Fred VanVleet, sidelined for the entire 2025–26 season due to an ACL injury, opened up about a conversation he overheard from Kawhi Leonard following the 2019 NBA championship. VanVleet said the sentiment surprised him, as Leonard expressed a belief that he was “better than Kobe Bryant.”
“Kawhi Leonard changed my view on a lot of sh*t, but it was one thing in particular that I overheard,” VanVleet said, via HoopsHype. “I just overheard it… when we won the championship in 2019… he’s like, ‘I’m better than Kobe Bryant.’”
VanVleet described his initial reaction as disbelief, given his personal admiration for Kobe Bryant. “Kobe is my man. That’s as good as it gets for me,” he said, reflecting on his lifelong respect for the late Lakers legend.
The comment, however, prompted VanVleet to rethink his own approach to the game. He said it made him consider perspective and mindset: “I started thinking to myself like I know how I feel about where I stand because I’m on the court and I’m playing against some of these guys… And when he said it, I said, ‘Well, if I’m him.’ And just those three words changed how I look at the game.”
Kevin Durant responded to VanVleet’s story by acknowledging the mindset but noting the difference in approach. “It’s not a bad thing to feel that way. But I don’t like it… to use dudes as example and say like, ‘Oh, since I did this, I’m better than this.’ But I get that mindset,” Durant said.
The 2019 championship with Toronto marked a turning point for Leonard, cementing his legacy as one of the league’s most efficient two-way players. VanVleet, who played a key role in that Raptors squad, reflected on how witnessing Leonard’s confidence firsthand influenced his own development and mindset on the court.
