Russell Westbrook Makes Feelings Clear About Clippers Star Kawhi Leonard

Before the series, Westbrook spoke about his former teammate (Clippers star Kawhi Leonard).

Westbrook: "Impacts winning in different ways. Not just scoring the basketball. He's a hell of a player and does a great job of getting to his spots... He's playing at a high level and makes them a really good team."

Leonard has dealt with a lot of injuries during his six-year stint with the Clippers.

The two-time NBA Champion finished the regular season with averages of 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per contest while shooting 49.8% from the field and 41.1% from the three-point range in 37 games.

Magic Johnson wrote (via X): "Basketball fans, buckle up for the West. The Nuggets vs. Clippers will be a 7-game thriller! I can’t pick a winner but I think the Clippers finished the season playing their best basketball!"

In addition to the Clippers, Leonard has also spent time with the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs over 13 years.

As for Westbrook, he finished his first year with Denver averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from the three-point range in 75 games.