Kawhi Leonard Approaches Game Like Kevin Garnett, Says Clippers' Doc Rivers

Kevin Garnett is one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history. His pregame routine is the stuff of legend, and there may be no star player who performed with as much emotion as The Big Ticket. Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers got to experience that up close when he led Garnett and the Boston Celtics to an NBA title in 2007-08.  

Rivers now coaches one of the quietest superstars to ever grace the NBA in Kawhi Leonard, though to hear him talk about the two, there's more in common than there is that separates them.

It may be an odd comparison, but the veteran coach feels confident in his assessment since he's seen both players up close for long enough now.

To be fair, both KG and Kawhi have given quotes that still echo around the game. Garnett's scream of "Anything is possible!" after winning the title in 2008 is an iconic moment. Leonard's "Board man gets paid" is essentially on the opposite end of the spectrum, but the intensity is there. 

You just have to look past their outward actions and focus on how they prepare. That's exactly what Rivers is doing now.