The Spurs are on the verge of launching another dynasty, and they can thank Kawhi Leonard for it. Yeah. He forced his way out of the city in the most dramatic and disrespectful way possible. He nearly tarnished the stellar reputation of San Antonio's organization because he wanted to make his way out west to California, his home state.
But none of that matters anymore. If you're still looking at Kawhi with anger in your heart, it's time to release it. Look at the Clippers. They don't know what they're doing. They can't beat Denver and have only made it to the Conference Finals once since they traded for the Klaw. LA traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George, and SGA is on the verge of winning the MVP of the league at 26 years old.
Leonard is still a great player, but he doesn't get to play often enough for anyone's liking, including himself. He's continued to struggle with injuries, which would have been the case had he remained in San Antonio because of his degenerative knees. Meanwhile, the Silver and Black are about to take off with the brightest future in the NBA ahead of them.
If Kawhi doesn't leave the Spurs aren't in this position
My feelings were hurt as much as any other fan when Leonard asked to be traded. It was well known that he and his uncle were attempting to get him to LA, but the front office sent him to Toronto instead. It was funny at first because everyone knew that Kawhi didn't like the cold, but then he won a championship, and it was as if the joke was on San Antonio.
I think that's where some of the residual hate stems from. Spurs Nation resents the fact that the organization sent him to the equivalent of The Wall from Game of Thrones, and he ended up on the Iron Throne, albeit temporarily. I encourage you to take a different perspective now, as the Clippers flop every year.
Look at Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and how the Spurs are sitting on the number two pick in the upcoming draft with plenty of other assets to use however they see fit. There is no reason to hold any contempt in your hearts for anyone any longer. San Antonio is back on the map, and the future is continuously being paved ahead of us with no end in sight.
What's the most San Antonio would have won had Leonard never left? There's no way to know, but it's hard to imagine it would have been anywhere close to what's about to happen with Wembanyama, as the man and Kawhi's selfishness directly correlates to his acquisition. So, thank you for that, Kawhi.