

"“He’s a great learner and he’s super competitive, has a drive to be the best that’s really uncommon in our league,” Popovich said. “He walks the walk. I mean, he’s there early, he’s there late. He wants more. He wants me and the coaches to push him. So I just talked to him about not being in that defer sort of stage. The hell with Tony, the hell with Timmy, the hell with Manu, you play the game. You are the man.”At just 23, Leonard really is “the man” now and for the foreseeable future in San Antonio. With a drive to be the best player he can be, and a humble demeanor, Leonard is well-situated to take his game to the next level next season and help the Spurs push for another championship."

Leonard averaged 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.2% from the field, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 80.2% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, he put up 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% from the floor, 41.9% from three and 73.6% from the charity stripe.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.