Kawhi Leonard’s two major injuries that ended 2x Finals MVP’s 2017 and 2021 postseason campaigns are now the basis of closeout foul rules

Kawhi Leonard suffered two major injuries in two separate postseasons that arguably were intentional fouls, both resulting in rule changes.

It took a lot of major injuries in the league for the NBA to come up with a rule to penalize a defender for getting into the shooting space of an airborne shooter. Kawhi Leonard’s ankle injury in Game 2 of the 2017 Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors worked as a trigger point for it.

The Warriors center Zaza Pachulia’s walk into Leonard’s landing spot resulted in the Spurs star leaving the game which the Dubs were trailing by 25 points at the time.

That game ended 113-111 in the favour of the Warriors and the Spurs went 0-2 down instead of drawing the series. Kawhi wouldn’t return for the rest of the series and Stephen Curry and Co. would sweep Spurs and go on to win the Championship against the Cavaliers.

The Claw would miss almost the entire 2017-18 season as well. Before the start of the season though NBA introduced the Zaza rule centred around reckless defensive closeouts. According to the rule, after referees call a foul, they would have the ability to determine if the defender’s foot placement was reckless, allowing for an upgrade to flagrant, or to technical if there was no intent to injure.

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Another Kawhi Leonard injury becomes a base for a rule change

As the Zaza rule applied only to the closeouts on shooters another Kawhi injury has been the base of an addition to that rule. The Clippers star tweaked his right knee during Game 4 of the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals against the Jazz.

Imagine being 6’7, 225-pound running in transition with full pace towards the basket and hitting a guy (Joe Ingles) with around the same height and weight as yourself forcing your momentum just the opposite way. That’s worse than hitting a wall. It could and has resulted in many players damaging their knees and ankles permanently.

Some are patient and hungry enough to make a comeback and be the same version of themselves, most aren’t. And although NBA took a lot of time in coming up with a solution for such career-ending fouls, they are finally here.

Several other superstars in history have gone out like Kawhi in the Playoffs because of opposition players physically targeting them. Had the league come up with this rule earlier we wouldn’t have missed 2x Finals MVP in two more possible Finals.

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Let NBA become “soft” if it means we can see lesser injuries. The new generation would surely have no problem with that. The more we get to see our favourite players on the court, the better.