Clippers Head Coach Settles Speculations About Michael Jordan’s Influence on Kawhi Leonard

Ask most NBA stars in their 30s or older who inspired them the most, and the answer is usually Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or sometimes both. Learning how legends like that approached their daily routines and training can be invaluable to today’s players. Kawhi Leonard is one of those who was especially eager to understand everything about Jordan.

Tyronn Lue played with both Bryant (at the Los Angeles Lakers) and Michael Jordan (at the Washington Wizards), something very few can boast about. As such, Shannon Sharpe, on his podcast, asked the current Clippers head coach if his star player, Leonard, ever asked him questions about what it was like sharing a locker room with them.

Lue said yes. “All the time” was his exact response. Sharpe made a good point, noting that Leonard’s style of play is similar to Bryant and Jordan, particularly with his elite mid-range game. So it is understandable that the former Raptors star would want to know more about how the two GOATs went about their day. Thankfully, Lue has plenty he can share.

“When I first got here, I went down to San Diego a couple of summers and just worked with him and showed him the moves and the routines that me and Jordan did every single morning,” Lue said. “We called it the breakfast club. We lift weights, go to breakfast, get to the gym about an hour and a half early, and I went through the same post moves that Jordan went through, every single day for two years…”

Lue knew how MJ trained and tried to instill the same approach in Leonard, who adapted well to it. Although the 48-year-old did not say it outright, it clearly gave Leonard a fresh perspective and helped him improve. Above all, they enjoyed those workouts, with Lue admitting that he recently asked Leonard when they could head down to San Diego again.

“We got it down, and I just showed him all the different things that I learned from Jordan and Kobe. Just the footwork and stuff. He picked it up and really embraces it,” Lue concluded on the matter.

Sadly for Leonard, one thing he couldn’t master was staying injury-free. Since joining the Clippers, recurring knee issues have sidelined him and cost the team dearly in the postseason. Since 2021, he has missed half of their playoff games, a major reason behind their struggles to contend. Because when he plays and is at his best, he’s unstoppable.

With the Clippers, Leonard has averaged 25 ppg, something he’ll look to better in the coming years. The hope now is that Leonard stays healthy for a full season and finally delivers his third NBA championship, this time alongside Lue, the man who introduced him to the Jordan way.