ESPN First Take recently held a segment centered around discussing whether or not Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the most feared player in the NBA. Marcus Morris Sr., who previously played with Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, argued against Curry being the most feared NBA player.
“I wouldn't go as far as to stay Steph Curry,” Morris told Stephen A. Smith. “He's very respectable, everyone knows Steph Curry, if not the best point guard to ever play the game, right? I gotta disagree with you. You know who I'm going to go to? And I know this is not going to be your favorite, but I'm gonna talk about number two over there with the Clipper Nation, baby. I'm going with Kawhi Leonard.”
Smith immediately exclaimed, “you have got to be kidding me! I can't believe you just said that! That's ridiculous!”
Morris then explained his Kawhi Leonard answer.
“And the reason why is because Kawhi healthy is a total different player,” Morris said.
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The former Clippers forward continued to explain how Curry has the nod from purely an offensive standpoint. Morris believes Leonard earns the honor when factoring in both offense and defense.
Leonard is already one of the greatest Clippers of all-time despite only playing with the team since the 2019-20 season. The Clippers could make a deep postseason run this year. Although Kawhi has only appeared in 32 games, he is averaging 20.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the 2024-25 campaign.
When healthy, there is no denying the fact that Kawhi Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the entire league. He is an elite defender while still providing no shortage of offensive prowess.
Stephen A. Smith did not agree with Marcus Morris Sr.'s take. However, it is not difficult to see where Morris is going with his admission. There are not many players around the league who love the idea of playing against Leonard on either side of the ball.