The Tape
Was David Robinson better than Kawhi Leonard?
David Robinson, 1989-2003, against Kawhi Leonard, 2011-present. The numbers levelled to one league, then the call.
Method, stated plainly: scoring is adjusted to a league averaging 114 points per team per game. Rebounds and assists are printed as they were recorded, with the league scoring rate beside them, because a rebound in 1962 came out of a different number of missed shots and we will not pretend one multiplier fixes that. Career lines for active players run through 2024-25.
What the numbers say
Adjusted to a league averaging 114 points a game, David Robinson is the bigger scorer: 33.5 a game in 1993-94 against 27.5 for Kawhi Leonard in 2016-17. That is a real gap of 6 points, not an era illusion — David Robinson's league averaged 101.5 and Kawhi Leonard's averaged 105.6.
David Robinson wins the glass by 4.9 rebounds a game (10.7 to 5.8), which in his era meant standing in traffic rather than waiting for a long one.
David Robinson: An MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year and a scoring title closed out with 71 points on the last day of the season. Kawhi Leonard: Two Finals MVPs with 2 franchises, built on footwork and hands rather than speed.
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