After Kawhi Leonard’s epic 2019 NBA Playoff run, many started comparing the Klaw to Michael Jordan. The closest in skillset prior to Kawhi to MJ was Kobe Bryant. Less than a month after Kobe’s untimely passing, Kawhi was once again connect to Kobe in the 2020 All-Star Game.
Leonard got off to a great start, nailing the first bucket of the game from downtown. Kawhi was electric from deep, sinking seven treys in the first two quarters.
In total, Kawhi notched a game-high 30 points and 7 rebounds in the competitive bout, helping Team LeBron get the W. After the game, Kawhi was given the first ever Kobe Bryant MVP award, and made sure to let the fans know what the Black Mamba meant to him:
The sneaker Leonard wore during this slam was the New Balance The KAWHI which can be found at StockX.
Cover image via New Balance (Twitter)