Revisiting Kawhi Leonard's Clippers Debut

It's been one year since Kawhi Leonard made his LA Clippers debut.

Transcript

00:00On October 22nd 2019 Kawhi Leonard stepped onto the floor at Staples Center for the

00:05first time as a member of the LA Clippers. He did not disappoint in his

00:09debut. In a highly anticipated matchup of the Los Angeles Lakers, Leonard fresh

00:13off his second NBA Finals victory at the Toronto Raptors put up 30 points, 6

00:17rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block in a 1-12 to 1-0-2 victory. Perhaps the

00:23most important feat of his night though as it helped get the team to a win over

00:27the eventual NBA champions without co-star Paul George at his side. George

00:32obviously missed LA's first 11 games recovering from multiple shoulder

00:35surgeries he underwent over the summer. Instead, Leonard's best teammate that

00:39night was Lou Williams who logged 21 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in 37

00:45minutes of play off the bench. The wins are the tone for much of the beginning

00:49of LA's season as well as Leonard's impressive campaign. The Clippers went 14

00:54in 5 of their first 19 games of the season at 49-23 overall while Leonard

00:59managed to set new career-high marks in scoring at 27.1 points per game and

01:03assists at 4.9 per game. The season might not have ended like Clippers fans had hoped for

01:08but you're not gonna say it was all for nothing. Moments like Leonard's debut, LA's

01:13win over the Lakers on Christmas, and the ever-exciting overtime win over the

01:16Boston Celtics helped make this year one to remember and will probably won't

01:20exit the minds of fans anytime soon for better or for worse. It's hard to say

01:25when exactly we'll see Leonard and the Clippers back under the lights at

01:27Staples but make no mistake with stronger leadership and the coaching

01:31staff and a refocused group of stars, LA will be very ready when the moment comes.