Toronto Raptors' Kawhi Leonard targeting championships, not fame
Watch Game 1 of the NBA Finals as Toronto Raptors host Golden State Warriors, live on Sky Sports on Friday at 2am
Thursday 30 May 2019 07:53, UK
Kawhi Leonard insists he is focused on winning championships, not fame, after his outstanding playoff performances helped Toronto Raptors to the NBA Finals.
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The 27-year-old has scored 30-plus points in 11 games during the 2019 playoffs, a record that has only been beaten at this stage by Michael Jordan (twice) and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Speaking at the NBA Finals media day ahead of the Raptors' seven-game series against Golden State Warriors, Leonard said: "I'm not playing the game for (notoriety). I'm playing to have fun and trying to be the best player I can be.
"I'm happy with myself and what I have done in my career and I'm just going to keep on from there. It's not about me being famous or wanting to have more fame than those guys.
"It's about me playing basketball and having fun on the floor."
Leonard is preparing to appear in his third NBA Finals and already has one championship to his name, being awarded Finals MVP as San Antonio Spurs beat Miami Heat in 2014.
It is the first Finals for the Raptors, though, and general manager Masai Ujiri paid tribute to Leonard for the way he responded to the ankle injury that ruled him out of the Western Conference Finals last season.
He said: "Kawhi's quiet, but he's relentless. I tell you, his work ethic is almost crazy with his regimen, taking care of his body and doing all the work.
"When you see the preparation throughout the season you know what this kind of player, or you feel what this kind of player is going to produce.
"You don't wish this kind of injury on anybody, but you could tell with him it was a priority to get back to the highest level."
Leonard sustained his injury last season during Game 1 of the series against the Warriors, and their coach Steve Kerr admitted it swung the momentum in his side's favour.
"He was having a great game. They were having their way with us," said Kerr.
"In terms of how Kawhi has developed - he's definitely older, I think he's wiser. He's probably more aware of how teams will try to play him.
"No matter how you slice it, a superstar in this league, one of the top few players in the NBA."
Game 1 of the NBA Finals takes place in Toronto in the early hours of Friday morning (2am) live on Sky Sports Arena.
