So why hasn't Kawhi gotten any flack for colluding?

[HBK_Kliq_33]

They lost game 6 by 6 points and game 7 by 2 points

Leonard shot 3-15 in G6 and 5-16 in G7...Duncan OTOH 6-9 in G6 and 11–16 in G7 as a 39 year old


As for 2014 while Kawhi was the best player in games 3-5 in the finals, I think Duncan was still the better player overall in the RS+Playoffs... although by that point they were both really just super role players and everyone on that team played huge during different times of that season

Thats just cherry picking on your part. Like I already said, Leonard's PPG went from 16 to 20 PPG from reg season to playoffs in 2015 and his TS increased as well. Go look at tony parker stats if you want to blame somebody. If Parker plays decent, spurs win the series and probably even win the the title.

The fact is, healthy Leonard hasn't lost a playoff series since a team has became clear his (2017-present). 2015 Duncan was still getting a lot of post touches and Leonard's usage was low. 2016 Lamarcus was spurs #1 scorer vs thunder and they lost. Leonard beat rockets, grizzles, 76ers, bucks, warriors all as the man. 2016, I don't think Lamarcus knew just who he was dealing with (kawhi). By 2017, Lamarcus took a step back and they were about to go up 1-0 on Curry/Durant Warriors.

I actually agree I wouldn’t solely blame Leonard for that loss in 2015, Parker was hurt and useless and IIRC Splitter was also hurt

I posted those stats more as a response to you saying the Spurs offense was more about posting up Duncan in that series

Duncan had the same minutes as Kawhi vs clippers and also had the same amount of freethrow attempts which shows how aggressive he was being when getting the ball. It was still Duncan's team that year.

[jokeboy86]

If you mean in the mainstream media simple, Kawhi's still too publicly boring or quiet to give any attention too. He's not really on social media, doesn't have a bad reputation amongst his peers, and is not hated by media cause nothing gets to him. Absolutely nothing. I don't even think he has a favorite reporter/journalist that he gives interviews to. Trust me, if Kawhi Leonard were treating the media like Bonds, KD, or was constantly rude to the media we would hear discussions about his character, game, behind the scenes actions non-stop. This is one of the reasons why he could win back-to-back titles with the Clippers and a regular season MVP and he still would never be the face of the league. Is Kawhi's Q score even that high?

[GG0701]

Kawhi is probably the worst one yet. He’s a huge a snake.

How?

Woj randomly says Kawhi and PG talked right before FA, something he never mentioned before, while Kawhi was a FA. Then people added a bunch of their own assumptions to it.

The “heatles” colluded when Lebron and Bosh were both under contract during the season.

KD and Kyrie made plans a long time ago.

The Warriors were chasing KD during the playoffs.

Lebron, AD and Klutch turned AD’s last season with the Pelicans into a s***show.

We could go on and on.

Oh AD is a snake as well - zero respect for that dude anymore. Can’t believe I was a fan of his all those years too. Boogie too.

Kawhi is a snake for what he did to the Spurs. They developed him into a great player and he completely ghosted them for over a year and forced his way out - he sullied their reputation when he was the one who was refusing to play cause he wanted to go to LA along. He also strung two franchises along so he could use them to pressure the Thunder and the Clippers to meet his demands - not to mention the colluding itself.

How anyone can root for these guys that isn’t an actual Laker or Clipper fan is beyond me. These dudes deserve to be booed everywhere they go but LA next season honestly. But of course the media is all about big markets so they are essentially are fans of those teams so that’s why they don’t get enough criticism.

A lot of Spurs fans have acknowledged both sides are to blame and they don’t know what exactly happened. There’s a very well connected Spurs fan who runs their forum who says it wasn’t all Kawhi’s fault but he can’t talk about the details or he’ll get blackballed.

Masai just did an interview and said this

’Plenty part’ of Kawhi wanted to stay with the Raptors

Raptors president Masai Ujiri was spearheading the campaign to keep Leonard north of the border after a championship season, and believes the two-time Finals MVP did have some desire to stay in Toronto.

“There was plenty part of him that wanted to stay,” Ujiri said in an interview with CBC. “Winning, the city, medical, there are so many things I could tell…

“He won in the city, had one of the greatest shots in NBA history, the fans, an unbelievable parade. I know Kawhi, I know he really thought about all those things.”

While he is obviously disappointed in the end result, Ujiri doesn’t harbour any resentment toward Leonard. He completely understands that the superstar wanted to return to his roots.

