NBA Finals 2014 Heat Vs Spurs: Kawhi Leonard Outshines Lebron James, Dwyane Wade; Coach And Teammates Heap Praise For The Unassuming Forward

The Heat vs. Spurs matchup for the NBA Finals 2014 is getting more intense and one unassuming forwards emerged as potential star after outshining Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. Coach and Teammates heaped praise on Kawhi Leonard after game 3 win.

In game 3 of the Heat vs. Spurs series, Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points on 10-13 shooting, grabbed four rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and only one error. He also helped force three-time MVP Lebron James into coughing up seven turnovers and limited him to just 22 points on 14 shots.

Spurs coach Greg Popovich said that NBA Finals 2014 has become a platform for Kawhi Leonard to showcase his skills.

"He was just himself. That's how he's played all year long. He's got to be one of our better players on the court or we're not good enough. That's just the way it is," he told Sports Illustrated, adding that the 6-8 forward has been affected by foul trouble the first two games, where he scored 18 points total.

The Spurs sixth-man dynamo guard Manu Ginobili said as published by USA Today Sports that Kawhi Leonard's potential as a future star in the league is really up to him, even after the Heat vs. Spurs series in the NBA Finals 2014.

"He has talent. He has many ways of scoring. His handles are good," he said. "So he does have a great potential, but it's going to depend on him, as always, of not being too satisfied with what he's doing now, working at it and develop."

Meanwhile, Tim Duncan, another unassuming member of the Spurs who's a lock for the Hall of Fame, revealed that he doubted Kawhi Leonard at first when he saw him practice with the team.

"I thought he had a lot of work to do. He wasn't shooting the ball like he does now. But Pop and the guys saw something in him and they allowed him to kind of develop and find his own way," Tim Duncan told Sports Illustrated.