Kleber Says Leonard's Staredown after Dunk 'Should’ve Been a Technical Foul'
Dallas Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber was apparently unhappy with LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard’s demeanor after the Klaw put him underneath the basket with an impressive Tomahawk dunk.
After the dunk, with Kleber still on the floor, Leonard stared him down before yelling something indiscernible at the big man. Teammates Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr. joined in on the exchange of words, clearly excited after the monumental slam.
During Sunday’s media availability following Dallas’ game 1 win, Kleber expressed that he found Leonard’s taunt to be unsportsmanlike.
"I think the staredown should’ve been a technical foul, in my opinion,” Kleber said. “But that’s not my decision. I didn’t really care. I get up and try to keep playing, and we kept playing. Stuff like that happens. Obviously, it was an amazing dunk."
To Kleber’s credit, he made the right basketball play. Many players less brave (or more social media-conscious) would have seen Leonard coming at them full speed in transition and simply stepped aside, allowing him the easy dunk but avoiding the SportsCenter Top 10. Instead, Kleber defended the shot as best he could, though it was all for naught.
"This is the playoffs, so I’m going to try to contest a shot,” Kleber would go on to say. “I don’t care about [being on a highlight]. You don’t try to give up easy baskets. ... I would do it every time again."
Kleber continues to be the primary defender on Leonard in this series, as he was in last year’s first-round matchup. Who knows—perhaps this will not be the last poster we see in this series.
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