This season, few players have been as amazing as Kawhi Leonard. After a horrendous start to the season with the Los Angeles Clippers, he has bounced back and steered the team to a miraculous turnaround.
He then followed it up by exploding for 31 points to steer Team USA Stripes in their opening game against Team World, including the game-winning 3-pointer at the All-Star Weekend. Team USA Stripes would eventually win their next two games to win the ASG overall, courtesy of Anthony Edwards.
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Leonard’s performance was just the latest of his stellar season so far, highlighting the narrative that he may be returning to the conversation about being one of the best players in the league after multiple seasons spent struggling with injuries.
Leonard knows he’s one of the best in the world
In a rare moment after the All-Star Game, Leonard assessed himself so far this season. He reaffirmed what many fans already believed even before All-Star Weekend.
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“I feel like I’m one of the best when I am playing basketball,” he stated.
Fans can’t argue with that assessment, considering that it was mainly due to Leonard that the Clippers turned a 6-21 start into a 20-7 win streak that has propelled them to 10th place and only two games below .500.
Not to mention, Leonard is also having one of the best statistical seasons of his career, averaging 27.2 points and 6.4 rebounds and leading the league in steals with 2.1 per game.
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Those stats read like an MVP-level candidate, and fans agree, which is why the initial voting results sparked controversy after Kawhi was noticeably left out. It took injuries for him to be included, but he more than showed why he was deserving of the accolade in the first game.
While he did praise himself, Leonard still showed his usual humble self by explaining that he is one of the best players in the league today. Ultimately, he believes the media creates the debate and narratives around being the best and that any player can realistically take up the mantle on any given night.
“That’s for you guys. For me, I think it’s a rotation every day, every week. ‘Cause you got guys coming out scoring 50, having great defensive games. And then the next night, somebody’s not playing well, somebody else is going to shine,” he said. “So, for me, I think the ranking is just based on keeping the hype around the game.”
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The future is unclear for Leonard and the Clippers
While the All-Star Game proved to be a welcome break for Leonard, he will still have to face reality on what the rest of the season looks like with the Clippers.
Currently at 10th place in the loaded Western Conference with a 26-28 record, the Clippers made major moves at the trade deadline, dealing away stars James Harden and Ivica Zubac for a younger core of Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson.
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The roster overhaul has led many, including Leonard, to believe that the team might have waved the fight flag on pursuing a title this season and instead focused on the future. It’s also worth noting that NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that multiple teams expressed their interest in the two-time Finals MVP hours before the deadline.
Whether Kawhi’s tenure with the Clippers extends beyond next season, the fact still stands that he and the team are still fighting for a playoff spot and that he doesn’t want his exceptional performances so far to go to waste.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.