Had the EXACT same happened to LeBron/Yawnnis/Harden as what happened to Kawhi...

[TheGoatest]

...It would've been much less damaging to their reputations. Even if they shot 0-22 and not 6-22. And this is why:

Yawnnis - Dominant throughout the regular season, chokes in the playoffs
Harden - Dominant throughout the regular season, chokes in the playoffs
Kawhi - Coasts/doesn't care about the regular season, SUPPOSED to dominate in the playoffs
LeBron - Dominant in both

Kawhi coasts and load manages through the regular season.
He averages decent regular season numbers, but nothing even remotely spectacular or historic.

He is supposed to be the "doesn't care about the regular season", "only cares about the playoffs" guy. That's his thing. That's his entire image.
And for him to have the biggest playoff choke job in history last night is unforgettable. It completely obliterated his reputation as the calm, silent assassin who doesn't show a hint of emotion. Well, corpses of people who choke to death usually don't show emotions either.

[MaxPlayer]

G-yannis and Harden for sure, since they are already known as playoff frauds so they have nothing to lose.

LeBron, though... everything he does is under a microscope, so his successes and failures will always be a bigger deal than anything Kawhi does.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Goes to show you player fans and media do A LOT of damage to these players.

The media for their horrible comparisons and hype. The fanbois for their constant overrating, obsessiveness and hate for anyone who is a threat.

Luckily Kawhi doesn't have a personality that many fans and media can relate to or even sell, so the backlash is lowkey.