Clippers coach Doc Rivers: 'Kawhi is the most like Jordan we've seen'

With Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors about to tip off the NBA Finals, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers took an opportunity to heap some praise on the player he hopes to have on his roster next season.

It’s no secret the Clippers are expected to pursue Leonard when he hits free agency this summer, and the superstar has been rumoured to have Los Angeles on his shortlist of destinations since the moment he was traded to Toronto.

Perhaps aiming to earn some goodwill, Rivers flattered Leonard by comparing him to the best player to ever lace them up on the hardwood.

“He is the most like [Michael] Jordan that we’ve seen,” Rivers said on ESPN Tuesday. “Big hands, post game, can finish, great leaper, great defender, in-between game, if you beat him to the spot he bumps you off. And then you add his three-point shooting.”

The compliment is certainly fitting given that Leonard has put together a playoff run for the ages. The 27-year-old is averaging a ludicrous 31.2 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists — marks that easily make this the most impressive post-season stretch of any Raptor in history.

Now returning to the stage where he won Finals MVP in 2014, Leonard has the chance to cap the spring by upsetting what may be the greatest basketball team ever assembled in the Golden State Warriors.

So is Doc tampering or is this just one NBA legend giving props to another? You be the judge.

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