“If he wants to go home, he’s gone home,” Ujiri said. “If there was a team in Lagos, Nigeria or Zaria, Nigeria, if there was an NBA team there I don’t know if I would stay in Toronto. There are some callings in life and some things that pull people one way or the other and I completely understand that.”

https://www.sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/masai-ujiri-plenty-part-of-kawhi-wanted-to-stay-with-raptors-182141896.html

Kawhi was a FA though and PG and Russ’ discontent in OKC really did seem to predate Kawhi.

[TheRealKaboom]

These Kawhi hate threads are so agenda driven and tired.

I have no hate for Kawhi. He's just a guy who ultimately wanted to play where he grew up, and that's what happened.

If he wanted to play where he grew up, he'd play in Moreno Valley, not with the Clippers. He may as well be from Palmdale, where the other guy on his team pretending to be from Los Angeles is actually from. Neither desert craphole is anywhere close to L.A.

[Benedict_Boozer]

Kawhi doesn’t talk - no personality, Lebron is arrogant/outgoing/attention whore - he is just a magnet for haters.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[GG0701]

These Kawhi hate threads are so agenda driven and tired.

I have no hate for Kawhi. He's just a guy who ultimately wanted to play where he grew up, and that's what happened.

If he wanted to play where he grew up, he'd play in Moreno Valley, not with the Clippers. He may as well be from Palmdale, where the other guy on his team pretending to be from Los Angeles is actually from. Neither desert craphole is anywhere close to L.A.

Isn’t Palmdale considered LA County? Regardless PG isn’t pretending to be from LA Proper. He went back to Palmdale to build a court and Kawhi always reps Moreno Valley.

They’re both from California so they have a connection to the LA teams.

[NBAFan93]

He didn't have a public celebration before winning a championship where he said that he joined a situation so easy that they're going to win at least 8 championships and they could start a 67 year old at point guard and it would still be easy.

God you’re right that was so cringe. LeBron was such an idiot that summer. You got to wonder if he would not have done that stuff had he had more experienced/seasoned advisors around him.

Unlike Kawhi and AD at least he waited for legit FA to **** all over his ex teams and cities though. Both of those two really turned their final seasons w/their drafting teams into complete disruptive circuses.

[XxIronChainzxX]

He didn't have a public celebration before winning a championship where he said that he joined a situation so easy that they're going to win at least 8 championships and they could start a 67 year old at point guard and it would still be easy.

God you’re right that was so cringe. LeBron was such an idiot that summer. You got to wonder if he would not have done that stuff had he had more experienced/seasoned advisors around him.

Unlike Kawhi and AD at least he waited for legit FA to **** all over his ex teams and cities though. Both of those two really turned their final seasons w/their drafting teams into complete disruptive circuses.

Do you mean KD? He was at least as behind the scenes as Kawhi on the recruitment if the stories are true.

Don't forget the Decision though.

[RoyceDa59]

Probably because he’s generally humble and operates with integrity.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[SFour]

It's not like Kawhi is ring chasing...he has already proven himself so I guess most people will give him some slack when it comes to colluding because it's the first time he's done it...Lebron gets so much hate because he does it every season it seems like. It's been 3 different teams now where he's colluded to build his team (Heat, Cavs, now the Lakers).

[dhsilv2]

Not to get too into this but if you're not seeing hate on this "colluding" it's likely because fans already mostly hate him. Honestly at this point even clipper's fans who aren't just so biased they gave up their morals are questioning how to accept him as a player. The guy is seen as completely unlikable by humanity.

But in terms of basketball....we've seen worse moves where someone set themselves up more than he just did. Still, he's a rare guy who if he just broke a leg, most people would smile and then feel bad for doing it over the pain he had, but we'd still still be happy he missed the seasons.

[drosereturn]

Kawhi won multiple times before colluding so he's more Jordan than Lebron.
Even if he starts colluding like Lebron, he has already proven he could win it all by himself as the number 1 option which Lebron couldnt.

[dhsilv2]

It's not like Kawhi is ring chasing...he has already proven himself so I guess most people will give him some slack when it comes to colluding because it's the first time he's done it...Lebron gets so much hate because he does it every season it seems like. It's been 3 different teams now where he's colluded to build his team (Heat, Cavs, now the Lakers).

But he IS ring chasing! I'm not sure why people don't see that as WORSE when he has 2 already....but he totally is ring chasing.

