Kawhi Leonard

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 was 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 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.

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Team	Los Angeles Clippers
Position	Small Forward
Height / weight	2.01 m / 102 kg
Born	29 Jun 1991
Nationality	United States
Playing Style	Right Handed
Nickname	The Claw

Team History
LA Clippers	2019 - present
Toronto	2018 - 2019
San Antonio	2011 - 2018

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.

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 San Antonio Spurs. He was the draft’s 15th Overall pick. In his rookie year with the Spurs, he was named to the 2012 NBA All-Rookie Team.

In 2014, he became an NBA Champion alongside the rest of the Spurs. 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.

As of the 2023 season, he still plays for the Clippers.