San Antonio Spurs: What if Ray Allen misses that shot in 2013?

Kawhi Leonard Becomes an All-Time Great

What could have been, right? As a Spurs fan, you may still be bitter about how Kawhi Leonard handled things in 2018, and I’m sorry to say that doesn’t change. Zaza Pachulia still jump-starts the injury that ultimately made Leonard flee San Antonio, but he heads to Toronto as a two-time champion. 

After winning a ring alongside Duncan in 2013, outshining him to win Finals MVP in 2014, and bringing Toronto a championship in 2019, Kawhi is remembered as one of the best small forwards ever. Just think about it. Imagine if Scottie Pippen won six rings in Chicago alongside Jordan, and then immediately went and won in 2000 on the Trailblazers.

Kawhi has shown he can win in any role, which makes him arguably one of the best to ever play. It’s a bit of a stretch, but depending on if his Clippers ever get to the top, he could reign supreme on the list of small forwards.

Regardless of how Kawhi plays in Los Angeles, if Ray Allen misses his shot, the argument will persist forever about who was a better player. The Kawhi Leonard versus Kevin Durant debate will never end. In the real world, Durant clearly is the better player.

However, with an additional Finals win and the hit Durant’s legacy takes, the fight begins. Durant does still have two rings from his time with the Warriors and his Brooklyn Nets seemed poised to win the Eastern Conference, but Kawhi is applauded for winning two the “right way” in San Antonio and bringing Toronto its first NBA championship.

Yes, he had help from Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet, but no one will argue that his supporting cast was better than Durant’s in Oklahoma City, Golden State, or Brooklyn.