I saw Kawhi Leonard’s last game as a Spur
Tales of perception from a saga that has marginalized reality
January 2. For most, the first real day of the new year. Certainly for Justin, my old college roommate who is visiting from California, and I. And for every NBA player, as January 1 is dominated by college football, parades and recovery.
Kawhi Leonard is no different. The San Antonio Spurs star has been back on the court for six games, after missing the season’s first 27. He’s still not playing back-to-backs, and is far from his 25-point-per-game, all-world-defensive self. I don’t know what he did on January 1, but recovery was certainly involved.
My friend wants to see Madison Square Garden during his four-day visit. As luck would have it, the Knicks are in town, and are playing the Spurs — not the hottest ticket in the NBA, but one of the best teams to observe with your basketball-obsessed podcast co-host.
We sit on the baseline, about 15 rows up. Usually an annoyance, being behind the basket is perfect for a game that most will remember as the Manu Ginobili 3-Point Lob game, where the 41 year old’s deep entry pass to LaMarcus Aldridge accidentally goes through the hoop so inconspicuously that Michael Beasley is able to dribble up court for nearly 10 seconds before the refs accept San Antonio’s pleas to whistle the play dead.
Justin and I will remember the game for Kawhi Leonard. Uncertain whether or not he would play until tipoff and unaware that he will soon be shut down again, we take in every bit of his 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. We marvel at both the impressiveness and the implications of a player who can stand in the corner and rail a spot-up 3 on one possession, attack the rim out of a pick-and-roll on the next, and isolate into a picture-perfect 17-foot turnaround jumper to close out the sequence. I’m not sure if Leonard actually does these three things in succession in this particular contest, but that’s how I remember it.
Perception is a funny thing. That night at the Garden was not technically Leonard’s last in a San Antonio uniform; he would play two more games before his second indefinite leave begun. Although honestly, I am not sure if we should even count any of the nine appearances sandwiched between two multi-month absences.
His days with the Spurs may have ended when he aggravated his sprained ankle on Zaza Pachulia’s foot the previous May. I still lived in the Bay Area at the time, and watched in person as Leonard took command of a game that featured four Hall of Famers on the other side. His 26 points on 13 shots, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in just 23 minutes had the Spurs on the verge of taking Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals from a Warriors team that would go on to finish the postseason 16–1.
Instead, San Antonio blew a 23-point lead, lost the next three games in uninspiring fashion, failed to land Chris Paul in free agency, and announced that a quad injury would keep Leonard — the preseason MVP favorite — out to begin the 2017–18 season. The situation grew murkier as one week became two, two became four and four became eight. Perhaps Leonard’s days as a Spur became final at some specific point during that period.
When he was shut down again, everyone knew something strange was occurring. Leonard sat on January 3 in Philadelphia, played at home against the Suns on January 5, and then missed a three-game road trip. He suited up again when the Spurs returned to San Antonio to face the Nuggets on January 13, scoring 19 points on eight shots while adding 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.
And then, white noise. There were reports that he was going to play one night, and then that he had no timetable the next. There were reports of the “chilling impact” his rehab process had created, and then that there was no tension whatsoever. There were reports that the team held a private meeting “imploring” Leonard to return to the court, and that the meeting never occurred. There were reports that Leonard was frustrated with Jordan Brand’s offer in a new shoe deal, and then that the brand was releasing a Leonard-inspired Air Jordan 1.
On June 14, ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported that Leonard wants out of San Antonio. Even if this report goes uncontested, it still leads to more questions than answers.
How did we get here? Why did Leonard miss the season’s first 27 games, play in nine of 17, and miss the final 38? Was San Antonio’s handling of Leonard’s injury the catalyst for his frustration, or was his frustration with the San Antonio market the catalyst for his absence?
It’s hard to know when Leonard’s last game as a Spur was. Maybe it was in Oakland in the Western Conference Finals, or maybe it was in San Antonio on January 5. Maybe no one knows, because maybe it hasn’t occurred yet. Leonard is still under contract for another season, and him sitting it out seems unlikely. But who knows.
The last time I saw Kawhi Leonard play was in New York on January 2. I’m sure of that, and that he was spectacular.
Follow Simon on Twitter @Simoncgo.
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
