Meyers Leonard: The Leader, The Voice, The Hammer
It’s clear that Meyers Leonard is a true proponent of taking pride in work ethic and character. And well, that’s been on full effect during this postseason run.
When talking about the many factors that led to this this run, you’d probably start with Bam Adebayo’s impact, Tyler Herro’s breakout, Goran Dragic’s consistency, or Erik Spoelstra’s adjustments. But Meyers Leonard’s leadership should be pretty high up on that list.
Not many guys would absolutely embrace a role that means no on-court playing time, especially someone with the competitive spirit of Meyers. But he did. It’s another clear representation of that character. There’s a mutual respect between him and Erik Spoelstra, which led to the understanding of playing the role of the vocal teammate. When Erik talked about Meyer’s support the other day, he said “Meyers is one of the most special people I’ve had the opportunity to coach and be around.”
Meyers was a guy throughout the season that was a vocal floor general when in the game, who would make guys feel comfortable especially on the defensive end. Now, he continually utilizes this off the floor, standing next to Coach Spo pointing and calling stuff out.
And the word vocal can’t describe what he does on the sideline.
Screaming. Clapping. Fist-pumping. Directing.
He mentioned that he’s “the most jealous of watching our team’s success.” But team success doesn’t always mean on-court play. It means that you contribute in a way that you are most capable of in a given situation. And without Meyers’ leadership, these guys wouldn’t be where they are.
He ultimately wants to get the best out of all of his teammates, especially the young guys. After Tyler Herro’s 37 point explosion in game four, he praised not only the performance, but the work ethic that he always preaches.
The kid flat out WORKS!! Confidence is off the charts, due to his work ethic and mindset. Not scared of the moment. Great listener as well. He wants to learn and get better every single day. https://t.co/zbKRFavKnx
— Meyers Leonard (@MeyersLeonard) September 24, 2020
The Miami Heat are now up 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, one win away from the NBA finals. And if the Miami Heat were able to face off against the Los Angelas Lakers, there’s a chance that Meyers not only will make an impact off the court, but also on the court against the Lakers plethora of bigs.
Character. Work Ethic. This takes you a long way. Listen to the wise words of Meyers Leonard.
I was a cameraman at Illinois during Meyers Leonard tenure and can tell you that he is a very upstanding young man and a very personable human being. There should be more players like this in the NBA!