[dhsilv2]

Probably because he’s generally humble and operates with integrity.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

he has never done either thing ever. he faked an injury for a year to leave the spurs. he dragged the lakers on while working a deal to get PG to the clippers....just because he's socially awkward and can't communicate well doesn't make him humble. It is just a mental/personal issue he has.

[HBK_Kliq_33]

Not to get too into this but if you're not seeing hate on this "colluding" it's likely because fans already mostly hate him. Honestly at this point even clipper's fans who aren't just so biased they gave up their morals are questioning how to accept him as a player. The guy is seen as completely unlikable by humanity.

But in terms of basketball....we've seen worse moves where someone set themselves up more than he just did. Still, he's a rare guy who if he just broke a leg, most people would smile and then feel bad for doing it over the pain he had, but we'd still still be happy he missed the seasons.

What the hell? People who think like that need to go get help. Kawhi is a nice and humble man, i don't know what you're talking about.

[dhsilv2]

Not to get too into this but if you're not seeing hate on this "colluding" it's likely because fans already mostly hate him. Honestly at this point even clipper's fans who aren't just so biased they gave up their morals are questioning how to accept him as a player. The guy is seen as completely unlikable by humanity.

But in terms of basketball....we've seen worse moves where someone set themselves up more than he just did. Still, he's a rare guy who if he just broke a leg, most people would smile and then feel bad for doing it over the pain he had, but we'd still still be happy he missed the seasons.

What the hell? People who think like that need to go get help. Kawhi is a nice and humble man, i don't know what you're talking about.

you have real problems. He quit on a team....a team who treated him like a god.

[Sofia]

Kawhi is probably the worst one yet. He’s a huge a snake.

How?

Woj randomly says Kawhi and PG talked right before FA, something he never mentioned before, , while Kawhi was a FA. Then people added a bunch of their own assumptions to it.

The “heatles” colluded when Lebron and Bosh were both under contract during the season.

KD and Kyrie made plans a long time ago.

The Warriors were chasing KD during the playoffs.

Lebron, AD and Klutch turned the AD’s last season with the Pelicans into a s***show.

We could go on and on.

I do think there's a valid point here.

If people want to be mad at the Clippers for basically stalking Kawhi all season that's one thing... but Kawhi is like the only guy who actually waited until the proper time to have FA discussions.

I made that point in one of the other threads and a some Warriors fan sperged out and told me to stay on topic, it’s a thread about Kawhi.

Spaghetti everywhere.

[SFour]

It's not like Kawhi is ring chasing...he has already proven himself so I guess most people will give him some slack when it comes to colluding because it's the first time he's done it...Lebron gets so much hate because he does it every season it seems like. It's been 3 different teams now where he's colluded to build his team (Heat, Cavs, now the Lakers).

But he IS ring chasing! I'm not sure why people don't see that as WORSE when he has 2 already....but he totally is ring chasing.

If he was REALLY ring chasing he would've joined the Lakers......KD was a ring chaser when he joined the stacked 73 win Warriors. If Kawhi joined the Lakers to form a superteam then I would consider him a real ring chaser.

[HBK_Kliq_33]

Not to get too into this but if you're not seeing hate on this "colluding" it's likely because fans already mostly hate him. Honestly at this point even clipper's fans who aren't just so biased they gave up their morals are questioning how to accept him as a player. The guy is seen as completely unlikable by humanity.

But in terms of basketball....we've seen worse moves where someone set themselves up more than he just did. Still, he's a rare guy who if he just broke a leg, most people would smile and then feel bad for doing it over the pain he had, but we'd still still be happy he missed the seasons.

What the hell? People who think like that need to go get help. Kawhi is a nice and humble man, i don't know what you're talking about.

you have real problems. He quit on a team....a team who treated him like a god.

He demanded a trade, you are allowed to do that. He was also legitimately having health issues and that's why he was on load management in 2018-19. I have problems? You're the one saying you would smile after he gets injured, you're sick man.

[WarriorGM]

If there is any party with a legitimate gripe against Kawhi it would be the Spurs. But even then we don't really know the full story there and if there are mitigating circumstances. Those saying he led on some teams, those teams allowed themselves to be led on and maybe even had a real chance at getting him if the Clippers didn't come through with what he deemed an acceptable team to surround him with. Kawhi going to the Lakers would have been much worse in unbalancing the league so I think many people cut him some slack.