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Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard draws Ivan Drago-Rocky 4 comparison from former teammate

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated 3/29/24

Kawhi Leonard is one of the more interesting players in the NBA currently. There’s no denying his talent, but his disdain for having to meet with the media and his desire to keep his private life private has made him a mystery in the eyes of NBA fans everywhere. And a hilarious comparison from one of his former teammates in Isaiah Hartenstein will only further add to Leonard’s mysterious profile.

Hartenstein spent the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, which was the year that Leonard spent on the sidelines as he rehabbed from a torn ACL he suffered in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. While the pair never played together, Hartenstein said Leonard was always around the team rehabbing, and he compared him to Ivan Drago from the iconic movie “Rocky IV”.

“Kawhi was hurt the whole year…Y’all ever watched Rocky when they’re trying to build that like Russian dude, Ivan Drago? So like that’s what his rehab was. You know when he’s getting prepared to go, that was his rehab. Like there was like five people around him, all had iPads, they’re getting ready a machine. He was downloading new software, so that was kind of funny.” – Isaiah Hartenstein, The Roommates Show

Kawhi Leonard has looked as good as ever since completing his rehab

LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives for a score past Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

After spending one season with the Clippers, Hartenstein ended up signing with the New York Knicks in free agency, and he’s put together the most impressive year of his career while he’s filled in for Mitchell Robinson at center. Regardless of where he ends up, Hartenstein’s strong play (7.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 63.5 FG%) will likely earn him a nice raise this upcoming offseason.

Leonard, on the other hand, has returned to peak form after sitting out his lone season spent with Hartenstein, and it’s helped the Clippers emerge as one of the top title contenders out in the Western Conference. Through 66 games of work, Leonard has put together a complete season to this point (23.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 52.4 FG%), and if he keeps playing at this level, LA should be able to go on a deep playoff run.

The Drago comparison for Leonard is a pretty great one from Hartenstein, as Leonard has long been considered a “robot” by NBA fans for the way that he acts in front of the media. If there was a movie character who represented a similar robot-ish mentality when it came to getting their job done, no matter what fans thought of them, it would be Drago.

This isn’t to say that Leonard is going to go out and kill anyone like Drago did, but Leonard has always been known to put his head down and get his work done, and that’s resulted in him finding a lot of success in the NBA. While he may draw these humorous comparisons, as long as they don’t distract the star forward from his championship pursuit, he likely won’t be paying them much mind.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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