Kawhi Leonard Compared to Michael Jordan, Lebron, Kobe by Clippers' Norman Powell

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell has been on a roster with Kawhi Leonard in both Toronto and Los Angeles.

Those experiences have led Powell to compare Leonard to some of the NBA's all-time greats.

"It's like 'Bron, or Jordan, or Kobe on the court, just the way that he's able to read the game and the stillness he has when he plays," Powell said Friday on "Podcast P with Paul George."

Powell told George everything changed for the Raptors as soon as Leonard came to Toronto in 2018 following his trade for DeMar DeRozan.

"Going into training camp was just different," Powell said. "When 'Whi stepped on the floor, you like, 'Oh, we got a chance to go to the top.' ... 'Whi has this persona about him. We knew we had a chance, when we got 'Whi."

Leonard ended up winning his second Finals MVP award in 2019 after leading the Raptors to a title. Powell and the Clippers now hope he can achieve a similar feat in Los Angeles.

Like the Raptors, the Clippers had never before won an NBA championship before Leonard joined the team.

Unlike the Raptors, the turnaround to a title hasn't been quite as immediate. Since Leonard came to Los Angeles following his single title season with the Raptors in 2019, the Clippers have only gotten as far as the Western Conference Finals, where the team lost in six games to the Miami Heat in 2020.

Both Powell and Leonard played in the Clippers' 123-11 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday. Powell, who led bench players with almost 22 minutes of game time, recorded eight points. Leonard trailed only Paul George for the lead with 23 points.

That contest marked the 79th game Powell and Leonard have played together. Leonard said last December he has seen Powell grow as a player over that time.

"Just experience," Leonard said about Powell's growth. "Just able to play. I think now he knows how to get his shots off that he likes... I think now he's just starting to see angles on the court, shooting it at times when he knows guys aren't gonna get to his shot, and shooting it confidently."

Given Powell's comparison of Leonard to some of basketball's all-time greats, it's clear that respect is mutual.