MILWAUKEE—It snuck into a group conversation with Kawhi Leonard one night earlier this week, a quick phrase dropped that gave a glimpse of just what NBA playoff basketball means to him.
“Keep fighting,” the Raptors all-star said. “We have a chance to make history.”
And for a player who famously — and in many ways correctly — said the regular season is little more than 82 warmup games, it spoke volumes about what this time of the season means to him.
It’s time for history to be made, time when reputations are made, time when everyone’s watching and time when everyone’s on heightened alert to watch and appreciate the very best players in the league.