Citing Nikola Jokic, Paul George Defends Kawhi Leonard Face to Face After Stephen A. Smith’s “Worst Superstar” Comments

Before Kawhi Leonard’s career was plagued by injuries, he was considered one of the Top 5 players in the NBA. With 2 Championships and 2 Finals MVP awards, no one could deny his court mavericks. But problems began when Kawhi joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. After leading the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title in franchise history, Steve Ballmer had huge expectations from Kawhi Leonard. But the fun guy couldn’t live up to the hype.

Kawhi has played only 161 regular-season games for the Clippers since 2019. With lingering injury issues, he’s often seen on the bench rather than playing on the court. Stephen A. Smith called him the “Worst Superstar” any franchise could have. But his teammate Paul George confronted the analyst and drew comparisons with Joker.

Paul George defends Kawhi Leonard

In the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, Paul George had a discussion with analyst Stephen A. Smith about his outrageous comments on Kawhi Leonard. Stephen A. deemed Kawhi “The worst superstar a franchise could possibly have.” The rationale behind Stephen A.’s comments was that Kawhi had missed 48 percent of the games since joining the Clippers. More importantly, when Kawhi is unhealthy, his quiet personality does nothing to market the product off the court. While other superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry are always in the headlines for their endeavors off the court, Kawhi is hardly seen making any public appearances when he is not playing.

However, Paul George defended his Clippers teammate by comparing him with the 2023 NBA finals MVP Nikola Jokic. “The Joker doesn’t have Instagram. He is not a social guy,” remarked PG as he pointed out the 2-time MVP having a silent demeanor like Kawhi Leonard and still being a superstar in the league.

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Paul also talked about Kawhi attending a few public events, such as a soccer game in London and a 49ers game last year, “He pops up. I think he brands the Clippers wherever he goes.”

Kawhi Leonard’s stardom would not be in question if he played

Despite the 8-time All-Star defending his teammate, Stephen A. had a counterargument for PG’s Jokic comparison, “Jokic don’t miss games.”

Jokic hardly misses any games during the regular season and has played 69 games or above in each season of his career. Kawhi, on the other hand, missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury.

“I would never question the brother’s game. He is a superstar,” said Stephen A., accepting the on-court greatness of the 2-time Champion. Whenever Kawhi is healthy and playing, he puts on a show for the crowd with his elite performances. His mere presence on the court makes the Clippers a major threat in the West.

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Injuries have tarnished Kawhi’s legacy for the modern NBA fans. He won the Finals MVP in a team that had legends like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Hopefully, Kawhi can return completely healthy so that he and Paul George can accomplish their goal of winning a championship for the Clippers.