Marquis Teague didn’t hesitate when asked to compare Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant.
Appearing on the “Club520Podcast,” the former NBA player said he takes Leonard over Durant, and his reasoning centered on what Leonard has shown in the biggest moments.
“Kawhi Leonard is better than Kevin Durant to me. I’ve never seen KD carry a team like that… If he was on that Toronto team, they wouldn’t have won. And I love KD, no disrespect, but that’s just a fact,” Marquis Teague said.
Teague was pointing to the 2019 NBA Finals, when Leonard led the Toronto Raptors past the Golden State Warriors. That Warriors team featured Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Durant, while Toronto leaned on Kyle Lowry, Leonard, and Pascal Siakam.
Even with Golden State’s star power, Leonard guided the Raptors to the title. Durant was not healthy during the 2019 playoffs, and Thompson also tore his ACL in Game 6.
Teague is entitled to his view, but his comments also land at an interesting moment for Leonard. After months of uncertainty, Leonard is headed back to Toronto for the second time in his career. He spent one year with the Raptors from 2018 to 2019, and that stint ended with a championship.
It also marks another return to Canada after a messy exit elsewhere. Leonard had issues with the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to Toronto in 2018. Now he has left the Clippers for Toronto again after his shady off-court business dealings were brought to light.
For Leonard, Toronto seems to be where the noise fades. And for Marquis Teague, the answer on Leonard versus Durant is already settled.
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