Kawhi Leonard is growing, but he's still a quiet guy: 'It's just who I am'

Kawhi is more talkative, but he's still a quiet guy at heart.

Farbod Esnaashari | Jan 24, 2021

Kawhi Leonard has grown more as a leader this year. He's talking more with his teammates, passing the ball better, and just being a better communicator overall. However, he's still a quiet guy at heart.

"It's just who I am," Kawhi Leonard said. "I'm not a rah-rah guy."

That quietness is something Kawhi's teammates have learned to accept. They're not going to expect him to give a big speech like Patrick Beverley would, but they do know they can count on him.

"He's been growing this year," Reggie Jackson said. "So, he talks more. But we've all come to learn Kawhi is a man of few words."

There's nothing wrong with being a quiet person in basketball. Kawhi Leonard already has two Finals MVPs to prove that his method can work. Tim Duncan has five NBA Championships, and three Finals MVPs to prove that it can work. There's a reason why basketball is a team sport, and that's where your teammates can do the lifting.

If people are upset that Kawhi is a quiet person, he doesn't really care. He cares about doing what's necessary to win. If communicating more is that solution, then that's what he'll do. Right now, it's working out with a seven-game winning streak.

"Just trying to be a better basketball player," Leonard said. "I'll let the outside analyze or criticize my game. Just trying to go out there and win."

There are many different ways a player can lead his team to an NBA Championship. They can be more friendly like LeBron James or Steph Curry, they can be more confrontational like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, or they can be quiet like Tim Duncan or Kawhi Leonard. At the end of the day, these players are already proven winners.

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