Comparisons between Kawhi Leonard and Michael Jordan are ones have been floating around for years on end. After Kawhi had claimed his second title after a historic Playoff run with the Toronto Raptors, analysts and fans alike believed that he had just gone on a ‘Jordan-esque’ run, and rightfully so.
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The biggest similarity between the two is of course, their mastery over the mid-range. Shooting mid-range shots is something that has become a lost art of sorts in the league over the past decade due to the rise of advanced analytics and individuals such as Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard.
However, guys like Leonard, DeRozan, and Durant have allowed for the mid-range shot to still be an extremely potent option on the offensive end of the floor. When it comes to Kawhi, it’s no wondering as to why he’s so good at it given just who he looked up to growing up.
Kawhi Leonard watched a Michael Jordan documentary over and over again
It didn’t take long for Michael Jordan to establish himself as one of the NBA’s premier superstars. He ran away with Rookie of the Year honors and his ‘Air Jordans’ blowing up with Nike helped make him into a household name within a few years.
Naturally, a documentary was made on the rising superstar in the 80s called ‘Come Fly With Me’. Millions of children around the world were exposed to the brilliance that Jordan out on display through this documentary with one of them being none other than Kawhi Leonard.
In a Sports Illustrated feature from 2016, it was revealed that Kawhi was obsessed with watching this documentary. “Leonard watched Come Fly with Me, a glossy 1980s documentary about Michael Jordan, until his eyes ached,” wrote the SI Staff.
Things came full circle when Kawhi signed a $20 million deal with Jordan brand that would last over the course of 4 years. He would however, get into a contract dispute over his ‘Klaw’ logo and eventually leave Jordan brand to sign with New Balance.
It was explained in this same SI article however how the then-Spurs star wasn’t enamored by the glitz and the glamor of being an NBA superstar. This is something fans have come to understand as time has gone one. Kawhi just wants to hoop at the end of the day with 0 distractions from the outside world.
