Forget Stephen Curry. Forget LeBron James. Kawhi Leonard is the guy, according to Charles Barkley.
Barkley delivered a scorching basketball take Thursday night before the San Antonio Spurs’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, suggesting that Leonard — not Curry or James, as many have said — is the top dog in the NBA today.
“Kawhi Leonard is the best basketball player in the world, in my opinion,” Barkley said on “Inside the NBA” on TNT. “Steph is the best offensive player in the NBA. LeBron was the best player for the last 10 years or more. But at his age, I would take Kawhi Leonard over any basketball player in the world right now.”
Leonard is just 24 years old — James is 31 and Curry is 27 — and is a force on both ends of the floor. The Spurs forward is averaging 20.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and his impact has been evident this season. San Antonio is 35-6 at its halfway point.
Yet James and Curry generate most of the buzz across the NBA, for reasons that Barkley mentioned. Perhaps someday Leonard will be featured more prominently in the “who’s the best?” discussion, but for now, Barkley is kind of on an island. And that’s OK. He’s still taking Leonard.
“If you’re looking at both ends of the floor, LeBron is older,” Barkley said. “If I needed one player today to start my franchise, I’m taking Kawhi Leonard.”
Bold. But that franchise would be in good shape.
Thumbnail photo via Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports Images
