If you watched the NBA Finals, or even caught a glimpse of some of the highlights you might have noticed player No.2 from the San Antonio Spurs was on the court for most of every game. That’s because he was given an almost impossible mission at just 21 years old: to defend and contain arguably the NBA’s best player, LeBron James of the Miami Heat.
Fans couldn’t have asked for a better performance from former San Diego State student athlete Kawhi Leonard.
Two years ago, Leonard was still a student athlete on Montezuma Mesa as he led the Aztecs to their first NCAA Sweet 16 berth, along with winning back-to-back Mountain West Conference Championships during his two years at SDSU.
He left to turn pro with two remaining years of NCAA eligibility, eventually becoming an NBA first round draft pick, No. 15 overall in June 2011. He was the second highest-drafted NBA player in SDSU history and became the first Aztec to ever play in the NBA Finals.
In the best-of-seven series against the Heat, the Spurs fell short, taking Miami to a final Game 7. With the Spurs leading the series 3-2 heading into Game 6, they potentially had a chance to close out the Heat with the game in Leonard’s hands.
Leading 94-92 with 19.4 seconds remaining, Leonard was sent to the free-throw line to shoot two. Missing just one shot was enough to give the Heat some life, as Miami found their veteran sharp shooter Ray Allen to tie the game at 95 with a three-point shot and 5.2 seconds left to force overtime. The Heat eventually went on to beat the Spurs, forcing a Game 7. No one will ever know what could have happened if Leonard knocked both free throws down, but those missed shots don’t take anything away from what he accomplished during this year’s NBA Finals.
After a season averaging 11.9 points and 6 rebounds per game, Leonard broke out during the NBA Finals. In the series he averaged 14.5 points and 11.1 rebounds, including a game-high 16 rebounds in Game 7.
He may be most remembered for his performance in Game 3 when the Spurs demolished the Heat 113- 77, containing 2013 MVP James to just 15 points and 11 rebounds on 7 of 21 shooting. After that game, all James could say about himself is that he “can’t have a performance like tonight and expect to win.”
Leonard also had a posterizing dunk, perhaps the nastiest dunk thus far in his NBA career, on Miami’s Mike Miller in Game 6, which had SDSU’s student section “The Show” buzzing on social media. Replays of the dunk showed Leonard’s free arm and large hands on Miller’s face as he threw down early in the first quarter.
Despite San Antonio falling short just one game from upsetting the Heat and winning the NBA Championship, Leonard displayed a performance the Aztec nation will never forget.
