Kawhi Leonard Entering 1st Year as True San Antonio Spurs' Franchise Face

Although Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are returning and the team signed LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency, Kawhi Leonard is now the face of the San Antonio Spurs franchise.

Leonard deserves this moment, which in 2012 Gregg Popovich prophetically mentioned as a realistic possibility.

"I think he's going to be a star," Popovich said of Leonard in August 2012, per Spurs.com. "And as time goes on, he'll be the face of the Spurs I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player."

A quiet, reserved person in the public eye, Leonard isn't someone who's needed the spotlight to shine. Rather, his on-court performance has demanded all the attention.

"He never wants to be in the limelight," Popovich said, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. "He's like Timmy: All he is worried about is getting better."

When "The Claw" entered the league in 2011, he lacked top-notch skills but boasted All-Star-caliber potential. Four years later, Leonard has developed a three-point shot, blossomed into an elite defender and showed promise as a future No. 1 scoring option.

Leonard displayed that massive all-around progression when he exploded against LeBron James and the Miami Heat en route to winning the 2014 NBA Finals MVP. Leonard solidified the hype when he was named the 2014-15 Defensive Player of the Year.

Additionally, Popovich granted Leonard more freedom last season, and the fourth-year forward responded by posting career- and league-best numbers. He tallied 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists while pacing the NBA with 2.3 steals per outing and a 96.4 defensive rating.

The 24-year-old has consistently improved, so again, Leonard's been on track to receive this title—as well as a newly signed maximum contract. But while there's no reason to suggest his development will suddenly halt, San Antonio's busy offseason also expedited the long-anticipated change.

Aldridge is the Spurs' shiny new toy, but he's just that: new. Take the Heat in 2010, for example. Even after LeBron signed with Miami, Dwyane Wade remained the fanbase's first love.

Though San Antonio supporters are surely excited about Aldridge, that doesn't mean the power forward has automatically overtaken Leonard in their hearts. Aldridge will score points and grab some rebounds, but Leonard is noticeably involved in every facet of the game.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Granted, that means Leonard has jumped Duncan, Ginobili and Parker on the emotion-based scale. The future Hall of Famers are still pivotal parts of the rotation and certainly won't become forgotten men, but they're complementary pieces to the budding superstardom of Leonard.

Even last season, Ginobili noticed a shift in the Spurs' style—one reminiscent of Duncan's younger days.

"It's like going back to the early 2000s," Ginobili said, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "When you just give the ball to (Duncan) and wait for the double team and play off that. It was easy."

After the All-Star break, Leonard slowly emerged as the focal point of the San Antonio offense, recording 14 games of 20-plus points. Prior to that 24-game stretch, he'd managed 17 such performances in 228 career outings.

The veterans have already accepted Leonard's growing impact and started preparing to shuffle away from center stage.

"It's going to be Kawhi's team, anyway," Parker said following a win over the Houston Rockets in April, per Andrew Keh of the New York Times. "Timmy transitioned to Manu, Manu transitioned to me, and now it's going to be transitioned to Kawhi. I'll try my best to stay aggressive and be involved, but Kawhi is going to be the man."

They're happy to return when necessary—see Duncan's stellar showing in the 2015 playoffs—but the legendary trio knows the future has arrived.

Popovich saw something special in Leonard three years ago. Last season, elder teammates noticed his continued growth into a special player.

Now, Leonard has earned that special moniker: face of the franchise.

Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.