Paul George Says Clippers' Kawhi Leonard Has 'The Approaches Kobe Had'

Paul George believes his Los Angeles Clippers teammate Kawhi Leonard is in elite company and drew a parallel to Kobe Bryant following Sunday's 112-103 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers.  

"Everyone is taking something from Kawhi, and his approach," George said, per AllClippers' Farbod Esnaashari. "He's got the approaches Kobe had. He's got the approaches the great ones have."

Although Leonard hasn't modeled his game off Bryant in the same way Bryant was inspired by Michael Jordan, he has acknowledged he looked to the Lakers legend for guidance both on and off the court.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP told reporters in January he consulted with Bryant about his next step following his championship run with the Toronto Raptors. He also worked out with the future Hall of Famer during the offseason.

"I want to thank Kobe for every he's done for me," Leonard told reporters after winning All-Star MVP, which was named after Bryant following his death in January. "All the long talks and workouts. Thank you. This one's for him."

If he's not already, the four-time All-Star is bound to serve as a template—much like Bryant—for the next generation of stars throughout the NBA.

As George explained, he's already having that kind of impact on his own team.