Kawhi Leonard is an American professional basketball player who plays in the National Basketball Association, currently playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. He was a first-round pick during the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard is a two-time NBA Champion in 2014 and 2019. In those years, he was also named the NBA Finals MVP. He has also been named to the NBA All-Star team five times. In 2020, he was selected as the NBA All-Star Game MVP.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Kawhi Anthony Leonard was born on June 29, 1991, in Los Angeles, California the United States. Nicknamed ‘The Claw’, ‘Board Man’, ‘Fun Guy’, ‘The Hand’, and ‘The Terminator’, he stands 201 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 102 kg. Leonard is a small forward and shoots with his right.
He is the son of Kim Robertson and Mark Leonard. After Kobe Bryant died in 2020, Leonard revealed that he and Bryant shared the same pilot. Leonard is known for his quiet behavior and his private demeanor. He rarely entertains questions about his private life.
| Team |
Los Angeles Clippers
|
| Position | Small Forward |
| Height / weight | 2.01 m / 102 kg |
| Born | 29 Jun 1991 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Nickname | The Claw |
| Team History | |
|
Los Angeles Clippers
|
2019 - present |
Toronto Raptors
|
2018 - 2019 |
San Antonio Spurs
|
2011 - 2018 |
High School and College Career
He attended Canyon Springs High School and Martin Luther King High School. At the latter, he was teammates with Tony Snell. In his senior year, he was named California Mr. Basketball. In his senior year, he received a number of college offers. He chose to commit to the San Diego State University. He would stay with them from 2009 to 2011.
While in college, he was named to the First-team All-MWC. He was also named to the Consensus Second-Team All-American. The San Diego State Aztecs also retired Jersey No.15 in his honor.
Career
In 2011, he declared for the draft, choosing to forgo the rest of his college eligibility. He was chosen in the first round by the Indiana Pacers. He was the draft’s 15th Overall pick. In his rookie year with the pacers, he was named to the 2012 NBA All-Rookie Team.
In 2014, he became an NBA Champion alongside the rest of the Pacers. He was also named the NBA Finals MVP for the first time that year. The following year, he led the NBA in steals. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the first time. He would be awarded the same honor again the next year.
The 2017 to 2018 season was marked with injuries. In June 2018, it was reported that Leonard had requested to be traded away from the team. He joined the Toronto Raptors and he won his second NBA Championship in 2019. Again, he was named the NBA Finals MVP. He is the first person in the history of the league to win Finals MVP from a team from each side of the league.
In July 2019, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. His 2020-2021 season came to an early end because of an injury. He later opted out for the final year of his contract with the Clippers but he re-signed with them in August 2021.
Career Highlights
- 2014, 2019 - NBA champion
- 2014, 2019 - NBA Finals MVP
- 2016, 2017, 2019–2021 - NBA All-Star
- 2020 - NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 2016, 2017, and 2021 - All-NBA FirstTeam
- 2019, 2020 - All-NBA Second Team
- 2015, 2016 - NBA Defensive Player ofthe Year
- 2015–2017 - NBA All-Defensive FirstTeam
- 2014, 2019–2021 - NBA All-DefensiveSecond Team
- 2012 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
- 2015 - NBA steals leader
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
- 2011 - Consensus second-teamAll-American
- 2010, 2011 - First-team All-MWC
- No. 15 retired by San Diego StateAztecs
- 2009 - California Mr. Basketball
