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Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard: 'Pretty sure I'll be in a Spurs jersey' for life

Sam Amick
USA TODAY Sports
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard drives against the Clippers in Monday's victory.

LOS ANGELES — If the day eventually comes when this is a normal night for Kawhi Leonard, all will be well between him and the San Antonio Spurs.

The ball coming his way on offense, this time to the tune of a career-high 28 points (on 10-for-18 shooting) in this 89-85 win Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers that seemed so improbable until he took over. His defense as dominant as ever, never more than the late steal of Chris Paul that epitomized the uniqueness of his two-way talents.

Yes, it's safe to say, whatever ripple effect may have existed after the Spurs chose not to give Leonard an extension by the Oct. 31 deadline was nowhere to be found.

It was not only a case of Leonard proving his worth, but also how Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made it abundantly clear that he fully plans on following through on his long-held claim that the 23-year-old is the future of the franchise. As Popovich shared afterward, San Antonio had never relied on the 2014 NBA Finals MVP quite like this.

"We ran more plays for him tonight than I ever have in his career," Popovich said afterward. "That's the plan. We've got to start giving him the ball. You know, he's the future. I don't think Timmy (Duncan) and Manu (Ginobili) are going to play any more than maybe six or seven more years. So we've got to let somebody else do something."

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Popovich's wry humor sparked laughter among the media, but he's as aware as anyone that Leonard's situation is a somewhat-serious matter. Leonard is the sort of young talent who needs to feel loved, to know that all the talk about how his role is so vital will be backed up on the floor. In that regard, this night was huge.

Leonard, known for his reserved and quiet nature, was more candid than ever afterward. He boldly discussed the difference between talk and action, saying of Popovich's comment, "It's better to really walk it instead of just hearing them talk about it." And in a discussion with USA TODAY Sports, Leonard, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, said he knows his days of playing fourth fiddle to Duncan, Ginobili and point guard Tony Parker eventually will come to an end.

The Spurs have big plans for this summer, among them the idea of replacing Duncan with a free agent such as Marc Gasol if "The Big Fundamental" retires as expected. And with Leonard's salary cap hold proving so prohibitive had he received the extension he so desired, he's confident their vision will be realized.

"I was never upset about (the extension)," Leonard said. "I mean they explained to me what their deal is and why they didn't do it yet. That'll play out. I'm just here to play basketball and have fun and try to win another championship. If I think about that, then I'm not going to be the same player that I am and will be just out of it.

"I can't be impatient. It would show on the floor, and I won't compete if I'm thinking about getting the ball. I'm just going out there to do my role, the same role — defense first and then see how the ball turns out on the offensive end."

So even with this game taking place in Los Angeles, not far from his Moreno Valley, Calif., hometown and with about 10 family members and friends on hand, Leonard swore his mind didn't wander to a day where he doesn't wear the silver and black. He's all in when it comes to San Antonio, especially if most nights are going to be like this.

"I don't think I'm going anywhere," Leonard said. "I mean they love me here. I like the organization, and if it was up to me, I want to finish out with one team like a lot of great players have done, to stay with one organization their whole career and just be loyal to that. You never know. We'll see what happens next summer, but I'm pretty sure I'll be in a Spurs jersey for my whole life."

The Spurs, it should be made clear, are still taking a calculated risk here. If Leonard ultimately lands a contract offer next summer (such as the one Chandler Parsons signed with the Dallas Mavericks) that leads to his unrestricted free agency and potential exit in the summer of 2017, then their decision not to take care of his business early would have backfired even if they match any and all offers as expected. But the relationship between the two parties, it seems clear, is intact at the moment.

"(Leonard) has never said one thing to me or asked me one thing about 'Pop, why don't we ... ?' Or 'Pop, why don't you ... ?' or, 'Pop, can I ... ?'" Popovich said. "He just is unbelievably coachable and does whatever we ask him to do. He's a coach's dream, very honestly."

As we saw on Monday night.

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