In today's NBA, egoists are an endangered species. The league's best players haven't just eschewed a me-first attitude, they've each fully embraced the idea of themselves as pieces of larger, more meaningful wholes. It turns out that LeBron James, who over the years has been criticized for passing too much or not being sufficiently assertive, was ahead of his time. MVP candidates Russell Westbrook and James Harden are a hellion who gleefully gives up the ball and a high-volume scorer turned mega-productive point guard, respectively. In Golden State, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson have turned sublimation into a springboard for individual brilliance.

But when it comes to self-effacement, no one can match Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs wing who over the last few weeks has begun to get some MVP consideration. Leonard is widely, almost perfunctorily, recognized as the league's consummate two-way player. He's won DPOY two years running and is the unquestioned focus of a Spurs team that, true to form, has quietly amassed the second-best record in the NBA. We've been yammering on (myself included) about a Warriors-Cavs Finals for so long that we scarcely noticed San Antonio, who at this point has to be considered a legit contender. Given all this, it's no surprise that with the playoffs looming, Kawhi is getting his rightful due even as he refuses to carry himself with the slightest bit of superstar swagger. Leonard is so remote, so dedicated that he’s often characterized as robotic, a machine who only occasionally bothers to get in touch with his feelings.

No question, Kawhi is understated, even muted, a trait that hinges on his remarkable humility. He's one of the most unlikely success stories in recent memory; drafted 15th overall out of San Diego State, he was the quintessential under-the-radar Spurs pick. Even they projected him as a defensive specialist, perhaps the next incarnation of Bruce Bowen. That would've been enough to make for another stealthy San Antonio draft triumph but almost from the beginning, Leonard exceeded expectations. He earned playing time during his 2011-12 rookie year with his defense; by the time the playoffs rolled around, he'd become a decent option at the other end of the floor. Unlike other ascendant second-rounders, who often play chip on their shoulder, Leonard rapidly improved because that's what professionals do.

Kawhi Leonard Is Very Excited About Being in a Car The smile-averse NBA star has finally found something that makes him really and truly happy.

This trajectory has become Leonard's signature. Kawhi has molded his game with a discipline that mirrors his highly efficient style of play, improving every season even when you think he's maxed out his talent. The trick is that, with Leonard, the equation has never been as simple as following through on potential. He's a player who, through sheer craft and attention to detail, has evolved into a superstar. Leonard doesn't stun you with his resourcefulness or creativity. Instead, he consistently raises the bar for himself through a series of gradual breakthroughs. And each time Kawi resets his game, it leaps up a level. Nowhere is this more evident than in his recent scoring explosion. Up until this season, Leonard had scored over 30 points only 7 times. So far, he's at 23 on the year—this from a guy who had to be convinced by Gregg Popovich that scoring was a selfless, team-oriented act, not a mark of selfishness.

Leonard is a natural-born Spur, a player who fits effortlessly into a system and believes unconditionally in an idealized, utterly seamless version of basketball that —if always a far-off horizon—has been the inspiration the five Popovich titles. Leonard has often been cast as a system player and to be sure, he once had holes in his offensive game that were masked by the Spurs' framework. Leonard is also the kind of steadfast, low-key personality that balks at in any way stepping out of line, respecting common purpose so much that he's been reluctant to assert himself too much. This year, though, his game is now so complete that he would be at this level no matter where he was. The system clearly has become a springboard, not a constraint.

Kawhi Leonard isn’t a machine learning to feel, he’s teaching us all that it’s possible to completely dispense with the “I” even with the entire game at his fingertips.

Like Tim Duncan before him, Leonard has become a player who isn't amplified by Popovich's team concept—he excels in a way that expands its capabilities. Where Leonard was once scripted, he's now surprisingly resourceful. His newfound willingness to create and knock down long shots has transformed his game and opened things up for the Spurs. Leonard came into the league fairly unformed. He hasn't rarified things, he's built himself up from scratch and backed into his current role, hedging against anything that could be construed as egoism.