Ex-NBA Star Makes Controversial Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook Statement

LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard may be one of the most disrespected players in the NBA

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Kawhi Leonard is one of the rare players in the NBA who has won two NBA Finals MVPs, yet somehow, he doesn't receive the proper respect that he deserves.

Whether it's because Leonard was a member of the San Antonio Spurs or because he defeated an injured Golden State Warriors team in 2019, some people just refuse to give him his flowers. Among those seems to be former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague.

Recently, CBS created a list of the top 25 NBA players of the 21st century, which many found controversial due to the low ranking of Kobe Bryant. On the list, Leonard was ranked 13th all-time, while Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook was listed as 25th.

Mar 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates with forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against Memphis Grizzlies during fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

While many may agree with that ranking, Teague is not one of them.

"Kawhi Leonard not better than Russell Westbrook," Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast. "He not have a better career than Russell Westbrook. He won championships, but this is an individual award. Give me Russell Westbrook. He don't have no league MVP. You was never the best player in the NBA. You've never been the best player in the NBA."

Jeff Teague says he ranks Russell Westbrook above kawhi Leonard all time pic.twitter.com/Z9kiTrLWnD

— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Chatnigga101) August 27, 2025

Is Kawhi Leonard Better Than Russell Westbrook All-Time?

Looking at the sheer accomplishments, Leonard is a two-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, six-time NBA All-Star, one-time NBA All-Star MVP, three-time All-NBA First Team member, three-time All-NBA second team member, two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, three-time NBA All-Defensive team member, and a one-time NBA steals leader.

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

On top of that, Leonard had arguably one of the greatest NBA Finals runs in history with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, setting numerous records in the process.

On the other side, Westbrook is a one-time NBA MVP, nine-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA All-Star MVP, two-time All-NBA First Team member, five-time All-NBA second team member, two-time NBA scoring champion, and three-time NBA assists leader. He's been a bigger offensive threat than Leonard, but hasn't had the same overall success.

While Westbrook has had a very impressive career, Kawhi Leonard has been the best two-player in the NBA for years, and his finals run is a bigger accomplishment than anything else. The point of playing basketball is to win, and Leonard won in a historic fashion as the main bus driver of his team.

Related Articles

Kawhi Leonard Reveals Unique Two-Word Phrase During China Tour

Kawhi Leonard's New International Appearance Has NBA Fans Talking

3x NBA All-Star Could Be Leaving Clippers for Boston Celtics