Chris Szagola/Associated Press
Kawhi Leonard has been putting on a show all postseason, leading Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers to compare him to Michael Jordan Tuesday on SportsCenter:
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“Kawhi is the most like Jordan we’ve seen.”
Doc Rivers has some high praise for Kawhi Leonard. https://t.co/i1R2gR1VrT
“He is the most like Jordan that we’ve seen,” Rivers said of the Toronto Raptors star. “… Not that he is Jordan or anything like that, but he’s the most like him. Big hands, post game, can finish, great leaper, great defender, in-between game, if you beat him to the spot he bumps you off and then you add his three-point shooting.”
The 27-year-old has been on a tear lately, averaging 31.2 points per game in 18 postseason contests. His efficiency has been especially impressive, shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range in this stretch.
Although it’s hard to compete with Jordan and his 33.4 career points per game in the playoffs, Leonard has certainly made a similar impact for his team while leading the Raptors to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history.
While the praise is nice, Rivers has to be careful commenting on Kawhi before he hits free agency in the offseason because of the NBA’s tampering rules.
Leonard has a $21.3 million player option for 2019-20 that he is expected to decline.
According to Caesars Palace, the Clippers are currently the odds-on favorites to land the forward this summer:
B/R Betting @br_betting
Clippers are big favorites to land Kawhi
(via @CaesarsPalace) https://t.co/fJVGqMsAhK
Rivers likely knows his team will be in contention for the player’s services and will hope he can use this praise to sway the player to return home to Southern California.
Unfortunately, the league has been trying to crack down on tampering with players, coaches and executives commenting on other stars around the NBA.
The league sent a memo to all teams in December, reminding everyone that “employment contracts are to be respected,” per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Former Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson—who was also praising Leonard on the show with Rivers—was fined multiple times for tampering based on his public comments.
Rivers could also face punishment, but it might be worth it if he can land the three-time All-Star in free agency.
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