Kawhi Leonard, a killer of dynasties, has his eyes set on ending the Golden State Warriors’ dominance
On the surface, Kawhi Leonard might be one of the most soft-spoken, no-nonsense individuals we have in the NBA today, but he’s in every way a cold-blooded killer when it comes to the basketball court.
Heading into Game 5, just one win away from winning the 2019 NBA Championship, this is not a foreign spot for Kawhi. In fact, this moment should feel very familiar for Kawhi, and the rest of the NBA world for that matter.
Five years ago, Leonard was in this very same position. A home game with a chance to end a dynasty. The rest is history, as Kawhi and the San Antonio Spurs bested the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals, which resulted in LeBron James leaving back to Cleveland less than a month later and the Heat never even sniffing the Conference Finals since.
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Now, Kawhi (and the Toronto Raptors) is on the verge of ending the Golden State Warriors dynasty with the very same result, as whispers continue to run rampant about the possibility of Kevin Durant packing his bags and leaving elsewhere in free agency this summer.
For the series, Kawhi has been the best – and most consistent – player on the basketball court, no questions asked. With averaged of 31-10-4 on 45 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range, Kawhi has controlled and disrupted the series in every way possible.
From his presence on the offensive end to his defensive prowess, Kawhi has been every bit up to the tall task of competing with arguably the best NBA team ever constructed. And he’s winning.
In most sports, you never see the end of a dynasty coming. In fact, most often than not, by the time you begin to see the problem(s) it’s too late. Perhaps that’s how we’ll remember this Warriors’ run. History rarely remembers details, so while Golden State’s injuries did play a large factor in what has happened over the last week and a half, odds are it won’t be remembered that way.
Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors have a chance to make history in Game 5 on their home floor. Not only do they have a chance to win the franchise’s first NBA Championship, but they could also be the team to end the Warriors – something that many couldn’t have seen coming this soon.
Kawhi ended the Heat (back in 2014), in part ended the Spurs (when he was traded) and is now looking to end the Warriors.
At this point, Kawhi should be known as the dynasty killer. And his next victim appears to be Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, and a wounded Kevin Durant.