Wins Defensive Player of the Year
Leonard wins the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He helped the Spurs finish 3rd in defensive rating, with 99.6 points allowed per 100 possessions. Leonard joins Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only two players to ever win both a Defensive Player of the Year award and a Finals MVP award. Leonard:
It feels great. Growing up as a kid, you’re watching these players and you want to become who they are or get the accolades that they have. It just shows that hard work pays off.
Wins Finals MVP
Leonard wins the NBA Finals MVP in a landslide vote. For the series, he averaged 17.8 points on 61% shooting. He also had the role of guarding LeBron James. Coach Popovich:
He’s a great learner and he’s super competitive, has a drive to be the best that’s really uncommon in our league. He walks the walk. I mean, he’s there early, he’s there late. He wants more. He wants me and the coaches to push him. So I just talked to him about not being in that defer sort of stage. The hell with Tony, the hell with Timmy, the hell with Manu, you play the game. You are the man.
Leonard:
Right now, it’s just surreal to me. I have a great group of guys behind me.