Death of Kawhi's father gave him added perspective on life
Kawhi Leonard spoke about the loss of his father when he was 16 years old Wednesday and how the adversity has added perspective to his life.
"I think it just gave me a sense and feel that life and basketball are two different things and just really enjoy your time and moments," Leonard told reporters, including Yahoo Sports' William Lou.
Although the Toronto Raptors are a win away from claiming their first-ever NBA championship, the 2014 Finals MVP knows at the end of the day, it's just basketball.
"Just go out there and have fun," he said. "These are going to be the best years of my life, playing this game. Being 27, this young, you shouldn't be stressing in life about things that really don't matter.
"As long as your family is healthy, you're able to see the people that you love and you're able to walk, run, (and) you're not injured."
Leonard is having a historic postseason run. He's averaging 30.9 points on 49.2 percent shooting from the floor while adding 9.2 boards, four assists, and 1.7 steals per contest across 23 playoff appearances.
Leonard's series-clinching shot in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers was the first-ever buzzer-beater in a Game 7 in NBA history. Most recently, the 27-year-old joined Michael Jordan as the only other player to score at least 35 points without turning over the ball in an NBA Finals game.
History is on the line again in Game 6 when the championship series resumes Thursday at Oracle Arena.