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“Kawhi Leonard could team up with Nikola Jokic and co”: NBA fans react to high school interview of Clippers superstar professing his love for Denver Nuggets

Samir Mehdi
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“Kawhi Leonard could team up with Nikola Jokic and co”: NBA fans react to the Clippers superstar’s saying his favorite team in high school was the Nuggets

Kawhi Leonard, in his high school yearbook, claimed that his favorite team in the NBA was the Denver Nuggets and NBA fans react.

The Los Angeles Clippers have been dealt the short end of the stick in two consecutive seasons during the Kawhi Leonard era. The first season ended with a blown 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the WSCF while the second wrapped up with the aforementioned superstar suffering a partially torn ACL, leading to Paul George losing in 6 to the Suns.

There is a common misconception around the recovery time needed for a partially torn ACL to fully heal. Many believe that since it is only a partial tear, Kawhi Leonard will be back mid-way through the 2021-22 season. This, however, is not the case as his timetable could stretch well into April or even May of 2022.

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The uncertainty of whether or not Kawhi will be back before the 2022 Playoffs doesn’t seem to matter to teams when deciding on pursuing him. A star of his caliber deserves to be given a deal that represents what he can do for a team when healthy.

Kawhi Leonard might join the Nuggets as they were his favorite team

News broke out recently that Kawhi Leonard would be declining his $36 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent. With this news also came the fact that he’s already working on negotiating a deal with the Clippers to return.

This doesn’t mean that fans of opposing NBA teams won’t look to try to find ways to pry him away from the Clips. An eagle-eyed fan on Twitter found a screengrab of Leonard’s high school yearbook where it was mentioned the Denver Nuggets were his favorite team in the NBA.

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This caused Denver fans to erupt with excitement online, as they believe Kawhi Leonard could possibly join a squad that was once his favorite. Though the thought of Nikola Jokic playing with Kawhi is very enticing and quite frightening, a deal with the Nuggets is highly unlikely.

The 2x FMVP moved heaven and earth to find his way to his home city of Los Angeles. He’s most certainly had verbal agreements with the Clippers’ front office about returning as they mortgaged their entire future to sign both him and Paul George. Besides, Denver’s high altitude is something Kawhi, a man who’s very fond of California summers, would not be enticed by.

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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