Kawhi Leonard was the MVP of the 2014 Finals, but in the days leading up to receiving that honor, he couldn’t possibly have cared less.
Now that the championship has been won and it was his turn to take the Larry O’Brien trophy on tour for a few days, Leonard was too focused on working out to be able to enjoy the accomplishment and take it around town.
So he let it sit in his living room for two days.
From Mark Ziegler of UTSanDiego.com:San Diego State alum and NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard got “Larry” for three days in Southern California. He had it Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and he arranged for people to take pictures with it at his annual skills camp for youths last weekend in his hometown of Moreno Valley.
And Thursday and Friday?
It sat in the living room of the San Diego condominium he rents during the offseason while the Spurs staffer who chaperones the trophy around the world lounged at a UTC hotel pool … while Leonard was at his three-a-day workouts.
“I didn’t have any time to do anything with it,” Leonard explained. “My workout schedule is crazy.”
The trophy has toured the world this summer, and many players were happy to take it around their home towns and let the locals share in the excitement of the championship experience.
Leonard, however, chose preparation over celebration, and continues to be the personification of the Spurs and their insanely high level of professionalism -- even if it times that doesn’t seem like a whole lot of fun.
