Kawhi Leonard: The Truly Deserving Finals MVP

Photo Courtesy of Brace Hemmelgarn-USA Today sports

During the start of this year's NBA Finals, no one would have ever figured a 22-year old soft-spoken forward could ever be the x-factor of the Spur's offense and defense; three games later and no one would have an ounce of doubt in it.

That's right Kawhi Leonard, out of San Diego State, is your 2014 Finals MVP and deservingly so. Leonard has had quite a career thus far in the NBA but has not been given the type of credit or recognition that he really deserves. Perhaps it is his will to play hard-nosed defense over aggressive offense, perhaps it is his tendency to let his skills on the court do all the talking for him, perhaps it is his goal to play for the brand of basketball that is not doesn't give him the opportunity to make the flashy plays; who knows? However, what has always been clear is Leonard's maturity and ability to play with a poise that many young athletes are unable to match in this day and age.

Leonard is the classic player that responds to the needs of his team and he has proven that he can step up his game when in areas that he needs to. When Gregg Popovich challenged Leonard to get himself involved in the offense prior to game three, he simply did. Leonard scored a mere nine points in the first two games of the series before breaking out with 29 points in game 3, 20 points in game 4, and 22 points this evening. He has literally let his numbers speak for him as his statistics have blown out of the charts in these past three games.

Moreover, Leonard's defense on LeBron James was absolutely phenomenal. He played James so well, I am quite sure that even Metta World Peace would be proud! Leonard's pesky on-ball defense frustrated James on numerous possessions by forcing him to to constantly put the ball down on the floor and change directions. With a player as skilled as James, the two-year small forward had a tough assignment and he handled it better than any would have ever imagined. Although James still managed to score 31 points for the night off 10-21 shooting, anyone who watched the game saw the how hard it was for the four-time mvp to score each and every basket when Leonard was all up on him.    

Due to his tremendous scoring improvements to supplement his ecstatic defense, it is clear that Leonard seriously has quite a career ahead of him. He has not been able to really showcase his talents let alone grab the attention of the array of NBA fans as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, or James has but now that he has our attention, perhaps the tide will turn on the long run as it has during these finals series. 

If Leonard keeps it up, he will probably be seeing less and less time on this blog since he is slowly but effectively changing his own history, from being a role player in San Antonio's squad to an intricate part of the bigger picture. It is safe to say that there will probably be a huge hike in his jersey sales next year.

Congrats Kawhi Leonard, you have shown the world what hard work can bring back to an already storied franchise and restored the genuine meaning of being the perfect team player that does not necessarily have to do all the flashy moves or market much. You have shown many young aspiring athletes that  all they have to do is just to perform at their own highest potential, to help the people that should matter over the press, the commercial shoe manufactures, the expensive and greedy sports endorsers, because at the end of the the day, as a basketball player, one should only worry about helping out one group: the team.