Latest / Bleacher Report / Kawhi Leonard Talks Game 2 vs. Nuggets & Being Healthy for the Playoffs _ 2025 NBA Playoffs

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Kawhi Leonard Talks Game 2 vs. Nuggets & Being Healthy for the Playoffs _ 2025 NBA Playoffs · Bleacher Report

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Quat James was just in here and he was saying
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: that you don't get the appreciation that you deserve for
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: coming back time and time again from injuries, and you
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: don't particularly pay attention to what's said about what's said
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: about you. But what does it mean to have teammates
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: like him, teammates like everybody else in that locker room
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: who do see the work that you put in every
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: single day and appreciate it and are able to help
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: you get back to have a game like you had tonight.
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: It was great. Like you said, anybody in the business
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: you know that's that's playing and you know knows how
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: hard it is either come back from injury or just
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: even playing in the NBA. Uh, they understand of you know,
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: what we all go through, what I go through, And yeah,
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: I mean to see that from your peers and hear
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: that from them, It is great. I told several people
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: before just thanks for you know, helping me through through
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: through stuff and time, you know, with injuries.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: And after Game one you mentioned that just the aggression
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: was one of the things that stood out to you
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: with the turnover issues that you had. Obviously you came
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: out really aggressive early in this game. How much of
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: a point of emasis was that and how how did
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: you feel you were able to get to your spots
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: and be aggressive.
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: I think I just I made shots tonight, shot a
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: little bit more than I did last game. But it
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: wasn't about that, you know what I mean. Some of
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: my turnovers last games were just being aggressive and you know,
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: trying to save the ball or getting rebounds, getting pushed
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: out of balance. So I mean the one that stuck
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: out to me was this obviously at one and getting
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: it tipped off my head, but it was just a
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: great defense by then, so I just wanted to come
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: out and get a win.
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: COO on when you're when you're out there in a
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: game like does it? I think you made your first
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: six shots, then you missed one, then you made six more.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: I mean, what do were you aware that you were
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: on that kind of a role, being that efficient out there.
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: I just keep playing, try to stay in his own
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: matter if I'm missing or making shots, trying to go
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: to the next play and you know that's it. Just
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: focused on the next player and trying to win, get
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: to my spot and shoot, and yeah, just live with
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: the outcome whatever game it is. How good or bad
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: is going quiet? You're right?
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: How much you've got this wealth of playoff experience, Like
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: you've had good games, you've had bad games, Like how
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: much do you reach back into what you've done to
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: help prepare you for the things that you need to
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: do in the current.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: It's always a different situation for me. You know, next
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: game is going to be like no other, no other game,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean. It's what's in front of me,
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: and that's what I'm approaching. You know, all I know
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: is that I've been there before. I've been here, and
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: like I always say, as long as you're playing hard
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: and having fun, you can live with the outcome, just
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: leaving it all on the floor. And that's what I'll
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: tak parting.
• 3:02
  Speaker 5: How much energy does it take to summon to play
• 3:05
  Speaker 5: these games? And I asked because late in that fourth
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: quarter at the North undred three, they call the time
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: out and you didn't move, look like you were, I
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: don't know, tired, but you still came out it hit
• 3:14
  Speaker 5: the big shot. How much does it take for all
• 3:17
  Speaker 5: of the guys just to put forth in effort like this?
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: Uh, you know, it's difficult, you know, like I said,
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: playing here, playing against his great team. You know, they
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: got great players, know they roll, and I mean any
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: any NBA game is very hard to play, especially in
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: the playoffs. You know, it might look easy, you know
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: by just watching us and seeing how skilled we are,
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: but that these games are these games are hard to play.
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: You gotta play every possession, every minute.
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: KAUI physically, how how good a shape do you feel
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: in right now?
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: Like?
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: Do you feel the best you felt in years? As
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: you felt in five years? Like where are you in relation.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: To what you've been in I'm not sure, you know.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: I'm just happy that I'm able to move and you
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: know I'm coming out the game feeling well. And you
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: know that's That's what I'm taking my pride on, is
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: just being healthy. You know, I sat and watched these
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: playoff games and series the past two years, so me
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: me able to be frontline out there. Uh, it just
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: feels good for me no matter which way the game goes.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: And you know, you know that's why I'm taking pride in.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: I just wanted to be out there and play and
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: be friendline with my team