Lou Williams says that Kawhi Leonard is usually the first at practice and the last to leave because he needs half the day to get his sh*t together.
Kawhi Leonard came into the NBA as a fairly raw offensive talent. It was his competitive vigor and overall prowess on the defensive end of the floor that attracted teams like the San Antonio Spurs to incorporate him into their system. In merely 3 seasons in the league, ‘The Claw’ was an NBA Finals MVP with averages of 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2 assists a game.
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Nowadays, two-way superstars like Kawhi Leonard who can get you a stop on one end and a bucket on the next are perhaps the most sought-after commodity in the league today. However, the 2x Finals MVP didn’t reach such a status as a player by simply lounging around and hoping to develop his offensive skills.
As a student of Kobe Bryant, Kawhi maintained a ‘Mamba-esque’ mentality throughout his training and clearly, it’s paid off. Lou Williams shed a bit more light on his practice sessions and how much time he needs to properly acclimatize himself with a workout.
Lou Williams talks about Kawhi Leonard and his Kobe-type practice timings.
Hearing that a superstar player is the first one in the gym and the last one to leave isn’t uncommon. Guys like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were the prototypes for such an approach to practice and it’s clearly been passed down to the generations beyond them as Kawhi Leonard is of the same mindset.
Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams were teammates for merely one season, during their anti-climactic 2019-20 season. Despite being lauded as legitimate title contenders, the Clippers famously blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the WCSF. Even though it was just a season and bit of the next one, Lou got a glimpse of what it was like working out with Kawhi.
“Kawhi is there an hour and a half before practice. He’s there an hour and a half after practice but that’s just his speed though. He needs half the day to get his sh*t together.”
