VIDEO: Kawhi Leonard Shares Awesome Kobe Bryant Story After Winning All-Star Game MVP
By Mark Powell
Kawhi Leonard was the first winner of what is now coined the Kobe Bryant Award, which goes to the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game on a yearly basis. Leonard excelled in the first game of this highly-competitive format, scoring 30 points on just 18 shots, and locking down Team Giannis defensively late. After winning the MVP award, Leonard shared his favorite Bryant story, and it's tremendous.
This Kobe story from Kawhi >>>
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 17, 2020
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/RxexXPHFDn
Leonard's never been a high-volume shooter, in that he scores by necessity, not for personal accolades. Kawhi, like all great scorers, knows when he must take over a game, but over the course of a season he can do so in a multitude of ways, including defensively. Bryant, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.
"I want to thank Kobe for everything he's done for me. All the long talks and workouts. Thank you. This one's for him."
— ESPN (@espn) February 17, 2020
Kawhi Leonard thanked The Mamba after winning the first-ever Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award. #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/oMWjbQeAEj
Kawhi isn't an emotional type, but even in the limited interaction we have with him, fans understand how much Bryant meant to him (as is the case with most NBA players, especially those from Calif.).
In that sense, it's fitting Leonard was the first to win the award named after the NBA legend.